Tuesday, February 25, 2025

Not Your Canvas - #dVerse #quadrille #poem #poetry #poetrycommunity #writer #writingcommunity @YvetteMCalleiro


Hello, beautiful readers! Yesterday was dVerse's It's Quadrille Monday! A quadrille is a poem of exactly 44 words, not including the title. For this week's prompt, Lillian encouraged us to write a poem about the color indigo. 

My poem is not autobiographical. I have been fortunate in never having a partner physically abuse me, but I know there are many people who are not as fortunate. 

(courtesy of @dianacibotari1991 on Pixabay)

Not Your Canvas

your favorite color was
indigo

so I decorated myself in indigo
eye shadow, jewelry, clothes

it wasn't enough
you wanted me as your canvas
my skin and soul seeped indigo

until I realized I hated indigo
and you

I'll never be your canvas again


Would you like to write a quadrille about indigo? Join us here.

22 comments:

  1. A very powerful poem, Yvette! It takes courage to walk away from abuse.

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    1. Yes, it does! And I know it isn't easy for the abused to do so. Thanks for stopping by, Nolcha! :-)

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  2. Oh my goodness I just understood after reading your intro more carefully in 2nd reading, first more on poem. So effective as a verse, but so so sad....to be honest too horrible for words this happens. I was wondering recently if such a violent gene can be extracted medically, but was told in chat with 2 friends, one qualified that it comes from a myriad of reasons, alcohol maybe one, and weakness, simple weakness, of character. Hatred, self-loathing, etc sre "human" characteristics I think, but of course animals are violent. Oh I don't know. Have 3 daughters and sometimes live in fear but so far so good.......

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    1. It is definitely a lack of self-control, but there are so many reasons behind it. It is hard for the abuser to change his/her ways because they first have to admit that he/she is the problem. Then, they have to be willing to get help.

      I have a son, and I have spent his entire childhood teaching him healthy ways to deal with anger and frustration so that he NEVER thinks it's okay to punch anyone or anything. May your daughters never experience such violence, and if they even get a hint of it, may they run from that person and never go back. Thank you for visiting and sharing, Ain! :-)

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  3. Like you, I've never suffered abuse, but my heart goes out to those trapped in that situation. You expressed it perfectly!

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    1. Thank you, Jan! It breaks my heart that anyone has to suffer in this way. Thanks for stopping by. :-)

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  4. Now I also see indigo as the color of bruises... an extra layer of darkness.

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    1. It's the first thought that came to me when I thought of indigo. Thanks for stopping by, Bjorn! :-)

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  5. You had me with the title! What you don't know is that I originally wrote a different poem than the one I posted on Mr. Linky. Mine is the first poem posted, since I am the pub tender and made up the prompt. It truly came from the dark side and was about just this topic....and not autobiographical either. But it was the idea of the indigo, purplish welts created in a domestic violence situation....so same topic. Yours is much more genteel than mine.....sadly, there are women for whom a world of indigo bruises and battering is true.

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    1. Thanks for sharing that with me, Violet! I would love to read your original poem. I wish there those women had the courage to break the cycle and leave their abusers. Unfortunately, so many of them don't. It breaks my heart.

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  6. Yvette, this is powerful and deeply resolute. The shift from devotion to reclaiming oneself is striking.

    Much love,
    David
    SkepticsKaddish.com

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  7. i echo others-- so powerful, yvette! abuse is ugly (no matter what color it shifts into).

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  8. Yvette, your quadrille hits hard, hits deep .... and it is beautifully composed. You are right, too many women suffer abuse from those who supposedly love and care about them.

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    1. Thank you, Helen! I appreciate you stopping by and sharing your thoughts. :-)

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  9. I've been fortunate like you, Yvette, but your poem is powerful and so well written! I feel for those in abusive relationships. xo

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  10. I have been fortunate, but know of many who are not. This is a powerful poem, Yvette.

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    1. I am sorry to hear that. I hope they have been able to escape from that abuse. Thank you for visiting and sharing! :-)

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I love comments, so please share your thoughts with me! :-)