World of Colours
Iona Mandal
Child of colour in nursery school
learned the colours as she drooled.
Yellow sunshine, red rising sun,
blue for boys and pink for girls.
Blue for oceans, forests green,
earthy brown and chocolate skin.
Pink in health, in envy green,
black and blue in battered skin.
Black tie, black belt, sexy black
bin bags, black moors, evil black?
Black hair always beautiful,
Black rights and, Black Lives Matter too.
Red blood, red Coke, valentine
in revolution, passion, danger, crime.
Colour in game, in politics
colour card, race card, food labelling.
“Confusing world and its colours!”, I sigh,
“Lucky are those who are colour blind.”
Colour me a rainbow, colour me pride,
Mix your colours, colour your mind.