haiku
on wind-torn goat trails
where chalky cliffs meet the sky
purple flowers cling
Lesley Scoble, May 2025
I wrote my haiku in response to Coleen Chesebro’s#Tanka Tuesday Poetry Challenge No. 11, where Colleen challenges us “to write a syllabic poem of your choice featuring your Zodiac colour according to the chart below.”
I am a Capricorn, so my colour is purple — a rich and royal shade!
A little bit of purple history…
A Royal Colour
In the past, purple was an extremely expensive dye colour, so only Roman Emperors and Royals could afford it—until, in 1856, a young Londoner discovered an affordable way to produce it.
Sir William Henry Perkin (1838-1907) was a student at the City of London School where his teacher encouraged him to study chemistry. At 15 years old he entered the Royal College of Chemistry, studying under the renowned August Wilhelm Von Hoffman.
In 1856 while attempting to synthesise quinine (a treatment for malaria) he accidentally discovered the first synthetic dye—mauveine. He patented it and at 18 set up a factory with his father and brother to produce the dye commercially. His purple dyes also became the fashionable royal colour when Queen Victoria wore it.
In 1906 Perkin was knighted for his contributions to science, marking 50 years since his groundbreaking discovery.
The Ancient Origins of Purple Dye
Before his discovery, purple dye was produced by painstakingly extracting mucus from thousands of Murex Sea Snails. Just think of the thousands of Murex Sea Snails his discovery saved!
Other sources included:
· Lichens — Produced delicate lavender shades
· Sawwort flowers — Yielded soft purple tones
· Madder root — Produced reddish-purple hues when combined with mordants
While we’re on the subject of purple, I think I’ll end with Purple Rain and Prince. 💜
Enormous thanks to Colleen for her inspirational prompt.
My heartfelt thanks to you, the reader, for taking time to read my poem.
My thanks to Copilot for creating the featured image!
To find out more about the Tanka Tuesday prompt, please follow the link below.
LesleyScoble.com 
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