Bubble
Anonymous
Poetry
Skin, still young,
Hangs wrinkled from your bone
Eyes without expression,
Stare huge,
Lost in a translucent face.
Tiny clothes,
Dwarfing a withered body
You stand beside us,
Lost amongst friends.
Hangs wrinkled from your bone
Eyes without expression,
Stare huge,
Lost in a translucent face.
Tiny clothes,
Dwarfing a withered body
You stand beside us,
Lost amongst friends.
Retreating to your bubble,
You don’t see me
Gently reaching,
Then clutching, grabbing.
A fruitless effort
You slip through my fingers.
My words trail after you,
Fluttering, mutating,
They reach you
As all you see, hear, feel;
Distortions
It was difficult at first to try and put what I saw and felt about a friend with anorexia into words. After a while it seemed easier, and I think I could have written more. It was strange to bring the situation back and think about it, as for a long time it has been a subject not spoken about.
Whole Person Care – Year One
As a recovered Anorexic, this poem proves a very poignant point – an eating disorder makes you become socially isolated from both family and friends. You presume everyone is an enemy, out to get you and as the poem perfectly points out, you don’t see that people are trying to reach out and help you. A low self-esteem. A devil that is consuming you. A loss of control. A desire to be perfect. Dominating thoughts. These all are emotional factors experienced by the majority of anorexics and these feelings are expressed through the saddening and depressing tone on the poem.
I think this poem effectively portrays what it is like to be close to someone with Anorexia. It captures the way in which the illness creates a divide between the sufferer and their loved ones. The phrase “you slip through my fingers, my words trail after you” stands out the most to me. It’s indicative of how person be so utterly consumed by the illness that it feels as if the words you are saying can’t seem to reach them. This creates feelings of frustration. I think this work also reflects how being close to someone can make you feel helpless, especially through the use of commas and many breaks in this sentence, creating a lack of direction. Overall, I think this work is delicate and beautifully done.
As someone who has had people very close to them suffer with anorexia this poem resonated with me in many ways. For me it captures well the conflict in emotions you feel as the ‘bystander’ to this situation. The shock of the physical changes; the hurt and confusion that come with realising the person you know and love has changed; the helplessness of being able to do nothing; and the very strange bitterness you feel for having to go through this situation and the way if effects you. The phrase ‘Lost amongst friends’ I think is very powerful as it describes the feeling of disconnect and the all consuming nature of the illness. I think this poem powerfully captures not only the feelings of the person who suffers from anorexia themselves but also the emotions that tear through the people that have to watch it all happen.