The Void Quotidian

Hey there Plume!! Here to give you a review on this lovely prose poem, in honor of Viral Review Day and the Great Tortoise Race!
First of all, let me say that this is so deftly crafted! It feels almost like a diary entry, a narration of a day in pain. I feel like I'm having a look into not only the narrator's life but their thoughts.
Also, the repetition of sentences starting with "I' really brings an awareness of how when someone is in pain like this, everything they do is dulled, it's all the same. Just repetition of the same old things on yet another day that they're trying to push through. I'm not sure if it was intentional or not, but it definitely adds another layer to the piece! It's a theme I notice in your work, how many people use figurative language "just because" but you weave it into the body of your poems, giving it meaning.
I'm also intrigued by the inclusion of "she" in the latter half--we've been quite focused on the narrator's inner self right now, so to add another person to this seems counterintuitive. However, I think you've handled it beautifully, adding yet another layer to this piece. It's not only an exploration of the pain of the narrator, but how it is shared--and possibly tolerated--by the so-called "six-year stand". Just one small critique--the line "I care not" seems a bit out of place when it comes to the tone. Throughout the poem, you carry a casual, narrative voice, but it's broken in this moment with what comes off a bit like sarcasm.
One thing I absolutely loved--the section in parentheses at the end of the fourth paragraph. It's so poignant and carries an extra meaning for sure!!
As for my interpretation, as someone who has suffered from depression, that's what I see in the narrator. That feeling of every day being exactly the same, with little bits of nuance that never make the mark.
Overall, I definitely enjoyed reading this!! Keep writing!
<3, chem

Quotidian is a perfect word for this!

I wake to last night's sadness curdled in its glass...

Immediately, I’m drawn in! I see that you're showing coping mechanisms as both intimate and absurd, which is a tone you strike repeatedly. There’s a deep truth to this. It is written into the narrative with the stomach’s reaction to sadness, the inherited habits from a mother figure, the slight satire in syntax choices. It's effective!

I love your choices of imagery! The language is really unique, and they are original metaphors. I do believe they can dilute each other though, because none of them are explored too heavily in depth. Everything is abstract, and I feel that is both good and bad for this style of poem. For instance:

I toss my nails into the garbage disposal and marvel at how alike we are, chopping voids longing for a cheerier substance.

I dream of online psych evals and my mother’s concerned eyebrows.

These images become really dense fast.

I noice that there’s a sectioning to the poem that reminds me of vignettes, as well, and I found that structure really works for the themes you're dealing with. Same with the repetition of “I” followed by verbs. I wonder if the dream sequence could be a little longer, or more distinct tonally, though.

Right now, the voice is consistent -- drowsy, ironic, sad -- but I believe it is too consistent. Even in dream-logic, emotion is not felt the same way. I love how you aren't afraid to be self-deprecating, but I want to hear the narrator’s desire a little more urgently in places. The climax would be a good example of this, with:

I would call her but I've got laundry to fold. I take the trash out instead.
I miss.

This ending should be effective, but to me, it doesn't conclude anything. That is partially stylistic, but since the poem only exists on one plane, it ends up being more claustrophobic than meaningfully vague.

Great poem though!