TODAY, I yield my column space to this brilliant essay by Ramel B. Paguia of DepEd.
Paguia is a teacher of Oral Communication, Creative Writing, and Creative Nonfiction at Culasi National High School in Culasi, Ajuy, Iloilo.
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ALL SHADES OF BLUE
by Ramel B. Paguia
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Peter Solis Nery’s “Midnight Blue Is Still Blue” is a poem that engages all the senses, and the intellect. The title alone asserts inclusivity. It is as if midnight blue has been cast aside as a shade in the family of the color blue; and the poem, as early as the title, insists to reinstall it to its rightful place.
Like a parade of blues, the poem identifies seven shades of the color blue: “The taste of seawater/ And tears” (lines 2 and 3), “The sound of the ocean” (line 4), “…comfort/ In your jeans” (lines 8 and 9), “The smell of sunlight/ On your blanket and sheets” (lines 10 and 11), “Bright and light at daytime” (line 15), “Dark inky indigo at night” (line 16), and “…midnight blue” (line 17).
The sensual imagery in the poem is surprising, and thought-provoking. Have you ever imagined to perceive color through taste, sound, texture, and smell, beyond the usual, and literal, sight apprehension?
By context, blue is salty. It doesn’t say that in the text, but the gustatory image of “The taste of seawater/ And tears” gives you the contextual clues. And yet, personally, I don’t feel saltiness while reading the lines. I love the sea, and I always feel that a swim in seawater, like a little crying, heals the body and soul. The first seven lines of the poem that includes the auditory image of “The sound of the ocean/ As it whispers something/ Secret and soothing/ In your ears” gives the same effect as a good swim or a good cry. What is the sound of the ocean? For me, it is silence, or soft murmurs, like “soothing whispers” according to the poem. I can understand from this that blue is the color of serenity. My mind accepts it.
How, or what, is blue as a texture? The poem says “Blue is comfort/ In your jeans,” and that tactile imagery makes me imagine the texture of denim, but also the relaxed confidence, and the contented coziness of my own blue jeans. I can almost feel my favorite jeans in my mind, and in my palms (even if I’m not touching anything).
As an olfactory image, the poem cleverly says blue is also “The smell of sunlight/ On your blankets and sheets.” I can imagine blankets and sheets dried on a bright sunny day, under the clear blue sky. And only clear blue sky, because when it is cloudy, the sheets do not dry crisp and fresh smelling. They wouldn’t smell of sunlight when you are tucked in your bed. The olfactory image of “The smell of sunlight/ On your blankets and sheets” really brings back happy memories for me because I really like fresh blankets even as a child. The lines of the poem just have a very positive vibe for me, like there is so much joy and celebration in fresh blankets.
The poem announces that blue is around the clock, “The sky outside your window/ Is 24/7 blue” (line 13). Then, the poem gives three visual images: (the sky) bright and light at daytime, inky indigo at night, and the titular midnight blue. I like the assonance in “bright and light”. It is easy and familiar, like the common sky blue of the sky during the day. I also like the alliteration of “inky indigo”. Indigo is dark purplish blue, and ink can either be black or blue. But I imagine dark blue ink and dark purplish blue. The effect of their combination in the sky at night is cool, and comforting. It is relaxing even, as it gives the body rest from the bright and jumpy lightness of day.
And then, there is the magic of the last three lines of the poem: “But midnight blue/ Of a moonlit night sky/ Is blue, too.” I did not really know what happened, but I imagined midnight blue as the darkest of blue; basically black as midnight, with a tinge of blue caused by the faint light of the moon in the night sky. Because it is not totally black, it is some kind of blue, and maybe that is why it is called midnight blue. But the image does more for me. As if it speaks of the darkest hours before the dawn, before the new day. It is the midnight of greatest sorrows and regrets, perhaps of problems and difficulties. I am a midnight person. I enjoy midnight talks with my closest friends. When the world is asleep and quiet, I feel I can talk more honestly about longing, regrets, and hopes. I even feel that it is safe to remember memories at midnight, and to keep holding on to the hope of the forthcoming new and better day.
Peter Solis Nery’s “Midnight Blue Is Still Blue” is a children’s poem. It is part of his 2015 Palanca Awards first prizewinning collection called “The Rainbow Collection”. Its appeal for children can be seen in its simplicity of vocabulary, perhaps in the easy sounds, and the familiar images. But for those who are willing to go the distance, the poem also affects the intellect and the emotion. And for me, that makes it an awesome poem, a classic! (500tinaga@gmail.com/PN)
