Chartreuse
It’s not green, not quite yellow, nor is it blue.
Chartreuse is the color of spring

Chartreuse is the first color that
shyly emerges with the first sap of life
that flows in the spring

Like a newborn’s smile, chartreuse appears
on the tips of plants bursting out with new life
before their green cloaks appear

From the first furls of forest ferns, and lobate leaves of
mighty oaks, to the sunny tops of
early budding maples, chartreuse rules

Golden honey locusts tout chartreuse before their gold.
fields of wheat and barley first shine chartreuse,
before they adorn their dark green mantles

Tips of iris blades sprinkled in chartreuse
appear ahead of the purple blooms; and even lively lilacs
are topped initially by chartreuse

Chartreuse is the soft pleasure of spring, before we awaken
to the bold bursts of yellow, orange, and red
that the loud laughter of summer brings

Shakuntala