An old song covered by Janis Joplin goes, “Summertime and
the living is easy,” which might on the surface cover the meaning of the poem
she posted today, superficially light hearted, although still continuing the
themes of those poems she posted since the incident at the bar.
There is a hint of “look what you could have had,” in this, as
well as the need as she put it “to shake the dust free” and plan for “bouts of sunbaked
revelry.”
As in the last poem, she makes clear by use of the office as
a backdrop as meaning me, and there is a thread of sexuality and impishness in
tearing through the place shedding extra clothing,” seeking to forget those
people who don’t fit in with her visions or dreams.
This is romping out of doors in the sunlight is brilliantly
contracted to those who do not “vacation,” and spend our time in empty
playgrounds swinging on a rusted swing, watching those like her who are enjoying
themselves.
She implies my jealousy and envy over the joyful, playful
life she leads, and by default, implies a certain bitterness at her over it,
because I can’t or won’t have it, because I spend my life in a miserable empty
landscape, just a boring old man lusting after what I can’t have.
What makes the poem work is its ability to maintain a light-hearted
air while conveying a deadly serious meaning, building again on the last lines
of her previous poem about not being worthy of having her in the first place.
While not as loud as her previous poems, the light hearted
tone gives a biting edge to the rage, and the contrast makes the message more
painful, possibly because ultimately, her vision as a poet and artist, allows
her to see an essential truth. Instead of a punch to the face or a stab to the
heart, this poem mocks playfully, as she goes out to play.
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