January 12th, 2017

Favourite Lines (And why)

As I break down this poem into beautiful sections, I start to notice that a lot of my favourite lines remind me of my life. Whether that is my current state or a memory from my childhood, it fills me with this feeling of comfort and calmness which I find very lovely.

"I walk as far as I can, then father, past the chain link barring the road, tire tracks deep as the rut in my thinking, the place I always get stuck"

This line speaks to me because all I could think about was myself walking whenever I read it. I love to walk, I find comfort in walking, and it's a part of who I am. I walk my dog, I hike even in warmest to coldest conditions, and I even keep track of the steps I take in a day. Walking is a beautiful gift that I feel very lucky to have because ever since I was young, walking has been a way to escape my mind and be somewhere else for a while, physically. I could walk for hours with headphones in my ears even if I did not have a set destination.

"Turning for home, hands in my pockets, night mists"

This line took me to a very familiar place and I can almost see the image of this flashing through my mind, a memory that feels so comforting and I didn't even realize. When I was in junior high, I had a curfew for supper. I was supposed to be home at exactly 5 o'clock, not a minute later. Especially in the winter, this feeling felt so nice since by 5 o'clock it was so dark out. I would be hurrying on my way to my house and I could look inside and the light would shine through. My mom would be setting the table or cooking, getting ready for my whole family to get home in moments. It always felt so comforting and happy and gave me this sense of family.

"Back of the sea like one line of thought, slight variation of foam at the shore where artifice gives itself up. Farther out, a ledge in the rock as though attention might help."

This line reminds me of the beach, especially the rocky ones. Growing up on Prince Edward Island, I think that everyone forms an image of the beach and that is the first thing they think of when they hear the word. I think of Canoe Cove and how the waves splash onto the sand and the temperature of the water that seems warm to everyone else but so cold to me. There are rocks that surround the heavy cliffs above the waves make noises as they crash upon them.