Is it more than diffused sunlight, of rounded, color-filled smiles, daffodils and aged linseed oil? Yes, of course. But behold the yellow I’ve known, an in-between color — a warning, starting as jaundice, coming full circle with every white faded — teeth, eyes, nail beds — then ceasing in the familiar embalmer’s hue.

Thad DeVassie is a multi-genre writer and fine art painter who creates from the outskirts of Columbus, Ohio. He is the author of three chapbooks and was awarded the James Tate International Poetry Prize in 2020. Find his written and painted works at thaddevassie.com.