Homage to Laura Vaccaro Seeger’s Green

Seeger’s beautiful picture book is a poem, did you notice? But her greens inspired me to write some poems of my own, occasionally rhymed tercets that describe each spread. I figure that will speak to you more greenly than an ordinary review would.

forest green

Trees’ knees

lead eyes high

to a hushed green sky. 

sea green

Sea turtle flows

by with fish

like a briny wish.

lime green

 

Bright lime

yells on tongue:

“Summer time!”

pea green

They line up

like green soldiers,

then fall out.

jungle green

Leaves and vines

everywhere but

shade-striped eyes.

khaki green

Lizard storms

desert, hides where

rock spot warms.

fern green

Forest curls unfurl

to sway

in green array.

wacky green

Green stripes

like a spearmint cane—

zebra’s refrain.

slow green

This green inches

over petals to measure

the lengths of leaves.

faded green

 

Like an old t-shirt,

soft washed,

never lost.

glow green

Darkness falls,

but mini nightlights

call hellos.

shaded green

Pages turn

in the cool breeze

under shade trees.

all green

From a single pea

to a sweeping sea—

everywhere green!

never green

Opposite green

is stop. Don’t go.

Not even slow.

no green

Winter white

and green’s asleep,

hidden deep.

forever green

We plant seeds.

Spring comes,

hopeful with green.