Yellow Shirt, Blue Tie

Summary

The poem "Yellow Shirt, Blue Tie" personifies a red toothbrush that reminisces about the narrator's past experiences and relationships through conversations and reflections.

Abstract

In the poem "Yellow Shirt, Blue Tie," the narrator engages in a whimsical dialogue with an anthropomorphized red toothbrush. The toothbrush, acting as a storyteller, recounts tales of travel and companionship with the narrator's yellow shirt and blue tie, revealing a deep connection to the narrator's life and memories. It speaks of a shared journey to Spain, where the clothing items met a lover, suggesting a rich history of experiences. The toothbrush finds joy in being left out after use, symbolizing a longing for attention and relevance. It also reveals its ambition to write a novel about its long life, a life extended by the absence of its owner's use, drawing a parallel to a cat that has miraculously survived a serious accident. The poem weaves a narrative of everyday objects taking on lives of their own, reflecting the emotional resonance of the narrator's personal life.

Opinions

The red toothbrush is portrayed as sentient and conversational, providing a unique perspective on the narrator's daily routine.
The toothbrush cherishes its connection to the narrator's yellow shirt and blue tie, indicating a sense of camaraderie and shared history among the items.
It expresses a desire for recognition and interaction, as seen in its enjoyment when being left out and its decision to write a novel.
The poem suggests that the toothbrush, and by extension other inanimate objects, possess a form of consciousness and memory, which is influenced by their owners' lives.
The narrative implies that the absence of the owner has given these objects a new purpose and extended existence, hinting at a bittersweet reflection on loss and remembrance.

Poem

the red toothbrush lies sideways on the white sink and talks to me whenever I get ready to go out or for bed asks about my day, talks of my affections wanting to know something about me it has never heard before, after you

the red toothbrush says it’s your yellow shirt’s cousin and that they’ve traveled to three countries together and in one of those countries, Spain, Milan to be exact, they were introduced to a lover, also known as the blue tie

the red toothbrush likes it when I leave one of both of them out after taking them off or getting ready to wash them and carrying them around or trying to decide what to wear when one or both could go with my pants anyway the toothbrush lies there calm as can be and doesn’t give itself away

the red toothbrush took me aside and confided it was writing a novel a story of its life and it has a long one because you are not here to use it it is going to live several lifetimes, and write days into years like a cat who’s received word that despite being run over by a truck is alive and well