for a laugh? Anyone opened their wrists
with a blade in the bath? Those in the dark
at the back, listen hard. Those at the front
in the know, those of us who have, hands up,
let's show that inch of lacerated skin
between the forearm and the fist. Let's tell it
like it is: strong drink, a crimson tidemark
round the tub, a yard of lint, white towels
washed a dozen times, still pink. Tough luck.
A passion then for watches, bangles, cuffs.
A likely story: you were lashed by brambles
picking berries from the woods. Come clean, come good,
repeat with me the punch line 'Just like blood'
when those at the back rush forward to say
how a little love goes a long long long way.
Critically speaking, I can't say for certain that this is Simon Armitage's best poem. However, it is undoubtedly my favourite. It is about self harm and suicide, and I'm unsure whether the poet has battled with these things himself, but the brilliance with which he touches upon the subject to evoke such strong emotions from the reader certainly suggests a personal understanding of the issue by him. Armitage uses "those at the back" to symbolise people who are oblivious or unaffected by self injury and suicide, and "those at the front" to mean people who are or have been affected by these things. He both encourages the people "at the back" to show compassion and love, and cutters to "come clean" (both with themselves and those around them), and to head forward into recovery.
There is definitely a lot of sarcasm in this poem, emphasised by the way it is written in the style of a comedian performing on stage to a crowd or perhaps a motivational speaker. Armitage doesn't always use the most considerate language; "A likely story", "Tough luck.", which may seem shocking considering the subject, but this, for me, adds to the greatness of the poem. It's like his snide remarks are the inner monologue of the victims of self harm or suicide, continually dragging them down further.
I particularly like the line: "white towels washed a dozen times, still pink.". It shows how someone who has attempted suicide in the past has tried to wash their blood-stained towel "a dozen times", as if to wash away the reminder of such a dark time in their life, but the stain doesn't go despite their determination - it only ever fades to pink. This symbolises how that dark time in someone's life will never be completely forgotten by them, no matter how much the memory may fade, and it lingers like a demon.
Posted by Sapphira