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Rose-tinted glasses.
That hazy contented glow,
skimming stones in fairy dell,
skipping a heartbeat.
Reckless of ducks
beating a hasty retreat
from flat granite torpedoes.
Those callused fingers,
scrabble on low branches.
I swing myself up and through
the scented canopy,
budding flowers in natural seats –
dark, earthen, mahogany.
That soft breeze caresses,
dousing hot faces as we scramble
to slow grown thrones,
made for us in some bygone age,
branches a twisted birds nest,
shaped by dryad hands.
That tight, dry throat.
Butterflies, as I tightrope walk
reaching branches, curving down to waving grass.
My weight uniting wood and earth.
That heart-thumping stillness.
Listening in humid bark soaked dark
‘coming ready or not.’
Breath is held, seeker passes,
then I gasp as they turn to meet my eye.
That indescribable itch,
of sweaty streaks from grass
over knees and elbows.
That unforgettable smell.
Pollen mixed with tired eyes,
stinging as salt perspires,
hot tarmac frying in the pan,
the sun an egg, nearly done.
Origins/Inspiration behind the poem
The English language boasts thousands of fantastic proverbs, so why did I choose this well-known saying for the poem's title over all the others?
thefreedictionary.com:
Rose-tinted glasses.
An unduly idealistic, optimistic, sentimental, or wistful perspective on or about something.
Often, aphorisms, proverbs, and sayings are born out of a need to express feelings for which there are no words. Sometimes, there is a word to describe that feeling, but it doesn't adequately express the complexity of the concept. The word 'nostalgia' is woefully inadequate in describing that yearning need for an imagined perfect past, that transient flash of warm remembrances and the simplicity of childhood. The idea of Seeing the world through rose-tinted glasses gives shape to the insubstantial core of nostalgia, wrapping it up in an image that we can all envision.
As a daily victim of nostalgia, I often find myself wandering the golden paths of the past. The saying Rose-Tinted Glasses resonates strongly with me for this reason, particularly in my poetry. I often draw on this well of memory to create the images in my verse. When wearing my rose-tinted glasses the hyper-reality of nostalgia helps me paint a picture, not always a hundred percent accurate, but a reflection of my subconscious impressions; a bridge between the past and the present.
Etymology of Rose-Tinted Glasses
The origins/etymology of the proverb 'rose-tinted glasses' are quite interesting.
One of the
first recorded instances of this phrase used in the same context as it is in modern times, occurs in 1861 when it was recorded in 'Tom Brown at Oxford' by Thomas Hughes.
'Oxford was a sort of Utopia to the Captain. He continued to behold towers, and quadrangles, and chapels, through rose-colored glasses.'
There are further earlier instances of the
proverbs usage in America. In 1834 Mary Boddington used the proverb in her book, 'Slight Reminiscences of the Rhine, Switzerland, and a Corner of Italy'.
O' the joy of blossoming life! What a delicious thing it is to be young, and to see everything through rose-coloured glasses; but with a wish to be pleased, and a certain sunniness of mind, more in our power than we imagine, we may look through them a long time. When the sun shines, and the earth holds a bright holiday, I still feel as if life and hope were all before me.
It is likely that the origins of this proverb stretch back even earlier. It is interesting to note, that it was a
common practice in the 18th century to treat jaundice with tinted lenses of various colors. It is entirely possible that this is how the association between tinted lenses and perceiving things in 'a better light' came about.
The poem above is written based on memories of sunny days playing in Sefton Park, Liverpool. Childhood recollections, soaked in the light cast through rose-tinted glasses.
Thanks for reading 🙂 🌿
All sources of research are linked within the text. The title image is from pixabay.com, free to use, and all other images are my own, taken in Sefton Park where poem is set 🌱
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