'The Colours' & a True Colours Thursday Challenge!

I don't know whether anyone else in this day & age, has such thing as a Birthday Book, in which you record all your family & friends birthdays plus anniversaries!!!

But, I do!

Mine's, of children's verse, and dates back to my ninth birthday, an inscripted gift from my Mother.

For each day of the year, it has a few lines of poetry, sometimes twee, others delightful. even profound.

Looking through its well worn pages to check for forthcoming July Birthdays, that I might other wise miss yesterday, I came across, this previously un-noticed extract...

"What is pink? a rose is pink
By a fountain's brink.
What is red? a poppy's red
In its barley bed. "

It came from "The Colours" by Christina Rossetti [1830-1894], sister of the poet & painter Dante Gabriel Rossetti.

Intrigued, I 'Googled' the rest of the poem, which goes like this:-

"What is blue? the sky is blue
Where the clouds float thro'.
What is white? a swan is white
Sailing in the light.
What is yellow? pears are yellow,
Rich and ripe and mellow.
What is green? the grass is green,
With small flowers between.
What is violet? clouds are violet
In the summer twilight.
What is orange? Why, an orange,
Just an orange!"

In view of my blogs title & Thursday meme, thought it might be interesting to see if I could find an photograph for each colour as particularly described in the poem.

Here's my offering from my archives.

A rose is pink, by as fountains brink - it was close to water - promise, but not seen ...

A poppy is red, in it's Barley bed - mine's blooming in Universities Botanical Gardens...The sky is blue, where clouds float thro...

A swan is white, sailing in the light...

Pears are yellow - sorry, no pears, plums instead...

The grass is green, with small flowers between...

Clouds are violet, in the Summer twilight...

What is Orange, just an orange...

Now, I'd love to see OTHERS takes.

So, I challenge all True Colours Thursday participants, should they choose to take it up - gosh, that sounds like 'Mission Impossible' - and, anyone else interested or has the time, to play along too.

As I needed one, a single improvisation is allowed.

And, to the most accurate, or creative, I will send a small, well deserved reward!!!

POSTSCRIPT - Sorry, should have made it clear that this challenge is in addition to the regular True Colours Thursday one, and can be played @ anytime.