green and gold of Spring
birds sing grace on the new day
gold on horizon
the faithful sun raises her
face and shines love upon us
Photo by Lisa Paul – “Sunrise on the Bean Field”
Copyright ©2026 Lisa Paul. All rights reserved.
Colleen’s Challenge: This week, let’s explore color in our Japanese poetry. Using (a) color as a metaphor, write your poem connected to your favorite season.
| Color | Symbolic Meaning |
|---|---|
| White (shiro) | Purity and spirituality |
| Black (kuro) | Masculinity and enlightenment |
| Red (aka) | Protection against evil spirits |
| Blue (ao) | Commonness and simplicity |
| Gold (ki) | Power and divine mercy |
| Violet (murasaki) | Nobility and strength |
A Little Bit of Everything, With Love 