Furniture

You had a way
of turning down the lamp
by half-degrees—
so slow I thought my eyes were failing.

Then you’d ask,
with soft concern,
why I insisted
on sitting in the dark.

When I bruised my knees
against the table,
you’d pull me close
and sigh about how clumsy
I’d been since the day we met.

It took years to notice
the floor was clear
until you stepped
into the room.

It took years to learn
you only moved the furniture
to give yourself something
to save me from.

I don’t carry anger now.
Anger takes up space
where caution needs to live.

I just test the floor
three times
before I trust
an empty room.

This poem won the Monthly Poetry Prize for October! Here are some of journal editor Rob Taylor's thoughts on the poem:

It took me far more years than it has taken Manny Mei to learn the power of simplicity in poetry. Here we have a form of black box theatre: two characters, one room, some furniture, and, most importantly, shadows. "Furniture" is a poem of shadows. It grounds us in a physical world of simple objects and simple, if sinister, actions. It creates a space we as readers can move around in, cautiously, just as its speaker does, allowing us to explore a complexity of feelings. While other poems seek to dazzle visually or sonically, this is the kind of quiet poem that haunts you. I will be thinking about that "empty" room for quite some time.

Image of a girl's face. She has dark hair and is wearing large round glasses.

Manny Mei

Grade: 11 / Sec. V
Havergal College
Toronto, ON

“One day, you might meet someone who will always make you upset or make something difficult over a period of time just so you won’t notice the difference until you’re about to explode. They will be able to resolve whatever was making you upset just before your breaking point to make you stay. They will fill up your space until you get hurt, but they will always be there to make the problems they caused go away to finally give you relief. You really can’t judge a book by its cover. Read into it. Listen to others with experience. Remember to prioritize yourself and your wellbeing no matter who it is.”

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