..is everywhere at the moment. Polyanthus, daffodils, jonquils, lachenalia, kowhai, forsythia, you look- it’s there. Yellow is the colour of spring, it’s a lift of the heart, it makes the spirits rise. Its interesting that in spite of these beauties, yellow is used as a pejorative term to mean cowardice.
Cowardice is usually only in the eye of the beholder. A good number of conscientious objectors were labelled cowards simply because they wouldn’t fight. Women (who didn’t have to fight) presented them with a white feather whenever they were brave enough to walk along a street. They were crucified, imprisoned treated harshly, and I don’t need to repeat the full list of horrors that happened to anyone who spoke against the wars.
And there’s the lesbians and gays who’ve been badly treated, both physically, mentally and verbally, and you know about the beaten women and kids whose lives are wrecked by someone who equates strength with brutality. Whatareya?
No political parties wear yellow as their colour. However, the Wellington Hurricanes wear yellow jerseys and they (the jerseys) look great. Did they copy the the Wellington Weta which has yellow and black stripes and who gather together in little lines each one hugging the one above. A group like this is called a gallery, so I’m told. They used to hang around the back of the garden shed when I lived in Lower Hutt. I’m not fond of creepy crawlies but I had to admire their outfits.
But whether you like it or hate it, or whatever it might signify to you, every time I see this colour in the spring it makes me hopeful. Against all evidence in the world to the contrary, when I look at a yellow kowhai flower or some jonquils in a pot, clumps of polyanthus in the garden, I feel happy and hopeful.
