My dad in our family kitchen, circa 1970s
Brown seeps from the surfaces
of my childhood home,
bleeding into the trim,
the cabinets, the countertops.
My parents built a sepia-toned life
for my sister and me.
One that was warm and sturdy,
independent and bold.
Growing up in a nut-brown house
meant fits of giggles, storytime and chores.
It meant family dinners at five
and baths at eight.
The wood grains
and rich textures
of walnut,
mahogany,
and honey-love
dripped down our walls
and stitched flowers into fabric
There we settled into
a happy monochrome life.
Safe from predators.
Camouflaged in a sea of brown.
The Way I See It 
This piece is lovely. Each line bleeding into the next with a romance that lingers until the very last line. You have painted a beautiful picture.
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I really love the rhythm and comfort your slice brings! Our house was also mostly brown in the 70s with harvest gold appliances. Such good memories!
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This piece is beautifully written. Your many, varied references to the shades and tones engulf the reader into your sea of brown.
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I find this poem to be so original and provocative. At times I admire your family’s sea of brown and at times I see it as a detriment/absence of color/something. I get the sense you have these mixed feelings, too. Camouflage… hiding from what? I wonder if there might be a sequel poem- is there such a thing? Part II?
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I love this poem about your photograph…and what a photograph!! It feels very 70s. My favorite line:
“The wood grains
and rich textures
of walnut,
mahogany,
and honey-love
dripped down our walls
and stitched flowers into fabric”.
Such vivid sensory detail. The beautiful brown tones of your poem add warmth to happy memories of your family safe from predators. LOVE!
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I appreciate the nostalgic and unique spin on the shades of brown. You truly glorified the color and the way you wove in memories was masterful. I loved the imagery of the lines, “honey-love / dripped down our walls.”
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Perfect ending: Safe from predators / Camouflaged in a sea of brown.
I love how you describe a childhood with a color. It works so well.
The added photograph amplifies the tones and shades of brown perfectly.
Thanks for sharing – over a week ago…
It’s Day 2 of Spring Break and I finally have the energy to read and comment on more than 3 posts a day.
I have found spending more time on the computer to read and comment hard this year. Another challenge of living during a pandemic.
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