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Tetrachromancy

Oh, to have had the power to see the colours

By Cathy holmesPublished about a year ago 1 min read
Top Story - January 2023
74
Photo by Andriyko Podilnyk on Unsplash

I saw snowflakes dance in the sky on the day we met. I saw the bright crescent moon on the night of our first date. I saw a pure soul when you kissed me and I was enchanted by your smile, as sparkling white as my wedding gown.

I didn’t see the emptiness to come.

I saw the greens of fresh grass and newly budding trees on our first spring walk. I saw the emeralds in the earrings you gave me on our anniversary, and the green football jersey I gave you.

I never saw the colour of your envy.

I saw the reds of roses on my birthday and Valentines. I saw the cinnabar candy hearts you loved and the twinkling red lights on the Christmas tree.

I couldn’t envision the fire of your anger.

I saw the brilliant yellows of the setting sun, and the spring daffodils. I saw the canaries and the warblers and heard their beautiful songs.

I never saw your cowardice, but I heard your shouts.

I saw the black of the stormy night sky as the thunder crashed and I cuddled in your arms. I saw the bears on our trips up north and the squirrels in the trees outside our window. I tasted the blackberries – your favourite.

I was blinded to the cold charcoal of your heart.

Should I have seen?

Could I have known?

Oh, to have had the power to see the true colours,

behind your blue eyes.

sad poetry
74

About the Creator

Cathy holmes

Canadian family girl with a recently discovered love for writing. Other loves include animals and sports.

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Outstanding

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  1. Heartfelt and relatable

    The story invoked strong personal emotions

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    Well-structured & engaging content

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    Creative use of language & vocab

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    Writing reflected the title & theme

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Comments (54)

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  • Novel Allen7 months ago

    This is so beautifully sad Cathy. It echoes the feelings of so many souls across the universe. Such depth and truth contained in your words. Congrats on TS.

  • Thank you so much. 😊

  • Mackenzie Davis7 months ago

    I must echo Poppy here, Cathy. This is incredible. The subtle, true emotion underlying the sweetness of the surface (still true, of course) is tantalizing until the end, which promptly punched me with the softest of horrible blows. This is one of my favorites of yours (so far!). So, so well done. Wow.

  • Poppy 7 months ago

    Oh. My. Gosh. I don’t know how I haven’t already read this but now it’s definitely my favourite of yours!! I don’t know how to put into words how much I enjoyed it. I’m about to read it again though! The juxtaposition and structure make this incredibly powerful. You weaved in the colours in such an expert way. You are so talented Cathy. This is just perfect in every way. I’m blown away!

  • Ward Norcuttabout a year ago

    wow 53 comments now... pretty cool idea with the color comparisons!

  • Loryne Andaweyabout a year ago

    Excellent as always though this one left me feeling angry for the narrator. Your words can stir strong emotions. Quite the superpower :)

  • Caroline Janeabout a year ago

    I xoulf have sworn I left a comment on this previously. I may be cracking up! Excellent as ever and really poignant to boot. 🥰

  • Jess Boyesabout a year ago

    The use of colours to show the two sides is beautifully done. I loved this so much!

  • Rayn Babout a year ago

    This is so moving. Beautiful imagery and such strong emotions. You are outstanding!

  • Bluepicksabout a year ago

    wow,wonderful

  • Holly Pheniabout a year ago

    Fabulous!

  • Alex H Mittelman about a year ago

    Wow, fantastic! I love it!

  • Lilly Cooperabout a year ago

    I really enjoyed the use of colours to build scenes. Well done

  • Megabout a year ago

    Beautiful! The flow is so perfect and the imagery is great!

  • Brenton Fabout a year ago

    I was drawn in by the image you chose and stayed for your words, they resonated!

  • Oluwatoyin Adelekeabout a year ago

    Love never see the wrong side everything is always right in good relationship

  • Bex Jordanabout a year ago

    Oh, I love these visuals and that knife-twist at the end 💙

  • Rick Henry Christopher about a year ago

    Good work. Nicely written with contradictions. Great job!

  • Gerald Holmesabout a year ago

    WOW!!! This is truly outstanding writing.

  • Marie Gebhardt about a year ago

    I feel this. Beautifully written and sad like truth is sometimes. ♥️

  • Dean F. Hardyabout a year ago

    I like reading pieces, be it poetry or pros that ends with a soft but lingering presence of something significant. You did that here, thanks for sharing Cathy.

  • Janice Dailyabout a year ago

    This poem so is well-crafted, with a clear message and beautiful use of imagery. Subscribing for sure

  • Danielle Roskeabout a year ago

    I love this work! It definitely deserves to be in the top <3

  • jaykrishnanabout a year ago

    Excellent ❤️❤️

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