I just tried to see what else I might enjoy (at swwim) but it seems I'm excluded by gender. Which is an oddity, since a good few of my readership are female. Why swwim? Well my most recent follower Marian had shared this verse. I'm afraid I've crammed so much in a few years (old bloke returns to written page) and my eyes are on fire:) so I'll read more later if I can... I lack knowledge on poetic tech so apologies for not waffling about iambs. But the language and perhaps subject handling remind me of Plath. Perhaps it was the time? Or again a gendered issue? It's in the way things are described, the economical direct and clever but not obscure choice of words - and their order. Still, I'll share as a note for any other female readers:), Yours etc, a bloke
Hi Alex! Thanks so much for your note. No one is excluded from reading SWWIM (which stands for Supporting Women Writers in Miami—please see SWWIM.org for our mission statement). We welcome you to subscribe for free to enjoy a poem every weekday that will be sent to your inbox.
I don't get how this is a poem. Why not call it what it really appears to be - a very good piece of flash fiction. For me there has to be some nod towards a poetic structure of some kind to call something a poem.
I love how you brought it all together in the sweetness of the ending. My grandparents came from the same region but never talked about it either, so this had special resonance for me.
I love the music and the humor of this poem. How smartly it talks about the intertwined angst of living and writing or writing while living, maybe vice versa.
I love the specificity of Amy Miller's poem, and the great connection between the reader of the poetry book and the speaker's very ordinary experience with the waitress. And I love the idea of poems "winning us over" with images of everyday life.
This is a beautiful poem. The way that you create such intricate characters and stories with a brush stroke. Tender and moving. I teach a workshop on writing narrative poetry and look forward to introducing my students to this poem.
aw. Miami! I lived in Dade briefly. Just wish I could contribute; I already have mountains to read but will sub any road as we say in Yorkshire😬
We understand! Thank you for reading, fellow (once-)Miamian!
I just tried to see what else I might enjoy (at swwim) but it seems I'm excluded by gender. Which is an oddity, since a good few of my readership are female. Why swwim? Well my most recent follower Marian had shared this verse. I'm afraid I've crammed so much in a few years (old bloke returns to written page) and my eyes are on fire:) so I'll read more later if I can... I lack knowledge on poetic tech so apologies for not waffling about iambs. But the language and perhaps subject handling remind me of Plath. Perhaps it was the time? Or again a gendered issue? It's in the way things are described, the economical direct and clever but not obscure choice of words - and their order. Still, I'll share as a note for any other female readers:), Yours etc, a bloke
Hi Alex! Thanks so much for your note. No one is excluded from reading SWWIM (which stands for Supporting Women Writers in Miami—please see SWWIM.org for our mission statement). We welcome you to subscribe for free to enjoy a poem every weekday that will be sent to your inbox.
A wonderful piece of verse. The flow of this piece is incredibly captivating and the use of line breaks are masterful!
wonderful poem--I love the Morse code messages of the coffee container--and the ending--a great
tie of all the themes of the poem
I LOVE this! The words so eloquently and heartbreakingly speak to "the long goodbye". Well done!
Oh heartbreak!
Wonderful poem, Sylvia! So powerful!
This site makes it too hard to comment. I like this poem.
I don't get how this is a poem. Why not call it what it really appears to be - a very good piece of flash fiction. For me there has to be some nod towards a poetic structure of some kind to call something a poem.
What a wonderful, moving poem. I had fear and tears in my eyes as I read this.
I love how you brought it all together in the sweetness of the ending. My grandparents came from the same region but never talked about it either, so this had special resonance for me.
I love the music and the humor of this poem. How smartly it talks about the intertwined angst of living and writing or writing while living, maybe vice versa.
I love the specificity of Amy Miller's poem, and the great connection between the reader of the poetry book and the speaker's very ordinary experience with the waitress. And I love the idea of poems "winning us over" with images of everyday life.
Dear Ms. Levine,
This is a beautiful poem. The way that you create such intricate characters and stories with a brush stroke. Tender and moving. I teach a workshop on writing narrative poetry and look forward to introducing my students to this poem.
Thank you,
Gloria Heffernan
The moon as a kind
of kindness masterminding the landscape.
Gorgeous poem! Every line.
Time as the ocean and stories as paper boats … wonderful. Thanks for this poem I’m not sure I would have found it otherwise.