The Student

[Leanne]

Revised

The vodka bottles line her window ledge
at various stages of emptiness.
A report of some sort clings to each neck
confirming degrees of drunkenness.
She studies alone, the experiments
must be free from external influence.
Last night she finally drank to the dregs
and threw her conclusions up over the bed.
This morning she’s doubting the evidence;
scientific research has gone to her head

Like it, yes, but this is serious critique and a thumbs up simply will not do . I'm delighted by the softness of the rhymes, hung together with almost a sprung rhythm, still with an alternating 4- / 3-feet per line right up until the last few lines where you have 4 in each, which works as a climax except for the last line. There you fall a bit flat, sound-wise, which might be remedied by a word other than "scientific" (it's all wrong-footed). My suggestions would be "empirical" or "methodical". Of course, this is according to my ear, which may be (ok, definitely is) different to yours and just not hearing things the same way.

The poem works on a literal, humourous level but also serves as allegorical. There's a lovely dark edge to it, although perhaps that's just my inner lonesome nerd talking

Thanks very much for the read.