The Shades of God

by Ariel Douglas (4 June 2018)

Ivory

A snowflake drifting down from a cotton cloud

Pure as the undisturbed drifts on the top of a mountain

Like the milk my mother always poured into her morning coffee

Tan

The sand on the beach on a sunny day

A shell worn by the long days in the water

Like a branch stripped of its bark

Cream

Like coffee swirling with half and half

And butterscotch pudding on Thanksgiving

Or the soft fur on a tiger’s belly

Caramel

The color of Grandma’s couch

And her delicious cookies

Sand in the desert, piled by wind

Bronze

Like a shining penny

The handle on the door of an old church

Or the key that welcomes you home

Brown

The trees in the forest standing tall and resolute

The hot cocoa we drink on a cold winter’s day

The color of our childhood crib, keeping us safe

Chocolate

Like we love on Easter Sunday

And the cakes that Mom makes for our birthdays

Or the feathers on the mother duck leading her ducklings

Coffee

Like Daddy drinks fresh from the pot

Straight from the grounds with nothing added

The color of the loam where the crops grow that sustain us