I live in a very green land. Especially post monsoon the landscape of Kerala is dotted with all shades of green like a pointillistic painting.

There’s the chartreuse of new growth tea. The Chromium oxide green of the lower, more mature leaves. The olive green of coconut fronds or the sage of the pineapple top. The celadon of bamboo, the sap green of buffalo grass or the emerald of the banyan tree….all the greens that blend when you squint into this verdant landscape.

The word green is closely related to the Old English verb growan, “to grow”.  It makes us think of nature, of biology, of ecology, of prosperity, even of innocence.

Do I need to mention that green happens to be my favorite color?

But I also spent many years of my life in parts of the world where the Autumnal Equinox means crisp air and changing leaves. And when the chlorophyll levels drop the spectrum changes to include the colors of spice– of turmeric, cinnamon, nutmeg and mace, with a healthy dose of dried capsicum thrown in with the help of the maple trees.

Unless someone from another part of the world sends me photos of this annual metamorphosis I have only the poignancy of memories. But Christophe Niemann is always a good choice to add levity to longing.