Palette

Today is yellow. Not a bright, sunshiny yellow. More like amber. The overcast sky is colored with a warm, comforting amber. It is going to rain but there is a sense of calm. For even if the rain brings wind and lightning and thunder, the yellow (amber) morning sky has given us proper warning.

Giggles are not yellow, they are blue. Not a dark, John Coltrane type of blue. More like a Carly Simon shade of blue. Giggles rise from deep within oneself and are released with a grand smile. Carly Simon Blue.

Beige has no depth. Khaki. Tan. Ecru. Neutral. Sand. Camel. Dessert. Barrenness.

Flamingoes are not born pink. Flamingo feathers are naturally white or maybe ecru. The algae they eat turns them red. Or pink.

Flesh is a color best observed in black and white. Or, more accurately, shades of grey. Or gray. In the imagination it is important to choose from the many flesh variations. Anglo. African. Scandinavian. Middle Eastern. Indian. South American. Eskimo. Asian. North American. Sun burnt. Sun tanned. Albino. Scarred. Charred. Blistered. Tattooed. That’s why flesh is best left in black and white. Or gray. Or grey.

Roses are red and violets are blue. But rose is a color too. So is violet. And the flower known as a violet is more purple than blue but of course purple stems from blue. And I have definitely seen white roses. And yellow roses in Texas.

Monkeys are not purple but they may wear violet colored pants. Lizards are sometimes blue but they are rarely sad. Dogs are color blind and most snakes cannot see at all. I wish they knew what they are missing.