A simple poem it may be,but the theme that comes out is automatically impressive and the subject matter only doubles my thirst for broad readership of Lewin’s poems.
When I get out
Im going to ask someone
to touch me
very gently please
and slowly,
I want
to learn again
how life feels.
Iv not been touched
for seven years
for seven years
iv been untouched
out of touch
and iv learnt
to know
the meaning of
untouchable.
Untouched-not quite
I can count the things
that have touched me
one:fists
at the beginning
fierce mad fists
beating beating
till i remember
screaming
don’t touch me
please don’t touch me.
Two;paws
The first four years of paws
every day
patting paws,searching
-arms up,shoes off
legs apart
prodding paws,systematic
heavy,indifferent
probing away
all privacy.
I don’t want fists and paws
i want
to want to be touched
again
and to touch
i want to feel alive
again
i want to feel alive
again
i want to say
when i get out
here I am
please touch me.
The poet has created a persona who expresses his(her)bitterness in accordance with his detention for seven years.He has a burning desire to let go of the chains and shackles,and just relish and wallow in pure freedom.He does this in a way that triggers empathy within me,and I feel like helping the persona to give out that lamentative tone.
The word ‘touch’ dominates the poem as can be clearly seen by the repetition of it in the poem.This,the poet does,to achieve reinforcement of the theme:freedom.The persana says he wants to be touched,meaning he longs for freedom,care and love,a meaning that many could have passed it by,and consequently made wrong conclusions in association with the interpretation of the theme of the poem.
Two human needs clearly speak for themselves,privacy concerns and humanity.The persona suffers exploitation and his privacy is rudely interfered with as depicted by stanzas four and five.,yet these are human rights and any stains of impertinence or recalcitrance with regards to these rights are outlawed and the victims should simply own up but their subjection to severe torture as punishment is mundatory.
This should be a lesson to anyone with ill intentions of deliberately causing harm to others,whether physically,psychologically,spiritually or mentally,as the effects enacted to the victim,will surely be deleterious.
Kihali Says. 