The dent in this sofa will never rise.
This car will never shake the smell of
tobacco.
My life accomplishments are in short
supply;
I have quite a long list of effects,
though—
The pine tree I grabbed for, when I
tried
roller-skating, will always have a gap
in its branches. My dad will always
hear a ghost-child crying in his lap.
And sometime I said something
(I soon forgot) to someone; it
hurt just right, and became a knot in
shoulders that will always come back.
Somewhere segments of a trash pile
that I helped build, in wrappers and
bags;
oil down a road I drove. Skin dust
where I scratched my head. And rags
worn from a favorite shirt. Acid, once
a
light-bright battery. A drizzle,
misting down
the way it once steamed off, leaving
rings of salt
around my clothes—everywhere, I am:
profound and thin.
I appreciate this poem because of how genuine and pragmatic the content is. The poem begins with the little imprints that the speaker has left in his world. This is a stark contrast to the empowering phrase of leaving one’s mark on the world because the speaker in this poem does not do anything notable to other people. I find it comforting that the speaker addresses this in the first stanza of the poem by mentioning his lack of life accomplishments. I see this theme of insignificant marks left behind continuing with the poem’s relationship with the illustration because in the picture there is a man’s arm with an open cut and a flannel jacket with a blood stain mirroring it. I like how this concept continues to relate to the title of the poem, people’s insignificant marks are the signatures they left behind. Although the tone and content of the poem is a little mundane, it reminds me of the concept of matter not being destroyed or created. I see this concept in the last two stanzas of the poem when the speaker lists common items becoming their less appreciated forms such as a shirt becoming a rag. Overall, I really enjoy this poem because it conveys the message of every life being impactful regardless of the significance they felt on Earth. This gives me the feeling of hope and release of societal pressures to live “the perfect life” when instead I can live the life I choose and feel satisfaction knowing that I will leave a mark behind.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad it leaves you with a reassuring feeling.
DeleteThere's a mark :)