There was no blue in ancient Greece
Homer’s skies were iron and bronze
hung above a wine-dark sea
Likewise, Chloros
seemed to be the word for green
but in literature of the time
honey was chloros
dew was chloros
even tears and blood
Leaving the impression that nothing
was seen in terms of color
that cursory observations were secondary
to intrinsic distinctions that mark
the essence of existence
So the blood’s red hue was less
important than whether it was fresh
as morning dew, moist as honeyed tears
or still as an afternoon
-Shawnte Orion, Sakura Review
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Tagged: Beyond Translation poem, blue, color, contemporary poetry, poetry, Sakura Review, Shawnte Orion, Shawnte Orion poet, vivid
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