you never let me into chrysalis

He there, canopy! This is Alex, dropping off a review

The title and description instantly pulled me in, like a strong air current leading to a tornado. It's talking about restrictions or overprotectiveness, hampering one's freedom. While I discovered that the poem did not sing exactly the same song, the overall tune was similiar.

The first stanza depicts physical struggles. The protagonist is forced captive, against their will. The actions that follow are rather disturbing, but that's what makes the poem so spine-chilling.

you pull it down
cutting my skin like butter

Pure horror! For the villian, committing violence comes as easily and naturally as slicing some butter. The simile is shockingly spooky.

blood gurgles out
you sigh

The imagery of blood rushing out was really vivid here. I especially loved the use of word 'gurgles' here, as it adds a deapth and scary realism to the narrative. In contrast, we're shown that the villian is completely unfazed as blood doesn't surprise or grosses them out, even a bit. Whoever they are, this is definitely not their first time.

eyes forlorn

A small details, still significant. I think it points to the fact that villian is a professional or expert killer / torturer, as there is a broken soul beyond those tired eyes.

drip drip drip drip drip

Extremely graphic! I'm speechless at how good this is, literal goosebumps. I like how it's repeated at fixed intervals throughout the poem to suggest the ongoing nature of the struggles of the protagonist against savagery.

my calf this time

Painful the witness the torture not being localised.

ichor spills out
red not gold
anger darkens your eyes

I believe thus part is a hint, to the killer's objective behind all the abuse and torment. They're strangely searching for gold in the protagonist's blood. I'm sure it is an ambiguous metaphor, sadly one beyond my understanding. But it almost reminds me of the story where a person who had a golden goose come by and leave a few of it's golden feathers to him. One day of greed, he plucks our all it's feather to extract gold. But as he does so, the goose dies of pain and all it's feather's turn to black. It makes me wonder if the reason behind this abduction is also human greed, perhaps based on a prophecy of there being gold in the protagonist's veins. Okay my rambling has clearly gone too far, let's rein it in.

the warmth of my blood
red

These little illustrations make the scene all the more real. It goes on to make the reader humanise and sympathize with the pain the protagonist is going through.

im scattered all over
abandoned
the parts of my sum

This section was particularly terrifying. The body of the protagonist has now been cut apart and they lie separated on the floor.

your footsteps echo in my head
i watch your retreating back

I'm not sure if this is going in the protagonist's concious mind or in their final memories, as they near death. But both cases are equally frightening in their finality. The horrifying scene has imprinted itself in the head of the protagonist, so much so that it replays repeatedly.

i was born to metamorphise

Hmm.. now this was a double edged sword. While it is a well written sentence, perfect for the grand ending, I would've preferred a little more context personally. It's vague nature keeps it open to varying interpretations from the reader, encouraging adaptability and creative thinking. It relates to the title and description but feels out of place with the rest of the poetry. What does the protagonist mean when they say that? Are they secretly claiming to be a phoneix, who'd rise up from this trauma anew? That is my best guess but I wouldn't really bet on it.

Overall, this poem had such a fantastic imagery! The horror of torture is really vividly represented, shaking the reader's soul. The ambiguous tone is definitely an unconventional choice but I'm certainly not complaining considering how good this piece was. But at it's core, I think it could have used a better anchor. The only real setback this had was the contrasting directions of the title & description and the poem itself. I'm of the opinion it might have been an intended metaphor, but they didn't blend as well as they should've. Is this about an insane overprotective parent (considering the title) who'd rather kill their kid than letting go of them. Ya, that theory is a little too crazy so let's just drop it. I understand what's being said in general but despite my best efforts, I can't pinpoint it's exact setting and message. But then again, that mystery has a thrill of its own. And arguably, this experience of the reader understanding what's being conveyed generically yet not being able to interpret anything beyond those exact words- is the most unique trait that sets this poetry apart. Commendable job, canopy! I really need to review more of your work, hopefully I'll get the opportunity to do it sometime soon. It was a pleasure reviewing this though, thanks for sharing this.