Green.

Green is:
The 4th color in the spectrum,
A lively shade.
It is how you feel when you are ill,
And how you look when you are seasick, or envious.
It is the color of your thumbs when you are
Very new at something,
And the tinge that blonde hair gets
When you stay in the pool too long.
When pluralized, it turns into
what your mother demands you eat every night;
“Finish your greens!” she squawks.

Green is the color of your lawn in the spring,
The Statue of Liberty,
And of pond scum.
It is also the signature hue of the Irish:
Shamrocks, leprechauns, and the hillsides.
Nowadays, being green means that you
Own a hybrid car, recycle, flush your toilet once a day
And eat organic.

Being green isn't fun and games.
Whether you are
eco-friendly, sick, freshly-sprouted
Greedy, or Irish,
Kermit was right;
It’s not easy being green.