“Fresh” out of a relationship,
a day or two,
You still have the echoing feeling
That someone will kiss you soon.
But then, you're not “fresh”
anymore.
Distinct from single, stable;
nor loved and bright.
“Don't tell me to get some sleep—
I've been singing that song all night.”
Thinned (but not hungry). Restless and
low.
“Fresh,” you can still taste those
words,
“I love you”—
But then nothing's by you,
and all seems above you.
"She texted “I miss you” again tonight. Probably the eighth time or so. They strike me differently each time: in the beginning, I just felt guilty, sorry for making her feel that way. And next I wanted to say it back, just to have a pair of arms around me again. And now, I just sort of feel like saying, 'I understand.'
ReplyDeleteI miss her too. Her head on my lap, her kisses on my neck, her affectionate love and adoration. I do have faith that I'll find my footing again, that I'll re-learn how to love myself when no one else is radiating care across my skin. But as for right now, this phase, I am very delicate and mercurial—a surprise even to myself, most days. And how am I still hungry? Why am I still up?"
– 25 October 2015, 1:01 AM
Post-breakup is a common song genre, and each song conveys different emotions: sorrow, vengeance, bleakness, or often a combination of the three. The spacing of this poem is interesting; it is non-linear, curving and leaving spaces in the middle, seemingly without a pattern. This reflects how the speaker is disoriented and sad after his breakup, and feels far from “fresh” despite being “fresh” out of a relationship; he feels the remnants of his previous relationship and is stressed that it has ended. I know this feeling is universal after a breakup, and you captured it well. I liked the last lines, “But then nothing's by you, and all seems above you” because it accurately shows the self-deprecation and feeling of unworthiness that occurs after being broken up with.
ReplyDeleteThe "random" seeming shape is supposed to be the silhouette of a bread loaf (looks to me like a pan bread: banana or zucchini, maybe). It's not my greatest word-sculpture ;)
DeleteThis poem is obviously describing the refractory period following the separation between two people who were together romantically. It describes the middle ground one finds himself in following a separation. That person is not romantically taken but he or she is not single either, due to the recent involvement with another significant partner. The speaker then uses pairs of word to describe the strange situation that the recently separated individual finds himself in. The pairs “Thinned (but not hungry)” and “Restless and low” are used to express the fatigue that the speaker finds himself in due to his broken romantic relationship, but also the tingling sensation that causes him to think of future potential partners. However, the speaker mainly focuses on his sense of sadness after losing his partner, as described by his sensation after realizing his “I Love You” has not been reciprocated, leading to his acceptance that he is now alone.
ReplyDeleteThe accompanying picture shows a picture of bread with a face edited onto it. This serves as a mean to personify the bread as a living person. Based on the title, the bread shown is day-old bread which can be related to the a person fresh out of relationship: not rotten but not desirable by others either.
This poem struck me because unlike most breakup poetry that focuses either on the speaker’s internal strife or their former partner’s, this poem addressed society’s unknowing influence on a person after getting out of a relationship. The described “freshness” of being free from the weight of another person struck me; when I experienced this type of liberation, I couldn’t stop laughing or tearing up in my relief that it was over. This exuberance was cheered on by my friends, and I still beam at how good I felt. With the freshness worn off, the author goes on to detail the unpleasant feelings of the acceptance of loneliness and formerly unneeded self-reliance that must regrow at the beginning of a separation. My discussions at sleepovers and at lunch unflinchingly centered around dating, and while at the beginning the “freshness” kept me immune, its staleness was at first painful as I was reintroduced to the “restless and low.” Additionally, I liked how this poem’s resolution reminded the reader of the complacent despair that the speaker continues to feel. While there’s nothing to be done about the loneliness that the speaker experiences, his anguish keeps him unable to heal fully.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. Well-read.
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