TBT: A Good Piece of Literature

A myriad of colors, hundreds of shades;

layers and levels, carefully laid.

Chosen specifically is every part.

It is deep, insightful, and abstract art.

At the first, only the obvious is seen,

the inner workings almost like a machine.

By a practiced mind it is steadily peeled.

Then, and only then, all is revealed.

It can change a mind and it can change a heart.

A domino effect it can start.

Pick it up and you shall see

all of the things that it can be.

Background:

Another poem from my last year of middle school - I imagine that we were in the middle of some sort of literary analysis at the time and that spurred this piece.

I love literary analysis! I haven’t written any papers in recent years, but rereading this makes me want to. Digging through quotes, finding imagery and foreshadowing, tracing character arcs - ahh, all the lovely patterns!

I recently said something to my mom about cute aggression (where someone gets hyper-excited about some cute thing or person and just can’t keep from expressing that aloud) and how I think I also have… competence aggression? I don’t know what to call it. When I see something really, reeeeeally well done, I often make what I can only call a stank face, followed by strongly punctuated commentary. It doesn’t matter if I’m by myself, I’ll say it even more in that case. “Oooo, that wording!” “That harmony!”

Do you have cute aggression? Competence aggression? Both, like me?

And what is something you have read that was so well-written it made you figuratively step back and go, “WooooOOooow! Look at you go!”?

Wishing you goodness without end,

Jess