avatarCarlo Zeno

Summary

The poem "The Cracks That Separate Us" reflects on a relationship where blindness to each other's flaws initially creates a sense of charm and potential, but ultimately, the unaddressed traumas and societal pressures lead to a mutual, yet unchanged, parting of ways.

Abstract

The poem delves into the complexities of a relationship where the participants are blinded to the inherent incompatibilities and flaws in their early stages. This blindness provides a temporary sanctuary, painting an almost beautiful picture of their union and a hopeful future. However, as time progresses, the reality of their issues becomes undeniable. The perceived love and longing are retrospectively understood as manifestations of deeper trauma and fear. The relationship is depicted as two damaged individuals who, rather than healing, perpetuate their damage onto each other. Despite the initial belief that love could overcome material struggles, the pressures of life lead to humiliation and harassment, symbolized by a vengeful god burning their ideals. The couple ultimately separates, each carrying the same unresolved issues they began with.

Opinions

  • The author suggests that blindness in the early stages of a relationship can be a double-edged sword, providing temporary respite from reality but also preventing the acknowledgment of fundamental incompatibilities.
  • There is a sense of fatalism in the poem, implying that individuals are destined to repeat the traumas of their upbringing in their relationships.
  • The poem conveys a critique of the societal expectations placed on relationships, which can exacerbate existing pressures and lead to the downfall of a once hopeful union.
  • The metaphor of a "vengeful god" reflects the author's view on the relentless nature of reality, which can harshly dismantle romantic ideals.
  • The author seems to believe that people are often drawn to what ultimately harms them, hinting at a tragic aspect of human attraction and connection.

The Cracks That Separate Us

Poem about blindness

Photo by Jerry Wang on Unsplash

We weren’t meant for each other, although we didn’t know it then.

Blindness has its benefits, for a little while.

The dirty little world almost looks beautiful.

The wide open future doesn’t feel like suicide.

We saw each other’s flaws as unique charms.

Your eyes had so much sea in them — green, grey, and lost.

What I mistook as love and longing was trauma and terror.

You were a cracked thing bent on making sure you remained cracked.

You would take the way your parents treated you to the grave with you.

We love most the thing that most secretly kills us.

We thought love might conquer material needs and pressures.

Until the pressure to stay afloat started to humiliate and harass us —

like a vengeful god who refused to be denied, slowly burning our ideals to ash.

We broke up and went our separate ways with the same unfathomable cracks we started with.

© Carlo Zeno 2022

Poetry
Relationships
Trauma
Blindness
Know Thyself Heal Thyself
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