D.A. Powell

My favorite poem out of those we have read, by a landslide, is [Darling can you kill me: with your mickeymouse pillows]. I firmly believe that all good writing, including good poetry, has universal themes – emotions that the reader can tap into and feel for themselves, because they are part of the human condition. Everyone knows what it is like to be lonely, to experience unrequited love or heartbreak in some way, and yes, most have had periods of ecstatic joy. These are things that, as humans, we have thought about, lived through; they are both what inspire us to get up in the morning, and what sometimes makes it hard to do so. And they are, in my experience, incontestably what inspires us to put words on paper.

I at least have thought about not wanting to die sickly, which is what I think D.A. Powell’s poem is about. I’ve said more times than I can count that I’d rather die young than be crippled at 80, because life is worthwhile, but only when maintaining its zest and quality. That being said, there is a part of me to which Powell’s piece speaks directly. I also really love how he manages to make a serious topic funny, by using words like “mickeymouse pillows” and asking to be killed with an “exhaust pipe and hose”, “bopped on the noggin.” Only a great writer can simultaneously express a genuine concern and a genuine sense of humor; this takes a very strong command of language, and is wonderful when achieved, because it too, reflects human nature, as I think we often try to laugh about the hard stuff.