Colourblind

Jo Bryant
A Lee Friedlander image.

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it’s how he sees the world

a monochrome television screen

hiding the hues

in scales of grey

light and dark fight

to dominate the shadows

his recesses cut off

colourless

even the sun feels cold

it’s white light never finding

the prism in his soul

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Lee Friedlander (born July 14, 1934) is an American photographer and artist. In the 1960s and 70s, working primarily with 35mm cameras and black and white film, Friedlander evolved an influential and often imitated visual language of urban “social landscape,” with many of the photographs including fragments of store-front reflections, structures framed by fences, posters and street-signs. (sourced from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Friedlander)

Here are some more of his images.

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Written for Magpie Tales photo prompt # 88

Published by Jo Bryant

I was born in the land of Banjo Paterson, gum trees, and weather extremes. I am a freelance photographer. I love to make images that make people happy. To capture forever a precious moment. I am also a freelance writer/editor. I live in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, but still like to claim my Australian heritage. I graduated with a Bachelor of Communications in 2008. I am writing my first novel. I love to write poetry, short stories, and also write for the web. And there is nothing that is on a par with a sunny summer's day spent at Waihi Beach.

56 Comments

  1. Excellent poetry Jo…. Years ago I used to do colour-blindness tests.. as I worked in the Textile trade, and shades were important.. its surprising how many men are colour blind and do not perceive the colours the same as their true colour..
    I often wonder too how animals see colour too… see you have my thinking.. so pleased I see in colour and that we live in such a vibrant and colourful world.. if only many would open their eyes and truly see…
    Have a great week my friend xox

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    1. Colourblindness runs in my ex’s family – he sees in B & W. I was worried it would be passed on to my kids but luckily they see fine. But the photo got me to thinking how it is more than lack of colour vision that leads people to see in B & W sometimes.

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  10. My ex-husband is colour blind. He used to say things like, ‘Put that brown dress on’ and I’d say I haven’t got a brown dress’ and we’d argue til I discovered he meant my red dress!

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    1. I didn’t know mine was for ages – and all along I’d benn asking if this went went with that and he’d been agreeing with me – should have known then something was up with him. Hehehehehehe

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  11. Really interesting take. I also know two males who are color blind. But, I’m sure they see things we don’t capture with our eyes. I like my color, though. : )

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  14. Jo, thank you for dropping by my blog. I’m happy you beamed yourself all the way from New Zealand and happier still that my Magpie post resonated. I don’t think I’ll ever forget how I felt when we left our daughter in Chicago or how I felt when my parents turned and left me in that small college dorm room in middle Georgia. And the leave-taking is ongoing.
    The “prism” of his soul is wonderful. The cold sun in b&w. Spare and glittering, this poem. Kathryn

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    1. The leave-taking never stops. They leave in so many different ways . I tell myself that tells me I did my job as a parent, because they are able to leave and do their thing.

      So glad you liked this Kathryn.
      🙂

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  18. Aw, this made me sad. 😦 I have a friend who is color blind and I always thought how much he was missing by not experiencing certain colors! Well written piece, though.

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  21. This was beautiful, and took the prompt down paths I never saw before your words. Absolutely loved the last line, so many connotations. Prisms sounds like prisons, and he is caught within the prism, unable to see the light it reflects to others. So very powerful Jo, thank you for writing it!

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  22. Color blind cannot be realised by those affected. It can be frustrating. I knew about it only when we were tested before joining the uniformed group at school. Great verse!

    Hank

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  23. This is lovely, Jo. At first, I actually read it as a person who lived in a screened-in world (i.e. television) because I had skipped over the title. It worked on that level as well. The close is wonderful.

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  25. i know that this comment I am adding has no bearing
    on colour blindness but you know I always favour the
    B & W photographs over Colour…

    It must be a Vampire thingy or something 🙂 😉
    I hope that you are having an enchanting Halloween
    Weekend Jo and are ready for some treats 🙂

    Androgoth XXx

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      1. Well I think that you should start it off 🙂 😉
        And it would be a good excuse to party 🙂

        I hope that you are having a fun evening Jo

        Androgoth XXx

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