Some poems come back to us differently over time. China Blue began in memory and longing, but also carries quieter inheritances—of Spain, of family, and of journeys that stretch farther back than I once understood. When my father brought his children and grandchildren to Spain, it felt less like travel than return. And somewhere behind the blue of memory lingers an older story still.
China Blue
China blue in my veins
throbs
with Valencia orange groves
sways
with weeping willows
beside the bamboo-lined
waters—
El Greco blue
lines my heart-valves
pulsates
with nightingale songs
dances
with crimson chrysanthemums
under the autumn sun—
Where the sun rises
I greet the dwindling sunset
speak the dialect
of disparate vernaculars—
China blue in my veins
and the orange groves.
D. G. Vachal ©2025
lilies, sparrows and grass 
A totally evocative poem, Dee!! Can see and feel and smell it! Love how the ending repeats the beginning after showering us with images in between.💞
Thank you so much, Ellen. Your words mean a lot to me, especially your noticing the ending circling back to the beginning.
💕
Feels like the second movement of Joaquín Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez to me.
Thank you so much, Bartholomew. What a beautiful comparison. After reading your comment, I listened to Rodrigo’s second movement and realized, to my surprise, that I had heard it before and somehow carried it in memory. It also brought back faint recollections of hearing Spanish guitar while traveling with my father near the Alhambra. Your words have given me a new way of hearing China Blue. Thank you for such a thoughtful reading.
I am interested in using this photograph in one of my books. Do you hold the copyright? If not, how can I get it? Carolyn
Thank you so much, Carolyn. I’m honored that the image spoke to you in this way. The image was created through my own prompts and creative input using AI to accompany my poem China Blue. I would be delighted to learn a little more about the project and how you are hoping to use it in your book, and I’m certainly open to the possibility.