My grandson sits across the table,
All of almost three;
Repeating back his colors, but
In Spanish

“Blanco”, “rojo”, “azul”, “verde” –
Laughing with each answer —
Until I cross him up,
And misdirect —

And what’s the English word for “verde”?
He looks at me strange –
I say “the word is ‘green'”
He shakes his head —

“Green is not a word,” he says,
“Grampa – green’s a color!”
He, philosophically,
Might be correct