Praise God for all things green
Lime jello, blades of grass, emeralds
Chameleons, the neon river frog
Heavy papayas begging to be picked
Lilies thrusting their tender shoots through dirt
Love when it knows nothing more than hope
Praise God for all things brown
Hot coffee, sloppy mud, chocolate
The warthog’s tail and Stephen’s hazel eyes
Crafty cinnamon biting with its bark
My mother’s face, as soft as baby skin
Love leaving its stain on colorless days
Praise God for all things red
Round bindi, rose petals, ladybugs
A cardinal, sweet Hannah’s dumpling cheeks
Angry dried chilies waiting to set fires
The line of blood that seals a healing wound
Love giving with no promise of return
Praise God for all things black
Umbrellas, peppercorns, ebony
The zebra’s stripe and Anna’s curly hair
Pungent fish tamarind seeping bitter truth
The thick unseeing darkness of the night
Love struggling when it cannot understand
Praise God for all things white
Shaving cream, smooth eggshells, buttermilk
Albino pigs, rabbits romping in snow
Steaming basmati rice humming a tune
A waterfall half-glimpsed through forest trees
Love reaching through darkness into light
Chandy C. John is a poet, essayist, fiction writer, and pediatrician living in St. Paul, Minnesota.
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