Young Writers Society

This is Kaos here for a review!

lightening brands my ears
the wind sighs as she recounts the tale of summer
when the memory of rain
was worth more than laughter,
and pecks on wrinkled cheeks.

some people say that some people say:
"cold only comes when you're
ready to shower"
the window is closed, but
there's still a draft
and it peeps from under the door.

like he was saying;
memory is a curse that saduces happiness
and shoves it down your throat
as though bribery were an afterthought.

Hello.

I will admit, the title threw me. It could be a cultural thing that meerkats means something different in different regions, but from the title of the poem I was not expecting something this serious.

This piece is rather beautiful, and bordering on too minimalist for my tastes. The middle stanza in particular just makes me frown, because it looks almost like filler. I can tell there is supposed to be some sort of point, but that point is lost on me. I like it as a transition stanza in something that explained why it was relevant. Of course, it could be style— I'm terrible at telling— but maybe play around with something a little less abstract.

My best guess at this poem's meaning: discussing a time when things were loud and bright and happy, but now it's become cold and alone and full of hearsay without a single voice speaking directly and unburdened by constraints. It's left a void where things used to be so clear, but now they're not.

Of course, that's just my interpretation, and I'm really not sure how close I am to anything. Part of me likes this poem, part of me doesn't, so between the abstract, just-there-but-not-quite middle stanza, and the title, I hope that gives you some sense of what to play with if you ever revisit the piece.

Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any questions or comments.

~Rosey