When He Turned Red.
White as the clouds,
he once was, till he
turned red like a burning
furnace.
Like a florescent bulb,
she once glowed, but his
sizzling red effect
made her as wishy-
washy as an old grave.
Since he turned red,
she had been his daily
sacrifice; but today,
there’s nothing
left of her to offer;
her eyes are staring at
vagueness;
her breath has become
a part of the wind.
Written and Performed by Viano Dee
Instrumental: Sharp Senses by Ugonna Onyekwe (Royalty Free Beat).
Related poem: Once Upon a Shredded Dream
About When He Turned Red
When He Turned Red is a short but deep poem about a relationship gone sour. It’s about domestic violence resulting to death.
As I wrote this poem, I remembered some facebook posts I read from a young lady some months back. She kept speaking about her boyfriend had been maltreating her; beating her and even pulling her hair off her scalp.
I also remember she warned ladies to stop dating “bad boys” because they have no idea what they are asking for. She used herself as example.
Anyway, she spoke about how she ran away from him but he kept finding her and how it seemed she was putting everyone’s life in danger. I can’t recall where she was precisely but I think it was Chicago (again I’m not very sure).
I don’t even remember her name— I didn’t know her but many people advised her to go to the police— she was frightened.
Again, I can’t recall if she did. If she did, they probably didn’t take her seriously. If she didn’t, she was probably scared of being racially profiled (she was black). Or maybe she was scared of him— I don’t know. But one day, I woke up to the news that she was gone— he had finally killed her.
Her breath had become a part of the wind.
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This is a really interesting poem. Adding the audio made it even better for people like me who like listening to poems more than reading
What an emotional poem it certainly gets to you and the story of that poor young woman so sad
Stressedmum, it does. Really sad.
It is a very poignant poem about anger from the man. Really emotionally written.
I don’t have enough poetry in my life these days, so this was nice and refreshing to read.
Oh my god… That was so tragic…! I didn’t know things could end that way. I always had a guess about these kinds of relationships being the bf was just to attached and possesive, but to actually kill her…? Oh my. ??
Honestly. It is sad.
Nice share.. I haven’t read too may poems lately, but this one strikes the emotion.
this is a very good poem…as it is been said you don’t know the value of a thing till you loose it.
That was beautifully written, I love it and the story behind this poem.
Thanks a lot, Alexandra.
This poem captures the ugly truth of abusive relationships. Although the ending is tragic, this is a powerful reminder to take care of each other and recognize the telling signs of abuse before its too late.
Very true, Sabrina.
Wow
This poem is like a reminder for me to be cautious about the kind of friends I keep and relate with
Yeah. You need to stay away from toxic people.
That was a sad ending for a troubled lady. If she had gone to the police maybe things would turn out good. Hope she finds peace now. That was a lovely poem.
Thanks a lot Elizabeth.
That was indeed a sad ending of an abusive relationship. Keep an eye on this kind of things!
This is such a great but sad poem. The message behind it was very tragic. We should be really keep an eye with these things.
Thank you sop much for using the poem to pass such a strong message that is really affecting a lot of relationships right now. I love the advise to ladies: let’s not wish for those bag boys we see in movies but pray for those who will value us.