cauterization by candyhearts — Poetry

kaitlyn

Review

kaitlyn wrote a review Review · Sep 24, 2024

Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening/Night(whichever one it is in your part of the world),

Hi! I'm Kate and I'm here to leave a quick review!!

First Impression

Just. WOW. That's kind of it xD

Anyway let's get right to: Kate's Line by Line Reactions;

The title is what really caught me here. That seems like such a simple word but it means quite the visceral act and that is how I'd best describe this poem. The words feel like they're searing onto our own brain with just how powerful that imagery is. It's hard to look past here here.

Especially the line

the tissue is text, the tissue text

I think hits particularly hard, showing how these words are seared into the people, into the very tissue and muscle and bone of the ones it was written upon. It also comes through this imagery of it all being sort of left to time and almost left alone in some sense. It really hits quite hard in that sense too showcasing this sort of searing into the mind of certain people but it also being largely forgotten among the masses as it were.

Then of course comes the final stanza and it just confirms without a doubt that same message. Nearly everything is lost but what is still there rings on true and firm within the mind of those it remains. Its a really powerful message here and honestly it really leaves you almost reeling for a bit. Really amazing job!

Aaand that's it for this oneee!!!

Overall

Really wonderful work here. Its a poem that echoes through your mind even after you've read it and just almost haunts you for a good while here. On a side note a late welcome to the site and awesome job doing so many reviews! I only just got a chance to read through some of them and they are amazing!

As always remember to: Take what you think was helpful and forget the rest!

Stay Safe and Have a Nice Day!
Kate

Aislynn

Review

Aislynn wrote a review Review · Sep 22, 2024

Hi candyhearts!

This just pulled me in right away, and I had to give it a go!

Okay, let's dive in. The whole narrative feels so visceral, and I love the way you tie the sacredness of the Hebrew Bible to something like skin! It’s such an intense, layered metaphor that immediately stands out! The idea of sacred texts being literally sewn together from flesh is disturbing and beautiful in this haunting way. You really make the divine feel touchable here, which is interesting! It's a new outlook on religion without blasphemy, which is so refreshing to see!

Then, we get to “salt in wound,” which I think works well because it’s sharp and ties into the preservation ideas you’ve got going. But it might feel a little familiar compared to some of the fresher imagery in the poem. There’s got to be a way to twist that just a bit to make it hit harder. It reinforces that connection between flesh and scripture, but it's cut off too soon! It's a one and done!

The “autopsy of angels” line is another standout, but for the reason I said. It’s such a bold, striking image, but there's nothing more to it. I wonder if you could go even further with what’s being uncovered here. There has to be a reason for an autopsy, so I wouldn't mind more of that medical lingo. As it stands, there is no connection to anything else in my opinion! It's just... there, and that's it.

One thing I’m still thinking about is the line, “All of Hashem's inscriptions have been lost except for one.” It’s intriguing but feels a little vague. Even using the name Hashem instead of God strikes me in a way. I don't see that word thrown around a lot, but it fits the poem! There is just a small boundary here. This poem is so philosophical and critical, but it feels unreachable for people who aren't familiar with religion. It's not an easy read, that's for sure! Some Googling is required!

Overall, this was so rich and thought-provoking! You’ve done an amazing job with the language and imagery throughout. Well done! =D

— Solstice