The Color Of Water

Contributor: Milton P. Ehrlich

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At sunrise, over pale blue waters,
damselflies, who just returned
from Trinidad, dance a calypso,
flashing bare behinds—
luring dragonflies behind cattails,
sea lavender and mangroves
in a celebratory estuary.

The reddish heat of passion
and the pale blue waters
turns into an extra-spectral
color of magenta.
Aquatic creatures of the deep
join the party, blowing bubbles
as if it was New Year’s Eve.

Much like human beings,
ancient flying insects do
whatever they have to
for a moment of pleasure.

At sunset, over navy blue waters,
sated dragonflies with transparent wings
use their multifaceted eyes to find
an empty knot-hole in an old oak tree
for a safe place to sleep.
Ghosts of insects sleep in the silent country
of the floor of murky green water
filled with forests of eelgrass.

A golden setting sun streams down
on old birds who forgot how to fly.
Clinging to each other, they sing
remembered tunes from yesteryears—
strolling in the rippling shallows of the shore
overflowing with schools of silver alewives,
making all God’s creatures feel rich.


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Milton P. Ehrlich, Ph.D. is an 86-year-old psychologist. He is also a Korean War veteran who has published many poems in periodicals such as the “Wisconsin Review,” “Descant,” “Toronto Quarterly Review,” “Chariton Review,” “Vox Poetica,” “Red Wheelbarrow,” “Christian Science Monitor,” “Huffington Post,” and the “New York Times.