The Value of Color
by Paul Ilechko
Color vibrates like sound the mixture of
frequency developing a resonance
developing a taste as the green of leaf
envelops the white of root food
should never be mediocre the colors
of harvest coated with spice and herb
a richness of earth tones as delicate
watercolors wash over the thickness of oil
soup or stew or salad all was once seasonal
a summer lightness or the bone-heavy
broths of winter the animal that gave
its blood was salted and stored
remembering the encampments of history
the artist and her vials the cook with his
not rivals but co-conspirators in shamanic
rituals echoed by drone and rhythm
the stampeding feet of dancers
their faces tattooed with brilliance
the earth is cut and churned the colors
extracted of such was wealth once formed.
***
Paul Ilechko is the author of the chapbooks Bartok in Winter (Flutter Press, 2018) and Graph of Life (Finishing Line Press, 2018). His work has appeared in a variety of journals, including Manhattanville Review, West Trade Review, River River, Otoliths and Indicia. He lives with his partner in Lambertville, NJ.