She Wore Red

Written from an observers perspective, an observer who has not had the chance to share close familiarities with the lady who wore red. The colour of so many emotions,

She wore Red,

It started with her ashen face

Colour that seeped through from within

Red she felt warmed her blood

Tempered her mood

And hastened her desire to feel 

To touch to seek to know.

She wore Red,

It grazed her heart

Fractured the knowing of intimacy

The colour of love, of lust, of possibilities.

She Wore Red,

Her open hands bruised with the red badge of tempest

The desire to throw, to lash, to feel loss,

She wore red,

Her feet shone bright red with lacquered acquiescence

Hard worn, shining bright in defiance of the battles won and lost.

She wore Red,

it melded her

Fired her, hastened her,

made her.

She wore Red.

Author's Note

Red, the colour of so many emotions, anger, passion, lust, love, trust... Red.

Reviews

[barleygirl]

I wonder if you meant to use "wore" instead of "swore" in your title?!?!? Your poem is well-expressed using this singular hue as a symbol to convey all the various details you've described about how life can be somewhat tormenting. My own preference is to see a color crafted in different ways (crimson, blood red, bloodshot, ruddy, scarlet, ruby) instead of the same word "red" thru-out. But I understand if you don't agree (((HUGS))) Fondly, Margie

[chrisbe]

Hi margie, thank you for taking the time to review my piece. I am very appreciative of your thoughts, comments and ideas. I can imagine changing the colour spectrum to the various hues of red would certainly have added 'spice' as it were, but I do feel, that the more mundane it sounds, or feels, the more in touch with the whole bland depressed isolation of life the lady in red was subjected to and inevitabely slowly gave way to. Many thanks Peace and light. Chris

[chrisbe]

I mant to add, thank you for pointing out the title. Yes you are correct. That was an error. I do believe I am a little dyslexic at times, as I did not notice the misspell. Thank you again.

[Kathy Van Kurin]

"She Wore Red"
chrisbe,
Your author's note is really helpful. This poem intonates the above qualities without coming right out and saying what you mean . Nice poem with clues to ponder of the inner mind of your poem's subject;
"it melded her'fired her, hastened her,
made her.
She wore Red."
Blessings,
Kathy

[Jennie Baron]

Fine work indeed. I like your word choices and, as Nigel said, the repetition evoking neutrality in contrast to the emotionally charged words and the color red itself. I echo his comments.

[chrisbe]

Hello Jennie, Thank you so much for your review of my piece lady in red. I am very appreciative of your time and comments. I am glad you enjoyed this somber piece. Peace and light. Chris

[Nigel Newman]

Hi there. I think this is very catchy and engaging. The repeated refrain, for me, works well. And it's interesting to reflect how colours may feel appropriate to certain personalities. I, for example, would be closer to blue/green - never red.

You have a typo in, presumably, brandished.

I love the term lacquered acquiescence phonetically lyrically rhythmically. However I haven't the slightest idea what it means. In the context you use it here, the lacquered could be painted toenails or high gloss footwear, but the 'defiance', for me, means it doesn't read like she is acquiescing.

Final thought is more an observation which I'm reflecting on for my own stuff. And you may read this very differently, in which case apologies. The whole tone of this, coming partly from the repeated 'she', is quite dispassionate and even. Almost the perspective of some observer analysing people's characteristics. And where this takes me is that the tone doesn't reflect the moods you describe so well. The tone remains neutral. I'm making a mental note for myself about situations where I should either (a) avoid such neutrality, or (b) follow it with more rigour than I might otherwise do.

Well written and, as I say, catchy. Nice work!
Nigel

[chrisbe]

Hi Nigel, thank you for taking the time to submit your review, which I have throughly enjoyed and found valuable.
You are correct in the typo word brandished... I shall seek to alter that.
With regards the laquered acquiescence, I agree that it does fit together with elegance and flow. You are correct in that the lacquer is polish that languishes on her defeated toenails.
I guess from where I wrote the poem, she allowed the bright red polish to show to the world, as a silent protest, against the harsh realities of her saddened life, that of pain and the need to feel self defence against others and her own emotions,
It has been written from the perspective of an onlooker, perhaps a distant one, some one who has just grazed the surface of the depth of emotions that are bubbling beneath, not on full display, hence the perhaps neutral or indifferent emotions caught in the words that describe the lady who wore red.

I also agree, that if a colour ws describing a personality, I too am not a red person at all.. I also resonate to the beautiful hues of blue, form the deep space blue, to vivid sky blue, to the electric teal of oceans on our planet.
again, thank you indeed for your ideas, and comments, I am very appreciative.