Life in color

We associate different memories, people, and emotions with unrelated senses or images in order to understand or connect further to these moments. Shawn explained to me that he wrote the poetry for Portraits of Unrelated Colors with specific locations in mind and used the emotions that he associated with colors to evoke the buoyancy and wonder of Aspen in Yellow and the tinted hope of the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Green. With this idea in mind I began acknowledging the colors that appeared in my mind when I thought of people and places. Yellow reminded me of my dear friend, Valeria, who brought joy and laughter every where she went, even after her passing in April of 2020 I can still see her in yellow flowers. Green reminded me of my mom, not only because it’s her favorite color, but because she is a source of peace and clarity in a world that often feels so clouded. When I re- read Neruda’s love sonnets and saw the appearance of these colors the poems took on a completely different and personal meaning for me. Si no fuera porque tus ojos tienen color de luna held all of the beauty that was Valeria, the yellow and joyful moments I had with her, however brief, feel permanent. Ya eres mía reposa con tu sueño en mi sueño reminded me that my mom will always be there for me in her constant and green way, telling me that everything will be okay even when it feels like that isn’t possible. Amor mío si muero y tú no meures has been a poem that has affirmed the constancy and survival of love despite the ending of life, this song will always be sung for Valeria and with her voice existing within my own