- The Red Hat: : Humour Poem by Alessandra Liverani

You say her hat was red but I need more information
Was it burnt sienna, carnelian or incandescent carnation
Dark pink, hot pink or a crimson turning cherry
Or was it reminiscent of a ripening raspberry?

Her scarf you've portrayed as blue but I must still enquire
If its shade was soothing azure or a deep and dark sapphire
Was it tending towards turquoise which is clearly a shade of green
Or a flamboyant teal which is something in-between

You've described her coat as yellow, I'm picturing a mustard
But have I got it wrong and it's actually baked custard
Or does it speak of sunflowers turning where the sun goes
Then again it could be a quietly retiring primrose

Her bag you’ve classed as brown, but can I please ask
Is it chestnut or chocolate or a cheeky shade of chaff
Is it brown which turns to purple when the light is growing dim
Or is it metallic bronze, a lustrous alloy of copper and tin

Too many shades, too many hues
You/ve left me feeling quite confused
Can I just say her hat was red
Because now I'd like to go to bed

(Sydney, Australia - 2010)