Both Portraits
Despite its coherent structure, this poem is written in free verse. It is an amalgam of a few writing styles. It is interesting to note that the woman in this is a passive figure. She is mentioned as a portrait, in his memory and as a mannequin. In each of the cases, she has a passive presence. She hence creates a secondary role for herself. Despite the fact that it seems like the poem is all about her, she seems peripheralized in a sense. She has no voice. Her only presence is felt through the words of the speaker of the poem, who is male.
Taking a more direct look at the poem, we realize that the narrator is contemplating the complexities of human ties in her absence. He ponders upon the idea of loss as he waits for her to come back. Loss and hope come up in the second stanza, but they soon vanish, as he realizes that all is in vain. He also understands what letting go means through this attachment he has for this woman. He finally decides to move on, something he executes by removing the portrait.
From this poem, it is clear that the writing style of the poet is not too blunt, or overtly raw. He has a rather refined way of writing. Once the reader looks through his poems, certain quotidian themes come to the fore, making his poetry rather accessible. He mentions that in the speaker's memory, the woman poses like a mannequin, perhaps suggesting that she would try to seduce him at some level. However, in the present, she is no longer there, and he is left to grapple with the pain of the loss.
Inspiration
Few writers have resisted the charm of writing about the art of writing. In this particular poem, In this poem, the poet begins by describing an owl feather that he came across on a walk one day as he was following a coyote. He first intricately describes the feather, and then beautifully draws a connection between the feather writing. He says that it is "almost the colour of parchment", perhaps trying to bring out certain commonalities between the two. He extensively talks about the "feather of a great barred owl", perhaps trying to glorify nature in a sense.
From this point on, the poet's writing becomes suggestive. He suggests certain possibilities. "You could say" that scribbles mean "rows of silhouettes in flight". The author hence eloquently draws parallels between a feather and the art of writing. There are subtle connections that have been made in this poem that link the feather to the art of writing. The "quill", the "lesson" and the "scribbles" are somehow intimately related to the feather in some way.
Your Life as Found in a Toolbox
In this particular poem, the poet talks about the toolbox as a microcosm of the world, of everything that holds life. He says, "Everything necessary to maintain/every foundation ever built so far/ is found simply by fondling the latch", perhaps attempting to say that everything needed to fix the realities of life can be found in a toolbox. To him, it is as "easy as recalling a less-than-fond past". Here, he draws parallels between memories and opening the toolbox. Perhaps the act of recalling the past can be painful but necessary. He also talks about a measuring tape that "used to measure what used to matter". This can have multiple connotations. Perhaps it is a comment on the futility of human fixation on things that often end up not mattering in the end.
"a claw hammer meant to hammer
whatever it can to your expectations
then claw them apart on second thought;"
The above lines are perhaps the most important in the poem. They talk about the dual acts of creation and destruction, and how easy destruction and be to the destroyer.
