Red's Wrap
Happiness. It's relative.
Blame
I live in a house without crackers
It’s all my fault
I should have bought crackers
The toilet paper is thin and scratchy
Making me envy wiser shoppers
Who understand ply and plushness
My coffee is grey with milk
We are out of half and half
It’s what I deserve, it’s all my fault
Many things are inadequate
It’s a rash spreading up my arms
It’s all my fault
The long list folds in thirds
Mistakes of supplies and living
I should pay more attention
3 Comments on “Blame”
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Listen to Jan read her essay “Billy” presented on WUWM’s Lake Effect.
Jan’s essay “At the Breakfast Bar” on WUWM Lake Effect
Jan’s essay “The Parish Hall,” on WUWM Lake Effect May 27, 2020
“Fury Cannot Touch Me,” Modern Love, NYT, 9/29/11
The repetition and the lack of punctuation make this really effective, like we’re hearing the voice in their head scolding. My favorite lines were “My coffee is grey with milk” and “The long list folds in thirds.”
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The repetition is what gets me–that voice of self-blame. I like how it opens up near the end, especially these lines:
The long list folds in thirds
Mistakes of supplies and living
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This was a very relatable poem. Thanks for sharing.
My only nitpick was that I thought the last two “it’s all my fault” lines were a bit close to each other, which made them lose a bit of impact for me. Maybe consider taking one out?
Great job.
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