Tuesday 12 June 2018

Colour Blind


When I was young they all laughed at me
For I was colour blind you see
Not so bad that all was shades of grey
But green and brown 
Just made me frown

Mother, brother, teachers shook their head
Other schoolkids just laughed with glee
But for me it was sheer misery
The sky was blue 
Yes, that was true

Father got a painters colour chart
Thought he'd teach me from the start
I just thought they'd got the colours wrong
Green the tree trunk
Leaves brown...I thunk

It really didn't matter a jot
My blood was red, blue ink did blot
My dear wife said her eyes were green
That made me frown
Saw them as brown

Image found at http://www.nikon-lenswear.com.tr/en/eyes-and-vision/color-blindness

All I can see here is dots 

12 comments:

  1. Woops! My Husband too cannot distinguish between colours and sometumes this makes me frown!

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  2. At least if you couldn't see the color, I'm sure you saw the heart of the woman you loved, which was beautiful no matter what hue it had.

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  3. Wait; there's more than one color?

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  4. I like this, O.E. Especially the last,
    "My dear wife said her eyes were green
    That made me frown
    Saw them as brown"
    as I tell folks sometime that my eyes are green, other times that they are brown. They are, sort of. Our U.S. Army didn't recognize green eyes so for sure they were brown there. So are they on my driver license.
    People with usual color recognition have three cone receptors. Those with only black and white functions have but two that function correctly.
    Some bird species have four cone receptors and can see into the ultra violet spectrum. That makes it easier for them to hunt by night.
    ..

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  5. It must be hard to not see true colours. You have captured this well.

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  6. well, one follows the true colours of one's heart? yes? and of course, it isn't easy, to not "see" what has been described and justified as such and such .... but then, perhaps there are those, who end up seeing beyond the pale - for as frustrating as it can be, for the heartless teasing, etc.

    (I once had a brilliant printmaker/painter teacher who held world wide recognition of his art works, and until I happened to "catch him out" in class one day, few, if any knew he was colour blind. So hey, the sky's the limit. And oh, I was discreet about it. He eventually "opened up and told everyone" - and was met with stunned silences, because his visions and creations were stunning for the colour work.)

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  7. Being colour blind must have been tough growing up. I love how you spun it. It s part of who you are!

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  8. It's quite common... my brother in law suffers the same, and he has to get help buying his clothes.

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  9. I don't think I would mind if you saw my eyes as brown as long as you didn't forget our anniversary!

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  10. Very common condition I think, know a few people..but you're right, they just get on with it, see a whole different, maybe better, perspective!

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  11. Not seeing colors for what they are can be confusing and terrifying as a consequence to those afflicted. Guidelines apparently are a lot of help fortunately!

    Hank

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  12. Well your poem about being color blind is a brilliant and lovely blue. Love how you told your story! It is quite common like Bjorn said. A couple of my family members have trouble distinguishing colors as well.

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