the  big green thing is tired
sore feet
fatigued body
weary from battle
and practice battle
and battle
and practice battle
and running, and running, and running
and tear gas, and insects, and nights and days, and nights and days
away from his little green things

it is the little green thing’s job to remove the black boots
first to unlace them
next to stand with the big legs between his little legs
and to pull and pull and pull
facing the opposite wall
the big green thing laying on his bed
feet out and both big groan and little groan
until pop
off come the boots

then it is the little green thing’s job to rub
the big green things feet
leathery feet
and worn from running in the rain

but it is not for the little green thing
to be too excited
that the big green thing is home
because the big green thing is exhausted
and still has a lot of work to do
and it is not for the little green thing to
be to too doleful, which is another word for
sad because the little green thing likes new words
but the big green thing isn’t interested in new words
or at least he doesn’t seem to be
and it is not for the little green thing to be
too anything
just be somewhere else
let the two big green things enjoy each other
and don’t bother the other little green thing

so sometimes the little green thing wonders
am I really green at all
and so he tries out
primrose and xanthic, azure and indigo,  amethyst and heliotrope,
apricot and salmon, and burgundy and magenta
which are just
yellow, blue, purple, orange, and red
but the little emerald and jade and forest and olive thing likes
words and meanings
their sounds and shapes and shades
but he knows he’s a green thing

A big green thing himself now
but of a different shade
and with flecks of red within
and sprays of gold from sunlight
and blue of sky behind
and he knows he may have got some green
but that he’s so much more

because he has met
and he knows the maker of colors
and light
and all things good and full of love and life
whose voice shows in a whisper
how to shed a tear for what was lost
and say goodbye to days gone by
and let it go like a ship to sea
or maybe just maybe you’re on the ship
or are the ship and adventures untold await ahead
await ahead

Goodbye Dad
Goodbye Mom
Goodbye little sister
Goodbye little Buddy