A Palette To Paint Us As We Are

[onyxtwilight.livejournal.com]

Give us a palette to paint us as we are.
Enough of black and white, yellow and red,
Those false colors that sham at fact.

Coffee, and chocolate, and café au lait,
Ivoried saffron, and saffroned ivory,
Bronze, and brass, copper, and rose gold,
Tea and pale butter, golden almond,
Infinite varieties of browns and tans,
Pale rose, pink and soft rose cream,
mahogany, oak, cedar, and champagne.

These are the colors of people I see,
Not black and white, not yellow and red.
Those false colors no longer will do.
Give us a palette to paint us true.


-- Gerald Rich

Comments

[onyxtwilight.livejournal.com]

I discovered this song because it was set to music by Elizabeth Alexander, and my chorus is singing it this season. If you ever have a chance to hear it performed, it's lovely.

[i-am-scowling.livejournal.com]

the words alone are lovely :)