Emmett Lee Dickinson (Emily Dickinson's third cousin, twice removed -- at her request) wrote about this very sequence of colors (serenity blue to greenery to ...well, again, we won't divulge the dreadful color that came next) in his now-classic poem "The Color of the Year is Green" (below on the left). His poem inspired third cousin Emily to pen her poem "The Color of the Grave is Green" (below on the right)
By Emmett Lee Dickinson: The Color of the Year is Green – Or Greenery – I mean – You would not know it from the Year – That we have all just Seen – To help our mood – to mend it – With infinite new hope They stopped to tell us how that is So through the Days we’ll – cope – The Color of last Year was blue – Serenity – I mean – You would not know it for the Year’s Been Ghastly – not Serene – It’s burrowed out the Smiles – Then – all around the Land Anxiety was on the rise With each – until the end – The Color for Beyond’s unknown The Next in line – I mean – Not all the Shades could make it bright Not with this Somber – Scene – You’ve seen the Color – maybe – Upon a Dismal day – Perhaps you’ve met with it before – When Darkness – has its way – | By Emily Dickinson: The Color of the Grave is Green – The Outer Grave – I mean – You would not know it from the Field – Except it own a Stone – To help the fond – to find it – Too infinite asleep To stop and tell them where it is – But just a Daisy – deep – The Color of the Grave is white – The outer Grave – I mean – You would not know it from the Drifts – In Winter – till the Sun – Has furrowed out the Aisles – Then – higher than the Land The little Dwelling Houses rise Where each – has left a friend – The Color of the Grave within – The Duplicate – I mean – Not all the Snows could make it white – Not all the Summers – Green – You've seen the Color – maybe – Upon a Bonnet bound – When that you met it with before – The Ferret – cannot find – |