Sunday 30 August 2009

Blue

BLUE

–noun
1. the pure colour of a clear sky; the primary colour between green and violet in the visible spectrum, an effect of light with a wavelength between 450 and 500 nm.
2. something having a blue colour.
3. a person who wears blue or is a member of a group characterized by some blue symbol.
4. (often initial capital letter) a member of the Union army in the American Civil War or the army itself.
5. any of several blue-winged butterflies of the family Lycaenidae.
6. the blue,
a. the sky.
b. the sea.
c. the remote distance.
–adj.
7. of the colour of blue.
8. (initial capital letter) of or pertaining to the Union army in the American Civil War.
9. (of the skin) discoloured by cold, contusion, fear, or vascular collapse.
10.depressed in spirits; dejected; melancholy.
11.holding or offering little hope; dismal; bleak.
12.characterized by or stemming from rigid morals or religion.
13.marked by blasphemy.
14.(of an animal's hair) greyish-blue.
15.indecent; somewhat obscene; risqué.
–verb (used with object)
16.to make blue; dye a blue colour.
17.to tinge with bluing.
–verb (used without object)
18.to become or turn blue.






















Blue is the colour of your smile as you lie in your grave,
Colours robbed from you with the air you breathed.
I wonder about the shade of your softly closed eyes
And that of the world they held in their throes:
The golden fire they once flashed about, faded to ashes
Life, a melancholy tone of greys and blues.


Vintage beauty appears courtesy of Inspyretash-stock at Deviant Art.

15 comments:

Amias (ljm and liquidplastic) said...

Blue, while we live can be very calming; in death it can be very depressing; however, your poem is very soothing to read, even though it is about something that depresses me at times -- death.

Jim said...

Your poem seems to be the memories of a child, now grown, of her deceased mother who died young.
This is very wonderful yet sad. Bright vivid and living colours robbed -- now the dull ash colours remain.
..
BTW I appreciate your list of 18 uses for the word, blue. And there are more.
I had attempted to use several of those but changed tunes and did a little ditty instead.
..

Gemma Wiseman said...

Your poem rings with a sonorous, melancholic beauty!

Anonymous said...

i second Greyscale Territory! :)

it does have that melancholic beauty indeed!

gautami tripathy said...

I like how you defined blue in your poetry..

weeks trample on each other like magazines

Jeeves said...

Like this meaning of blue

anthonynorth said...

Powerful words on blue and death. Excellently done.

SandyCarlson said...

No. 13 bemused me as I was reading those definitions. All those subtleties assigned to blue and then there is this judgment: blasphemy. I do love reading these meanings. Words are stories in themselves. Blue has clearly been around a few blocks.

The poem captures all that is subtle, sensitive, and deeply personal in life. Leaves me feeling blue. It is good to think on these things. Thanks.

Sherri B. said...

Haunting, yearning...I loved the mood of this poem, and especially when you spoke of her eyes. Even though it was sad, it was so lovely!

Maggie said...

While I heard the blues in this piece, I enjoyed the colorful blue eyes spoken of in your poem...Sad and wonderful at the same time.

The Dark Lord said...

A truely wonderful piece.. how very touching.. sometimes, its indeed a pity that death can be so poetically spectacular..
Even so, the poem has an ancient, haunting quality... a conclusive journal of a life spent, that now lays in rest, devoid of that "living spark"... Awesome work!

storyteller at Small Reflections said...

So many mixed meanings and associations arise with the color BLUE. Poignant piece ...
Hugs and blessings,

Tammie Lee said...

your words take me to a death bed...
quietly noticing, feeling the differences of life and death. I am reminded that these two are mated... and blue lives in both. lovely piece.

Tumblewords: said...

I really enjoyed this piece! The final line is stunning...

DeLi said...

sad and so true....