โTo care for what we areโ
Together we pushed through
Together we got into respite
My work published alongside others
My family being small bothers
The pride my family feels for me
Maybe its something ingrained
Maybe its just what i know
The weight of forgiveness
Is a weight like that is all-encompass
That i bring to those that cry
God doesnt hate for loving
For others, and refusal to grow
Together we bring into the air
Our glasses make a โch-ctโ
To bring together who we are
We all have had our troubles
Our trials, our tribulations
Together we put down roots
//yes this poetry format was ripped from the final chapter, sue me im a sentimental guy. Thanks Hauntie
I donโt mean to sound self-important, Lilly, but I had a feeling that our local poet would be sending us something again soon. Though, Iโll admit, it does stroke my ego that I was right.
Oh! I believe that this is the lengthiest one weโve received so far, if Iโm not mistaken. Letโs have a read, shall we?
Ahh. Have I mentioned that I love form, Lilly? Itโs perhaps one of my favorite parts about poetry. It can do such incredible things, divvying up the words of a poem just so. And the form in this poem is no exception.
Some of the stanzas have multiple lines that start with the phrase โtogether weโ or simply โtogetherโ, and then some of the stanzas do not follow this repetition. However, when we come back to another โtogetherโ stanza, it feels very much like we the audience are returning once again to a singular moment in time with a particular group of people, reminding ourselves of how far weโve come. A singular moment where weโre making promises for the future with all of those with whom weโre sharing this togetherness. And therefore, all of the other not-โtogetherโ stanzas feel like a reflection of something in the past that weโre remembering before we eventually come back to togetherness again. It gives both a nostalgic feeling for the journey as well as a hopeful feeling for the future. Very well-crafted.
Each of the stanzas that regard something from the past are... Strangely relatable for me. As a person whoโs just had my work published for the first time, and as a person whoโs been anxious over the finality of it all, I... Hm. I definitely feel camaraderie with this speaker. I feel similarly about the speakerโs awe of the recent growth of their family, the pact that theyโve made with their loved ones to be each otherโs support systems--
Itโs, um, sort of staggering, Lilly. It feels very much like someone has been silently peeping through the window of my life.
But, I suppose thatโs a bit dramatic. The feelings that Iโve felt recently are absolutely universal feelings. Thereโs no reason to believe that this speaker knows every detail of my life just because they happened to have a few experiences that were coincidentally similar to mine.
Quite a few experiences that were...
I do like the similes in the fifth stanza which describe the โweight of forgivenessโ to be entirely unlike the weight that the Titan Atlas must bear, entirely unlike a burden or a punishment. Instead, forgiveness and โmercyโ are described as a sort of gift that the speaker can bring to soothe another person. While forgiveness certainly can be exhausting and painful, the speaker clearly prioritizes the harmony that forgiveness can bring, which says a lot about the kind of person that they are. This, I feel like I also relate to, as I...
Actually, it feels like it perfectly suits the situation between...
No, Lilly, I donโt believe this speaker has been spying on me; thatโs absolutely ridiculous. Letโs move on.
The sixth stanza, for once, is not something that I myself have needed to conquer, as Iโve not grown up with a religious background. I enjoy the sentiment, still, as it has a profound respect for the need for growth and change, despite how difficult growth and change can be. In fact, this reminds me of something that Daniel said to Arthur and I recently, when--
Okay, Lilly, I think Iโm finished with poetry for tonight. Letโs wrap up here, alright?
And, for no reason in particular, I think Iโm just going to close the blinds quickly, give me a moment...
