Green

House in a Garden (House and Trees) by Pablo Picasso



My three year old will proudly tell you that she knows Dada’s favorite color is blue. This is true. But of all the colors occurring in nature, my favorite to look into is that which is most prevalent – green.

From my desk in the bedroom I can look out across a tall hedge that scrapes the window ledge, through the wide expanse between the two houses across the street, and over the brief splinter of country highway to the forest on the other side.

From the balcony deck overlooking my backyard I can see rolling greens of every shade, all of them brilliant, in all directions. Our subdivision is, for the most part, a fenceless neighborhood. None of our neighbors have fences, although our backyard neighbor has a short chain-link fence to keep his dog in. It is small and unobtrusive and, obviously, transparent. We all know where our property boundaries are, but it’s nice not having these boundaries marked with looming wooden planks, walling each of us into our “private” green. Or blocking that extra green out.

In a middle school art class I was informed that blue and green are not complementary colors, and that, indeed, when paired, the effect is one of dissonance.
I don’t know about that. But I do know that from my Dada’s Chair in the living room, I can look right out the window mere inches to my right and see the gigantic and beautifully symmetric Bradford pear tree in my neighbor’s yard. Its emerald crown is glorious against an azure sky.
I love that green against that blue. I like it so much I reflect on it probably too much in my current novel.

So there’s that dissonant pairing – green against blue. A sylvan arrow pointing toward heaven. I’m no art critic, but this colorful contrast the Creator seemed to like so much He put it all over the earth seems quite beautiful to me.

Be praised for all Your tenderness
By these works of Your hand;
Suns that rise and rains that fall to bless
And bring to life Your land.
Look down upon this winter wheat
And be glad that You have made
Blue for the sky and the color green
That fills these fields with praise.-- Rich Mullins, “The Color Green”