I spent a beautiful spring morning walking a low-tide beach…the perfect way to celebrate Earth Day.  I watched pelicans swoop and soar, children squeal and run, surfers wait and balance, the waves ebb and flow.  The salty air and sun on my shoulders are the perfect antidote for those worries that creep in and invade the mind as work piles up and time feels short.

Thinking about poetry this afternoon I found myself reflecting on Earth Day and the importance of taking care of this wondrous planet where we live.  I remembered my wonder during spring break as I experienced the greens of Oregon; greens that are not my everyday experience here in San Diego.  I had spent a day listing all the green words I could come up with as we traveled from the coast of Oregon to the mountains.  Although I’m not sure this is an actual poem, I took time today to figure out a way to categorized those greens…and there are a lot of them!  It certainly is not an exhaustive list…I’m interested to know what green words you, kind reader, might add to my list, as well as what categories I have not yet considered.  So here it is…a list poem of sorts.

Categories of Green

Tree Green

Fir

Ash

Oak

Birch

Maple

Pine

Animal Green

Frog

Cricket

Alligator

Grasshopper

Turtle

Snake

Praying Mantis

Forest Green

Tree

Bud

Fern

Bud

Ivy

Vine

Lichen

Moss

Fruit and Vegetable Green

Broccoli

Bean

Granny Smith

Lettuce

Avocado

Lime

Olive

Mint

Pea

Ocean Green

Sea foam

Turquoise

Algae

Teal

Seaweed

Farm Green

Crop

Alfalfa

Meadow

Clover

Field

Grass

Gem Green

Emerald

Citron

Jade

Turquoise

Peridot

Malachite

Color Green

Chartreuse

Kelly

Loden

Sage

Kelly

Harlequin

Irish Green

Ireland

Kelly

Shamrock

Leprechaun

Symbol Green

Traffic Light

Recycling

Money

Jealousy

Greed

 

Douillard 2018

And an Earth Day themed student poem:

Things to do if You Are a Leaf

 

Photosynthesize,

lay back, relax,

feel the rays of light feed veins

when you fall, twirl like a ballerina

as light as a feather

when you turn brown and curl up

then crunch, you’re pieces.

 

Kalani

I’m looking forward to learning more greens and green categories…feel free to leave your ideas in the comments!  Happy Earth Day!