Ode to the Color of the Sea When Green

A frothy green rushes down the Skagit,
and later, that same hue streams
high up the Nooksack. Then a wall
of the sea, lacy with the sheen of glaciers——
same tint. Same lush emotion overwhelmed.

The blue sea, the teal, the gray
are mute by comparison.
The orange sea, the golden and the red,
can’t they just quiet down for a bit?

Sea green is a hammock, and the sleep;
a flurry of vivid dreams; a love
that beckons gently.

The sudden colorful shout,
alarming, and somehow comforting.

The impact of this rich verdant
is to jump in, join the swiftness
of the river, and to drown without sorrow.
This watery heaven. So satisfying.
Yet, because of the addiction for more
of this shade, the leap is out of the question.

The tallest evergreens try
to become sane as that, and fail.

As do certain sour apples, and
the irises that peer through the fog.
The brightness of the sea green caterpillar
came before the chrysalis,
before butterfly or egg.

Just a sip of this carbonated green
of the sea intoxicates.

One thought on “Ode to the Color of the Sea When Green

  1. Sea green – a hammock! Wonderful image. thank you neighbour! I am on vancouver Island. Often take the Anacortes ferry from Sidney and drive into the Skagit Valley. And I love the Skagit Valley Poetry Festival. I look forward to going to it in May 2018!

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