there is a strange limbo in the time before a goodbye.
the anticipation of something i know cannot be warded off
builds up in the heavy floor of my belly.
if friendship is a fabric, i haven't decided how to take care of it just yet --
should i pull at the fraying edges so that it's gone
before the goodbye has a chance to take it from me
or should i absorb every detail until my eyes my ears my nose my mouth are full:
the threading, the discolouration, the smell, the parallel feeling
against my finger pads. the overstimulation of all these senses will make the goodbye
so much louder, so much more breaking when it comes crashing down,
i know. but it feels faithless
to let this slip away into a jumble of yarn and knots.
years later i might fancy myself an anthropologist of sorts
and claim i have reconstructed our history -- but really i will have woven in the accumulation
of years of misremembering. will our fate be any different if i desperately try
to preserve us in the last moment before we leave? we will always unweave eventually.
there are buttons in my belly and i feel sick.
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140,259 Literary Works • 673,077 Reviews
This poem beautifully captures the complex emotions that accompany the moments before saying goodbye. The use of imagery and metaphors adds depth to the feelings being expressed, making it resonate with the reader on a personal level.
The opening lines set the stage for the emotions to come, creating a sense of uncertainty and anticipation that one often experiences before a farewell. The comparison of friendship to fabric is a clever analogy that adds a layer of contemplation to the poem. It makes the reader question the best way to handle parting from someone they care about deeply.
The lines "should I pull at the fraying edges so that it's gone before the goodbye has a chance to take it from me" and "should I absorb every detail until my eyes my ears my nose my mouth are full" highlight the inner conflict between letting go and holding on. This internal struggle is beautifully portrayed through sensory imagery, making the poem relatable and emotionally charged.
The lines "the overstimulation of all these senses will make the goodbye so much louder, so much more breaking when it comes crashing down, I know. but it feels faithless" show the fear of intensifying the pain of parting by clinging too tightly to the present moment. This dilemma between wanting to cherish the memories and the fear of making the eventual goodbye harder is portrayed skillfully.
The ending lines, "we will always unweave eventually. there are buttons in my belly and I feel sick," bring a poignant and bittersweet conclusion to the poem. The image of unweaving captures the inevitability of endings and the transitory nature of relationships. The visceral feeling of sickness in the belly further emphasizes the emotional turmoil felt during the process of saying goodbye.
Overall, this poem effectively captures the complexity of emotions before a farewell, making it a relatable and evocative piece of writing.
Cheers,
GFB1011
Thank you so much!
*Ignoring all grammarly tips on poetry is almost comical*
hi friend. Let's hop in shall we? The title intrigued me and the poem did not disappoint.
I feel the same when I'm hungry xD I do find it interesting that you say "cannot be warded off", even though it's the POV's choice. Not that you're wrong. It's weird that goodbyes can often be forced from one person because of the passiveness of another, rather than because of actions.
Love this comparison. And in a sense, just like fabrics, some friendships run their course but can't last forever.
I really liked this part because not only metaphorically, but physically when you break a friendship you feel so much in your hands, your stomach etc. You feel overstimulated, even if it's a good thing that you're doing. Even more so if it happens to you.
Love this through line (no pun intended) of the fabric.
You really have put the feeling of inevitable doom really well. Often times this is even more relatable than intentionally breaking away from people. Life has a habit of just separating and unweaving people's lives through work, jobs, kids, family, ideologies etc.
If this was something you experienced recently, or are experiencing currently, I hope you find healing and come out of it a stronger fabric
`Messy
Thank you for the lovely review!! I was writing about goodbyes in terms of physically moving away from people you love, and not being able to keep those relationships going due to distance -- that's where the inevitability you mention at the start comes from! But I love all the different ways you can interpret the poem based on what kind of goodbye you view it as. :)
rare sighting of a hijinks poem
you know it