The Dirigible Balloon
Poetry for Children

If not for Blue

If not for blue, then Earth might be
Some noisy color standing out
Among the planets like a shout
That wakes a napping nursery:

Blaring magenta, sharp chartreuse,
Shrill, brilliant white too bright to fade,
Hot pink in the most piercing shade,
Some color Mozart wouldn’t choose.

Smaller things to consider: eyes,
Blueberries, Lake Lucerne. Why do
People adore the color blue?
Its peaceful tones—they’re what we prize.

About the Writer


Charles Hughes

Charles has published two books of poems for adults, The Evening Sky (2020) and Cave Art (2014), both from Wiseblood Books. He used to work as a lawyer but now works at writing poems.