Why I bought you Candles

by xanthan gum

Published June 17, 2007

My impulses bring the relationship
to strobe-light flickers, and your
flares speak, “Who doesn’t love the occasional black out?”
I’m sorry that most of our time is
spent in a web of dead wires,
but isn’t electricity all the more precious
as a free and escaping spark?

I’ll let the pain jump from me to you

Comments & reviews · 7
User avatar
Cade
Review
Cade wrote a review Review · Jun 18, 2007

Ofour wrote:A well written extended metaphor. Simple and effective, but too short to be anything but good.

Everything Gummy writes is a well-written extended metaphor.

I like it. I like it a lot. What I didn't like was the italicized line at the end. I thought it was rather melodramatic and I really disliked the feel of it. There are two ways I might change that:
1) Stick it back up there with the rest of the poem instead of separating it. Put a period at the end. Italics your choice.
2) Put it at the very beginning of the poem, separated, italics your choice. Either put a period at the end or don't capitalize the I. Things that have capitalization but not punctuation always look so bizarre.

Go you.
-Colleen

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whence
Review
whence wrote a review Review · Jun 18, 2007

ah, I do love a good extended metaphor :D

In the instant I noticed that there was another line, italicized and separated, I became extremely wary. A gimmick like that could've ruined the simplicity of this piece. But nay,l you pulled it off well; and it echoes the understated beauty in these images. Work a bit on relatability, read from the reader's POV, etc.

Nice job.
~Ed

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Rydia
Review
Rydia wrote a review Review · Jun 17, 2007

At first, I wasn't sure about this one but then I re-read it and I like it. Your imagery is pleasant and your message is strong. Things are better appreciated when they're not always there and I can see how that would relate to a relationship. You've managed to write a piece of romantic poetry without being cliche or expressing love as perfect so that's another plus.

I found the title very fitting actually and it made me smile to think that you managed to find a pretty good excuse to buy someone candles. Altogether, the poem is well written and I liked it so keep up the good work.

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Emerson
Review
Emerson wrote a review Review · Jun 17, 2007

I love the theme of electricity. I'm curious as to how the title fits in though?

My favorite line was "...in a web of dead wires" the W sound is a good effect.

Very beautiful, it has nice imagery, and though I couldn't really feel much, I related to it, and the imagery and metaphors made up for everything.

The last line makes me think of how electricity travels. Lovely. Keep it up Gummy :-)

User avatar
Ofour
Comment
Ofour commented Comment · Jun 17, 2007

A well written extended metaphor. Simple and effective, but too short to be anything but good.

EnchantressMuffin commented Comment · Jun 17, 2007

Um... what?

I assume this is about a relationship, but I read it four times over and still don't get it. What am I missing??

I apologize for my idiocy.

Peace, love, chocolate.

Muffin



You own everything that happened to you. Tell your stories. If people wanted you to write warmly about them, they should have behaved better.
— Anne Lamott