Fluent In Color

An epic medley composed of color penned by poets in the Cafe

I have become fluent in color
Reading the hues and shades
Of words written
By familiar strangers and unknown friends
My poetic peers.

I listen....to your palette

Stepping up a ladder of rungs stained red
With spilled wine
Wiping my mind with a coat
The color of a Cherrie
Turning Inchyra Blue
As suns, planets and moons cast shadowy light
On a scream whispered by winds that blew
My poetic fears.

That glisten....on a palette

Of darkest blue and shatter a dagger
Black, like a Smith forging words writing Beauty
Galloping into songs of Light
Her color is beauty!
Lit opaque in truth glowing Songs that heal wounds
With a prism
Casting blues that rise and fall in the night
Plainly caring to hear
My poetic years.

And hasten....to fill my palette

With greenish grey magnetic rocks growing on mushroom clouds
Colors that grip the Genius' fear
Zombies with ruby lips recite under electric light
Dances like snowflakes with auburn hair
Falling in mystical magical colorless woods
Barking Cinnamon
At fishermen
Catching the color of buoyant velvet love
Missing a Share on
Chances to read in a market of ideas writing
My poetic dears.

That fasten....to our palette

Glued by virtual verbal acrylic friendships
That echo in lavender dreams of reality
Where blackbirds sing a song heard 'cross an ocean blue
Reflecting rainbows
The spectrum of colors of the sea
To the depths of darkness
The blackest of brinks
Mishing and mashing waves of grey grief
Washing words ashore that surface
My poetic mirrors.

Reflection....of a palette

Sung in the key of Gee
Singing ancient songs over Black Velvet
Ghosts and shadows laugh from inside a diamond
Crystal clear visions of love
Radiating facets of windmill light turned by unknown poets
Reading, but never reviewing
The kaleidoscope in black and white
Rocking and Rolling spinning and kicking dust in the wind
Contaminating a loaf of tarnished blossoms
Black and white today, tomorrow gray
Parched in Baptismal water lubricating
My poetic gears.

To moisten....a dry palette

Splishing and splashing in addictive detergent
Washing the maroon and green jackets of memory
Only to throw them away
In exchange for a palette without color waning grey
Painting POEts without vision
Discover a key the color of bone
Wrapped in a white napkin that catches
My poetic tears.

I listen....

2022

Author's Note

This is Billigami's way of saying thank you. Thanks for the inspiration and kind words. Especially these last few weeks. And friendships that feel real with familiar strangers. Unknown friends. Almost everyone who has reviewed me is in this poem. A few of you dropped your profiles and Fabian blocked me because he was insulted by the Senryu I wrote for him. No insult was intended. Now I can't read their colors. Each of you have 2 or 3 lines in this poem. Except Jacob and Cherrie who are the beginning and end of it all. I debated on posting a list and decided to do it here for new poets and those who read, but never review. There's about a hundred of you.

Cast of colors (in order of appearance)

jacob erin-cilberto
Cherrie Palmer
Betty Hermelee
M.J.Smith
LightSong
Patricia
Einstein Noodle
Shadrach Hah
JE Falcon
Miss Sharon
Chris Shaw
Mattavelli
Gee
Coyote Perry
Unknown Poet
Rock and Roll Cowboy
John the Baptist
Sam
Carlos Lorenzo Estrada
Cherrie
Jacob

If I missed you I apologize. I had to stop somewhere. Thank you all so much and I look forward to painting with you in the future!

Billigami

Reviews

[Aura]

Wow. This is so sweet and lovely, such a beautiful piece of work dedicated to the amazing and extraordinary poets on Writers Cafe. You show how each one inspired you to keep writing, and how they influenced your poetry. Everything about this piece makes me so happy, from the way you play with each writers name ( The color of a Cherrie, songs of light, missing a Share on) to the way you just blend it all together, a true talent! Sometimes we never know the impact we have on others until they tell us, in your case you showed your gratitude and happiness in the form of a poem. This, was worth reading, it's so sweet!

[William Michael Reeves]

Reviews like that are part of what inspired this. If only I had known there was an aura enveloping the cafe too. I wonder who I might have blended you with? You're pseudonym is irresistible. I did Senryu for everyone too back then.

stoned heart crushed by words
found between lines writing dust
envelops Aura

[Aura]

Thank you, it's so clever! The first line reminds me of my poem "Would you" " Would you still believe I had a heart when I became an owner of a stone?" The second line reminds me of our Petrarchan Sonnet, the line " within the lines of heart, ice blue with frost" ah this is so lovely, you have a exquisite talent when it comes to words :)

[William Michael Reeves]

Thanks. I should do another 'Senryu For You'. I think I started writing a few a while ago, but got distracted. Know how that goes? Thank you Aura, you're making my pen blush and Billigami inspired

[Aura]

Write to your hearts content :) a blushing pen, writes in a passionate red, words exposes a burning message, calming to read, melodic to the ears.

[William Michael Reeves]

I read a poem in there

[Aura]

That was kind of the idea :) a blushing pen

[M. J. Smith]

Confound this blasted phone! My review was supposed to go here. Instead, it is a comment on Vertigo Cat's review. Well, anyway, think you Bill. I am deeply honored.

[Writergurl]

This is such a wonderful write here, nicely written and beautiful

[William Michael Reeves]

Thanks. Sorry I didn't splatter you on the palette. Next time. I almost did but wanted more than just your grey that I knew and needed to read you some more.

