Drip, drip, drip.
I gaze at the girl standing across from me.
She isn’t familiar in the slightest.
In the mirror, I see her tears slide down her cheeks
As my eyes wander over the fractured surface.
Drip, drip, drip.
It isn’t her tears, but the leaky faucet.
Father never bothered to fix it.
I slide down the wall and feel the cold floor underneath me
And a cockroach scurries under the locked door.
Drip, drip, drip.
This time it’s my tears, streaming slowly.
The taste of salt never truly disappears for very long.
The shouts outside the bathroom grow louder
Making me feel more alone, but at least a stranger is here with me.
Drip, drip, drip.
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125,018 Literary Works • 672,857 Reviews
Hey there! It's ZeldaIsShiek here to review another quintessential piece of literature that made my day and win this Review Day by helping the Red Pandas stay in first place and reaching my goal of 80 reviews. I might even get to 100, if I work hard enough. I am really excited to review this amazing piece of art that you have created, and maybe add some witty humor as well. Anyway, that's enough idle chatter from me. Let's get into the review.
Drip, drip, drip.
This poem is very deep and takes the reader on a roller coaster of emotions. There are many ways of interpreting this poem that could be correct, but my interpretation is complex, and I will be trying out a new style of reviewing today. Shall we give it a try?
Spoiler
(The drips are metaphorical for the passage of time)
I gaze at the girl standing across from me.
She isn’t familiar in the slightest.
(She doesn't recognize herself anymore)
In the mirror, I see her tears slide down her cheeks
As my eyes wander over the fractured surface.
Drip, drip, drip.
It isn’t her tears, but the leaky faucet.
(She pretends she isn't crying)
Father never bothered to fix it.
(Her father never stopped verbally abusing her)
I slide down the wall and feel the cold floor underneath me
(She is falling down and sobbing)
And a cockroach scurries under the locked door.
(She feels as small as a cockroach)
Drip, drip, drip.
This time it’s my tears, streaming slowly.
The taste of salt never truly disappears for very long.
(Her tears come back very frequently)
The shouts outside the bathroom grow louder
(Her father is verbally abusing her)
Making me feel more alone, but at least a stranger is here with me.
(The stranger is her more confident self that she is just now seeing)
Drip, drip, drip.
That's all for today. Keep writing amazing literature that inspires me to read and review them, and have a great Review Day! Let's beat the Blues once and for all! ~ZeldaIsShiek
Hi Misery! Welcome to YWS! I'm Ellie and I'm here to review.
I really like the idea behind this. Even thought you say in the poem that it isn't a leaky faucet, that's how I visualized this; the sound of the faucet punctuating the silent tension between the narrator and the subject.
I was a little confused as to what their relationship was. I pictured that they were sisters, although I don't know if there was anything specifically that indicated this. I would make sure that it's clear. I'm not even sure where they are. Are they in the kitchen? The bathroom? Why would the door be locked?
I'm also a little unsure as to what happened at the end. I think clarifying it, really painting a picture of this small moment in time, will help.
Small notes --
This line confused me. Did she fall down?
I think you've got a good base here. Hope this helps, and let me know if you have any questions. Again, welcome!
Hi, thanks for the review! Actually, the stranger is the narrator's reflection. As for the sliding part, it was a bit difficult to describe so I can understand the confusion; she simply collapsed from exhaustion. Thank you for the feedback! I'll try to fix the issues.
Ohhhhhhh I understand now.
I would definitely clarify that so dumbos like me don't get confused.
Thanks for sharing. The poem provides fascinating visual and auditory imagery. This makes the poem very interesting to read and kept my attention fixed. It also creates drama. Two strangers in a bathroom creates the issue of privacy and personal space. The locked door adds to the tension as do the shouting voices outside the bathroom. There is also the dripping faucet and cracked mirror that the speaker's father seems to have neglected.
Of course as poets we do want our readers to be affected in some way by what we write. We might be aiming to create a mysteriously, enigmatic mood,where fascination is more important than meaning. That's the impression that I got from this poem since try as I might I could only come away with the following questions.
What is the speaker doing in the bathroom with the girl?
Why does he have the need to be comforted by her presence?
Why does the speaker have to slide down a wall in order to reach the floor?
Where was he perched?
Why is the mirror fractured and what does it mean?
If he was indeed perched the the original statement of standing before him has to be viewed differently.
Why does't stranger, a female, react to his intrusion?
Why are thee shouts outside the bathroom?
Why is the speaker crying?
Why does the speaker feel comforted by the stranger's presence.
What is the meaning of the cockroach crawling under the locked door besides indicating the substandard living conditions.?
Aside from creating an enigmatic mood-what other meaning can the dripping have?
Is the stranger the girl's own reflection that she doesn't identify with?
Actually, it is all those unanswered questions which give the poem its charm and its interpetational depth.
Hi, thanks for the review! I really appreciate the effort you put in by thinking of those questions! While I might interpret it one way, I like for my poetry to be vague enough so that readers can take their own meaning from it. Thanks for the feedback!