Praise - John C. Chandy

Praise God for all things green.

Lime jello, blades of grass, emeralds,
Chameleons, the neon river frog,
Heavy papayas begging to be picked,
Lilies, thrusting their tender shoots through dirt,
Love when it knows nothing more than hope



Praise God for all things brown
Hot coffee, sloppy mud, chocolate,
The warthog's tail and Stephen's hazel eyes,
Crafty cinnamon biting with its bark,
My mother's face, as soft as a baby skin,
Love leaving its stain on colorless days.



Praise God for all things red
Round bindi, rose petals, ladybugs,
A cardinal, sweet Hannah's dumpling cheeks,
Angry dried chilies waiting to set fires,
The line of blood that seals a healing wound,
Love giving with no promise of return.



Praise God for all things black
Umbrellas, peppercorns, ebony,
The zebra's stripe and Anna's curly hair,
Pungent fish tamarind seeping bitter truth,
The thick unseeing darkness of the night
Love struggling when it cannot understand.



Praise God for all things white
Shaving cream, smooth eggshells, buttermilk,
Albino pigs, rabbits romping in snow,
Steaming basmati rice humming a tune,
A waterfall half-glimpsed through forest tress,
Love reaching through darkness into light.