[Robert Trakofler]

wow a synesthetic poetry review in poetic verse if that's not original i don't know what is :/ I like the color and tone of your writing style will be back to read more

[William Michael Reeves]

And I just wrote you. Thanks Robert. Gotta work. Read you tomorrow

[Einstein Noodle]

i love this sir! i love how you have captured the Cafe' from and for poets .. strong emotive appreciation we all feel .. it truly is an honor to read the colors we splash on our pages .. tho cloaked much of the time in metaphor, allegory and imagery ... i think it is safe to say we all put it on the line when we post .. a certain vulnerability and loss of control occurs .. and we trust the colors of others to mix and match in some positive outcome .. truly humbled to be acknowledged in your poem .. i have more than several favorite lines but
"Of words written
By familiar strangers and unknown friends" is so spot on and captures the relationships we have here to a T ;) .. it's a fine place to be eh!? right here at the Cafe' :)))))))))
E.

[William Michael Reeves]

I am so glad I found the cafe! When I wrote that line and the first stanza I had no idea this poem would happen. Thinking about my unknown friends and all the colors of their poems caused this to spill out. A condensation you could call it. Some lines are comprised of 2 or 3 poems. I really like how the fear that grips you, led to Mike's zombies with ruby lips. When I first wrote this out I was going to capitalize the letters when I played with names. You were GENEius for a bit. Didn't like how it looked. Too much revealing, not enough hiding. I have really enjoyed your poetry and the conversations we've had. Happy to be your unknown stranger in familiar friendship!

[Einstein Noodle]

back at you ...

[Vertigo Cat1111]

This is awesome! What a big beautiful poem, full of color and vivid imagery. And what a wonderful way to thank friends and peers. This poem just screams the definition of what poetry is. It’s vivid, it’s crazy, calm, dark, happy, brings people together and so much more. You captured the feeling of it all so well here and it’s such a kind and warm thank you to your friends. Thank you so much for sharing!

[William Michael Reeves]

You are welcome! After I got going on it that's just what I was thinking. Bring everybody together. Unknown and stranger alike. As the poets came to mind and I remembered their colors or searched for them I left the order of that intact. I didn't rearrange just let it flow improv style and was amazed at how they blended. This is what poetry is and I'm glad you see that. I'm not glad that you found me late and aren't in here. But don't worry. I'll be doing another 'Senryu for You' soon as my circle expands. Then I get to play with your name and poetry.

[M. J. Smith]

I have never been privileged to work with another port before. And now you have honored me twice. Thank you. I am deeply touched.

[Miss Sharon]

Awwwwwwwwwww! How sweet you are and thank you for including me. ~Sharon

[William Michael Reeves]

You are so very welcome. You made it to my sphere just in time. That's why I played around with your name. Too new to really have an impression of you and almost MISSed the chance. I originally capitalized the letters of your name but didn't like the distraction of it. Glad you saw it. And found me! I'll buy your words in the market place of ideas Sharon.

[Julie McCarthy (juliesp..]

That’s beautiful !
Unfortunately I don’t visit wc as often as I would like to I missed that one
But really enjoyed that ThAnkyou x

[William Michael Reeves]

You are very welcome. Do visit more often and I'll come visit you soon.

Bill

[Julie McCarthy (juliespenhere)]

Hi Bill
It was a great idea
Sorry I missed
Let me know when you do another compelation

[Patricia]

I think this is wonderful! You have a gift, a true gift. Even with everything you have been through you still are so poetic and colorfully so. I read this several times and from the bottom up, beautiful piece of writing!

[William Michael Reeves]

Thank you Patricia. I really liked the way 'plainly caring to bear's worked into my poetic years. Feels like you and I have had real conversations about poetry and more and your thoughts on my poetry have been healing in the sharing. I wish I could have gone on forever with this and painted more with everyone's colors. I keep reading it and it makes me feel good to read so much in so few words.

[William Michael Reeves]

Auto correct got me again. 'Plainly caring to hear'. Not Bears. Phone's got a mind of it's own!

[Patricia]

yes I have the same problem, that and auto correct is my enemy. you are welcome.

[lightsong]

You are Fluent in Color and a gem of a POEt, and This is what Valentine should be like, spreading love and sharing it with everyone, You gift us a Valentine's gift not only to us but to You too (next time You should write about your colour) the title was inviting and filled with enough magical anticipation to read (what a great imagination You have there!), and You know... what it amazing how You used the wordsprint of our other poet friends each to their own lines yet You wrote it in your own print! now all is written, painted and felt as a whole beautiful picture! Thank You dear Bill for the spectacular journey and kindness.

P.S, misunderstanding happens a lot in this cyber world, I hope You two can find the way to resolve and fix things between You two. all the best, beauty, healing love and songs from me* always❤️

[William Michael Reeves]

This was a journey. As each poet came to mind their colors seemed to blend naturally and my desire to write it as one long sentence created interesting shades with hues of my own perception. I didn't realize that was Valentine's. I like that idea! This was a labor of love of some amazing poetry I've read by all of you. I was just starting in on this when you posted 'a few words'. As I thought of your colors and writing I kept coming up with light and truth as colors and went with it. I really like the way you and M.J.Smith share a line. Thank you Gounwah! You light my song!!

I wrote a poem for Fabian but decided that if he wants to be that sensitive I'll let him. He had just written me one of the longest reviews and I meant verbose as a statement of fact that was a bit facetious. Interesting how text can be inferred and implied in ways we don't intend. I should post the poem I guess. I'd like to read his poetry

[lightsong]

I think that your heart is opened that You are able to read, see and "WRITE" the colours of other poets, to feel it is something and be able to write it down like You do is another thing. Thank You for coming here to share with all of us your rich and unique imagination.