Haunted by Jellyfish

[Todd]

I like the edit reads. I'm going to focus on interpretation of content here. Here goes:

EDIT 1.17.13

Haunted by jellyfish--Haunted implies something that brings fear or regret, jellyfish could imply someone who is spineless and causes pain. Since the speaker is not the jellyfish, the implication is that something or someone from her past that she identifies as a jellyfish might be in view. Usually people are more painful than things. So, I think a person may be in view.
Slick clogs in the drain--This is an interesting image. We have the sense of a jellyfish from line one and a hair clog or an oil spill. Slick to me implies something that is hard to cling onto, building on the "can't nail down jellyfish image. The person is shifty. The clog in the drain sounds like the actions of this person caused the speaker to be stopped up in some way. Maybe halted by bitterness, regret, hard to say but going from the haunted that's my initial take
Born of spilling saltwater--clever way to imply tears when you tie it to the jellyfish image
And hard raging pain--again the pain of the interaction between the speaker and this person or a sequence of "jellyfish"

Pink stings went unnamed--which is what a jellyfish sting looks like. These are probably the shifting arguments when the speaker takes a lot of crap stoically assuming their to blame.
Mistaken for sane
Save for Harmless and Natural
And Redheaded Jane--These last few lines make me think that the speaker assumed the stings (barbs, issues) were reasonable, normal, would leave nothing lasting. I originally took redheaded jane as blood, but what I wonder is if we're dealing with infidelity from the Jellyfish.

Tentacles linger
Still writhing too near--the after effects threaten to invade the current relationship and life
Ghosts faded from mind
Rattle chains around here--the speaker still reacts to echos of behavior even though it may not really be occurring

We pretend that they’re dead--now there's a we the new relationship
Those specters of fear
Just a pair of size twelves
Can squash them, my dear--the size twelves gives a sense of a new man/relationship who is more solid than the squishy, bending unpredictable past lovers.

I decided to just go for it, and see where it took me.

If I'm far off hopefully it was entertaining.

Best,

Todd

[monablackbird]

Oh yes, highly entertaining! Honestly, I loved reading your interpretations. And I think you're about as close as anyone is going to get to the meaning of this one. Size twelves definitely refers to a man. The fact that only his shoes can do the squashing speaks of the power he doesn't realize he already has. Though the saltwater isn't tears but more specifically male (if you catch my drift) which is why I didn't want to remove the words hard and raging even though they're rather average words. The speaker is basically interpreting the emotional/psychological motivations for the jellyfish-ish behavior.

Thanks for your analysis. I really enjoy the interaction and the intellectualizing of poetry. They're like little word puzzles to create and solve and I just love that.

[Todd]

That was my earlier interpretation of saltwater but then it got all manga...ugly road that.

I agree with you on the solving the puzzle aspect it's one of the things I like about poetry. That's why most emo cutting poetry leaves me cold. I know the person is feeling pain, or despair in some abstract sense but there's nothing layered into the poem to give it any substance.

[monablackbird]

The manga thing still makes me laugh. Though yes, an ugly road. lol.

I know what you mean about the secret cutter stuff. Everyone has pain, right? So it's easier to take interest in someone else's "stuff" when it's presenting in at least a moderately original fashion. Art is like that though, IMO. We tend to want things that make us think a little or see something in a way we've never noticed before. Otherwise it's just the stuff we all deal with day to day anyway.

[Leanne]

Just a quick note to say that I love your editing process -- you've strengthened the poem but kept the bits that were important to you, which shows confidence in yourself as a writer as well as a willingness to learn. Couldn't be more impressed

And thank god for layers. Reading cookie cutter poetry with no depth makes me want to scoop my eyes out with a rusty spoon.

[billy]

the bastard gave you a dose didn't he, i'll kill him.

is it about a pearl necklace?

and a good edit. leanne said what i was going to say but i think it only fair i say i think the same.

[heslopian]

On reading the "1.17.13" edit: This is a poem which feels like it proceeds from a simple concept but takes so many surreal detours that it's impossible to grasp at first. That isn't a criticism, though. After the last verse I'd finally got it, and even if I still don't understand what all the images and metaphors are meant to convey, that's what makes some poems enjoyable. Their mystery Thanks for the read.

[monablackbird]

Thanks so much everyone!

lol @ billy.

Leanne, you've made my week with your comments. I sincerely appreciate the encouragement. I thought for some time about changing those words like you mentioned (because I agree that they're common) but had to trust my gut since I knew they were a hint about the poem's deeper meanings and more relevant than what seemed obvious.

Heslopian: Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for your comments!

Again, thanks to everyone for the help in polishing this one up. I've really enjoyed the process and interaction.