Quadrille poem
The full collection of photographs and accompanying words can be found here.
Small hours,
Lipgloss smudged,
She staggered on points
Onlookers judged -
But, couldn’t be her,
For a day,
Or, even see her,
In any other way,
Broken tongue,
Eyeliner smeared,
Cleopatraesque,
The corners teared,
Desperate silence,
Cries without sound,
Below the watery oculus
- She drowned.
© Darius the Mate
Written for dVerse.
What is life without community? I would love to connect with other nicecissists out there. Reach out, let me know what you think in the comments, and of course, give me a follow for more – nice!
Wordplay Pathway
nicecissist 
Powerful, effective writing. This resonates right now as my sister was recently evicted and now homeless. Everyone has a story but few really listen. Its a hundred times worse for those who are immediately judged….as if anyone with mental illness does not deserve to have their story told.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Exactly, who knows what’s below the surface, or behind the scenes. A bit of compassion goes a long way.
Sorry to read about your sister, I hope she’s getting the support she needs. There will be better days.
Thank you for your comment Mish.
LikeLike
Alas, I think she didn’t just drown, but was drowned by the judgment of others.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You have very luscious words here (Cleopatraesque, oculus), I always enjoy atypical words that fit well in the writing.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank T.J.S, I enjoy an atypical word (or two) too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
oh, NO! 😦
LikeLiked by 2 people
This is really powerful. It’s a shame people, most of the time, only judge on the surface. So much goes on underneath, you just never know what they go through so why assume? You know what they say about assuming…
Beautifully said here, Darius. I really enjoyed these few lines:
“Cleopatraesque,
The corners teared,
Desperate silence,
Cries without sound…”
That final line is a killer too. It’s evocative and painful in its imagery.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thank you Lucy
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree, there’s more to a person than their current situation, so many questions that break down the exterior; what’s their first memory, greatest fear, what makes them smile, cry, blush? We aren’t defined by our past, or even our present – what is the true essence of a person?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Worms, I was also taken with the images I stumbled on, they are strong, and striking, speaking without words.
LikeLike
A very powerful collection of images. Sad and very thought-provoking. And sensitive, as Ingrid said. Lovely.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I like this too. Women like the ones pictured are often miserable, addicted to drugs, and driven to their occupation by desperation, suffering who knows what kind of abuses.
LikeLiked by 1 person
A seedy world of desperation and/or exploitation.
Thanks for the comment Susan.
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is sensitive. So often people don’t think about the suffering that may be going on beneath the facade. This made me think of Stevie Smith’s poem ‘Not Waving but Drowning.’
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you Ingrid. The amount of suffering we humans walk past all the time, caught in our own lives, is incredibly sad.
LikeLiked by 2 people