Sometimes, when I can’t think of anything to write about, I choose a colour, then just sit down and write whatever comes into my head. For me, colours have personalities, sometimes displaying different sides of their characters. Red is a good example of this.
RED
Passion, fire, love and hate
she’s totally consuming;
demands our full attention.
Birds see red and head for food
in Eucalypts, Callistemons
Grevilleas and more.
Man brings roses, long and red
to woo his mate,
adding hearts, painted red
on cards that say
‘I love you.’
But when love dies
and hearts turn cold,
their faces, red with anger,
reveal the pain, the loss they bear,
as love can turn to hate.
In the hearth the fire glows
with flames that give red heat
to warm the home
and comfort lonely hearts
On summer days when temperatures
are way above the norm,
the sight, the smell and sound of flames
flash warnings –
This red is hell.