My last poetry swap of the summer arrived this past week and what a beauty it is! Jone Macculloch shared a picture of her west coast ocean with me, using a line from my recent east coast ocean sonnet to create an accompanying golden shovel poem. Her word choice and alliteration are delightful and her fabulous photo captures a heart in the surf. Really!? Isn’t it wonderful? 
The color, celadon!, is just fabulous and one I probably couldn’t have named, but as soon as I read it, I recognized it. I’m also delighted that the photo is neatly tucked into a magnetic frame that now has a place of honor on my refrigerator, in the midst of some other treasures. Every time I see it, I think of the ocean’s splendor and of poetry connections across the country. Thanks so much, Jone, for ending my first poetry swap experience so beautifully!
Jone’s poem reminded me of a post by Heidi Mordhorst at My Juicy Little Universe way back in July. Heidi hosted the Poetry Friday Roundup and shared some recent PD experiences. One thing she shared was a wonderful color poem she’d written in response to this prompt: “We imagined that we had met a cloud of our favorite color on the street and taken a handful… ”
I had played around with this prompt some, but had forgotten about it until thoughts of celadon inspired me to look for it again. Here’s my draft response to the prompt:
Aubergine
Some call you dark purple
but I call you
aubergine
glamour surrounds you
a mysterious shadow
separating you from paler hues
Within your depths
black and purple
have kindled a new shade
warm yet regal
I reach my hand out to you
and feel a charge
startling, powerful
soft like plush ermine
hard like a faceted gem
Aubergine
we walk together
me at your heels
and I hear echoes of
late blooming lilacs
brushing against each other
in a spring tempest
their bruised blossoms
perfume the air
M. Hogan ©2018
I think I’ll toy around with this a bit more and I may revisit this prompt again–maybe I’ll write about celadon! Thanks for the inspiration, Heidi and Jone! While I’m shouting out thanks, a huge one goes to Tabatha Yeatts for organizing the Summer Poetry Swap. It’s been a wonderful experience to participate, rewarding in so many ways. Thank you so much, Tabatha!
Poetry Friday this week is hosted by the inspirational Margaret Simon at Reflections on the Teche. Margaret has been very busy recently with all things wonderful associated with her newly published book, Bayou Song. This week she’s sharing a poetry swap poem she received and a poem she wrote. Both were inspired by other poems. Poems sparking more and more poetry! Gotta love that!
Nix the comfort zone 
What a rich post! Gorgeous photos, poems, and connections! “Aubergine” is a marvelous word, and “glamour surrounds you/a mysterious shadow/separating you from paler hues” is lovely.
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Thanks, Tabatha. The Summer Poetry Swap has been a wonderful experience. Thank you so much for facilitating it. For me, each poem written and received is like a pebble dropped in a pond…I’m still enjoying the ripple effects!
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Now I have two new words to ponder, Molly. That use of ‘celadon’ for the ocean is perfection, as is Jone’s photo, and then you wrote for ‘aubergine’, a word we really should use instead of purple, right? I love the connection with lilacs.
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I’m in love with celadon now. My daughter and I googled it and oohed and aahed over the associated images. So much of it is ceramic/pottery oriented, which makes me wonder why and what other colors are strongly associated with particular categories of objects or art. Food for thought!
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Gorgeous post Molly–rich with juicy poems and compelling images–that explosive “celadon” ocean image is fantastic! I’ve always liked celadon, it conjures up all kinds of ideas … Your “Aubergine” poem brings new color to this hue, thanks!
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Thanks, Michelle. “Explosive” is the perfect word for that burst of ocean. It is such a stunning image!
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Just beautiful – and so much more provocative than eggplant 🙂
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Names are so important, right? Eggplant just doesn’t have the gravitas of aubergine! lol
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What a joy filled post….and that name, celedon. It’s beautiful…more so because of how Jone wove it into your words and the surf. Just love it. You make me want to write about meeting my favorite color. Hmmmmm. I love your conversation with aubergine.
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Now you have me wondering what color you’d converse with, Linda. I hope to find out soon!
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Poems sparking poems, again and again. That’s the ripple of Poetry Friday into the world. I love Jone’s image and poem (and how she used one of your lines to golden shovel.) Your poem play with aubergine expresses strong emotion and brings forth images of beauty.
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Thanks, Margaret. I’ve been the lucky recipient of such poetry riches this summer! Each one has sparked new ideas and thoughts and a deep appreciation for this community. Thanks again for hosting today.
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I’m reveling in these color words and these stunning lines in both of your poems over here… such gorgeousness! And Jone’s photograph – what an eye, and HEART to go with it, right?! Thanks for sharing all, and the fun peek at your fridge, too! :0) (By the way, whenever I see aubergine and celedon together in a garden or edging – any darkish purple and lightish green, really – I just have to stop and swoon!)
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Oh, you’re right! Aubergine and celadon are perfect together!! I hadn’t even thought of that!
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Molly, I am loving you and aubergine, walking hand in hand! So very lovely (and I am a purplegirl as well!).Thanks for sharing your summer swap bounty, too. Jone really surprised me with celadon! xo
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Celadon popped out at me–a huge surprise that settled into “Oh, but of course, that’s the perfect description…” I love when poems startle me then settle into “but of course!” (I hope that makes sense…)
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I would like two cats named Celadon and Aubergine. 🙂 Your poem is gorgeous, Molly. I especially love the ending—the echoes, the brushing the bruised blossoms perfuming the air. Just beautiful.
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Thanks, Michelle, and I love your cat name idea! Like Robyn said, Celadon and Aubergine are fabulous together! Even better with cats involved 😉
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I love seeing all the poetry swaps–especially when poetry inspires more poetry as it does in your post. Wow–what colors!
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I love the ripple effects of the poetry swap and of PF!
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Love how the names of colors connected your poems. That photo Jone took! Wow! Love the swap.
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It’s a fabulous picture! I’m so glad it’s on my fridge and I see it every day! I, too, love the swap 🙂
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I think I’m loving all the response poems as much or more than the gift poems! Well done!
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Thanks, Mary Lee. I’ve loved reading all the response poems!
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I love the poem you received and the one you wrote, too! Ruth, thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com
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