Summary
The poem "Narrative of Necessity" by Samantha Lazar reflects on fragments of a life, including a silver briefcase, cryptic pass-codes, and a deed to a Chicago cemetery, symbolizing unopened stories and a reality the owner chose to ignore.
Abstract
The poem "Narrative of Necessity" presents a collection of tangible items that serve as metaphors for a person's life experiences and secrets. These items, which include a silver briefcase, handwritten notes, a cemetery deed, and a set of keys, are depicted as relics holding stories that the narrator is both drawn to and wishes to leave untold. The briefcase, stored away and unopened, signifies a past that no longer demands attention. The handwriting, compared to a printing press, suggests a forceful attempt to maintain control over a trembling hand, possibly indicating emotional turmoil or age. The deed to a Chicago cemetery plot, with its uncertain status of being sold or not, represents a disinterest in the finality of reality. The keys, which do not unlock the desired stories, hint at the narrator's resignation to the mysteries of the past. The poem concludes with an acknowledgment of the prompt provided by J.D. Harms, suggesting that the piece is a response to a creative challenge.
Opinions
- The narrator feels a disconnect from the past, as evidenced by the silver briefcase that remains untouched in storage.
- There is a sense of frustration or futility in trying to decipher the past, as indicated by the "fragments of pass-codes" and the "printing press by the force of trying to stop a shaking hand."
- The old deed to a Chicago cemetery symbolizes a detachment from the finality of life and death, as the narrator does not seek to clarify the status of the plots.
- The collection of keys that fail to open any story suggests a metaphorical inability to access or understand the full narrative of the past.
- The narrator expresses a desire to move beyond these fragments, indicating a readiness to let go of the need to understand or retell these stories.
