Cold Tea

First, I think you should explain why the ocean is an "invisible" friend. If he lives by the ocean, then it's not invisible, unless you're saying he's blind. But since he knows what color the sun is and paints with purple paint, then maybe "only" friend or "shifting", since the tide goes in and out, so for a friend, the ocean is unreliable, not necessarily always there for him.

Secondly, I like the repetition of "Pausing" in the last stanza. It has a calming effect on the reader, like clock tower bells calling an assembly, slow, deep, and reverberating. In fact, repetition is a device you used well throughout the poem, with the purple paint a recurring object of importance in the man's life. I also loved the way you tied the end back to the beginning by mentioning the sea again, showing that life is a cycle, which is often forgotten, since people like to think life is a journey to a finish line, or a ladder to climb to the exulted throne of power at the top, not just a circle.

I also like the use of the color purple; did you pick it for any particular reason? I thought it might be because purple is the color of kings and royalty, and this man is the king of his world, even if that world's only inhabitants are himself and his creations: his paintings. In that way, he is like God, ever-lonely in the vast space of the universe, having created friends for himself, but friends that do not talk back. Also, he created them as his own "thumbprints", which is like the story of Adam and Eve, who he made in his own image.

One thing that is contradictory in this poem is that he nevers knows what love is like, but he goes mad. I think only lovers can truly go mad, because love causes the heart to go beyond reason and intellect and do impossible, crazy, illogical things. Love is a big risk, and when it is not returned, the lover is broken, much like a man who climbs a tree and falls from the top, taking a risk and failing. This is when a man goes crazy, not before he has ever loved. Love is the greatest earthquake because it shakes up our world. Because of this, I believe your character did love. He loved the ocean, and he loved the beauty of painting. Therefore, I think your similes, "Except it looks like heaven and tastes like soft rose petals", should be changed to something more personal to him...and less completely cliche. Like, "Except it tasted like warm tea and looked like a wave's embrace". This would explain and connect to the last line, because his life had no love in it, so it is symbolized by cold tea, when all he wanted was warm tea and friendship.

Nice poem. You used the five senses really well, describing the smell of cinnamon, the taste of rose petals, the feel of an iron chair, and now all I want is to bake up some burnt soda bread and drink some tea.

This is a great bit of narrative prose poetry (or that's would I would class it as). You definitely know how to use repetition effectively, in that area there is no need for improvement. I saw in various places where more descriptive words could be used, but on the other hand that may have ruined the flow. Just a miniscule nitpick: I noticed two of your stanzas ended in full stops, and the other two did not. To give your work that proffessional finish make sure you check for little ommisions.

Other than that, this was absolutely perfect! Keep up the good work.

If you would like any more reviews, PM me.

Oh, and welcome to YWS!

Regards
DNX

This is amazing!
You have put so much detail into this, and it's describing a story about A boy, and it's JUST REALLY Good!
I'm actually struggling to write a review, it's just...wow!
You have put as much detail as you can, and it's very well thought out, so give yourself a pat on the back.
It's like any poem, a pleasure to read.
Have you decided what kind of audience your aiming for?
Like an age?
It's really really good, so very well done!!!!!