Yellow Umbrella

Out on the street on a rainy day

A woman with a yellow umbrella caught my eye.

She’ll never know how the sight affected me

How cheery and jaunty it looked

Amid the gloom,

The fog on my car windows,

And the rain streaming down on them.

 

Please, please never let me be

One of those insufferably boring,

Eminently forgettable

Black-umbrella people.

A red one would be nice,

But I’m going to buy myself

The brightest yellow one I can find.

Reviews

[Mila]

Lovely, Jennie! This is a great testament to those who strive to be different and not fall into the constant mold, which I can assume is the "black umbrella". I love the choice of color for the umbrella, what inspired it? I myself have a blue one (with polka dots) haha. :)

Enjoyed it a lot! Well done :):)

[Jennie Baron]

I literally did see someone walking by with a yellow umbrella. Love your blue polka dot one, though! This is simply about standing out from the crowd and being memorable (in a positive way, of course). I'm so happy you liked it!

[Cassie]

Very very clever and funny too.

[Jennie Baron]

I'm so glad you think so! You are giving me an opportunity to review some of my old work that I haven't visited in a while.

[MsJewel]

Nothing puts a smile on my face like the color yellow - daisies, sunflowers, the sun on a summer afternoon - and now yellow umbrellas. It is good to be different - boring to be the norm. Wonderful writing :) Julie

[Jennie Baron]

Many thanks, Julie! Your words put a smile on my face on a dreary day (not so different from the one in the poem).

[Kathy Van Kurin]

Jennie Baron,
This was so fun! On a rainy drab day how about some brightness to lift our spirits? I do have a black umbrella but hardly use it. My polka dot one is my go to. Kathy

[Jennie Baron]

A polka dot one works, too. It's all about individualism and lifting others' spirits. Thank you so much for the read and the kind review, Kathy!

[Jamey]

This is brilliant! Loved the last stanza of being a boring black umbrella person haha

[Jennie Baron]

Glad you liked it, Jamey! I think in general it's best to make oneself distinctive and memorable.

[Cyprian Van Dyke]

Nice poem! It had me thinking of that show, "How I Met Your Mother," with the yellow umbrella. But yet your poem stood out beautifully too.

[Jennie Baron]

Thanks for your reading and review! Such comments are always gratifying.

[Cyprian Van Dyke]

You're very welcome

[Patricia Wedel]

dear Jennie... A yellow umbrella is like
carrying sunshine with diamonds of
raindrops... truly, Pat

[Jennie Baron]

Exactly! That's an even more poetic way of visualizing the scene.

[Gee]

Methinks mine would be beige to compliment my middle agedness, boring.....really enjoyed this write

[Jennie Baron]

Middle agedness doesn't have to be boring! I'm middle aged myself. :) I'm glad you enjoyed, and thanks for commenting!

[Woolliza]

I enjoyed the metaphor comparing people to differently colored umbrellas. This is also a great reminder of how one person can affect another even if they never speak to each other.

[Jennie Baron]

You get the metaphor all right. We never know how we affect others without realizing it with our words and actions. Thank you for reading and commenting!

[Robert Haigh]

I have a big umbrella - it has black in it, but it has three other colours as well, in eight sections: red, yellow, blue and black! It is a two-people umbrella, so walking in the rain can be quite romantic! I enjoyed the read!

[Jennie Baron]

Glad you enjoyed it! And thanks for sharing. I was intrigued by the multicolored umbrella and it must indeed be romantic.

[MAC]

jennie, this is so lovely...beautifully written dear poet.

[Jennie Baron]

Thank you so very much!

[Nasty Nincompoop]

I don't get it