“Piece” is an interesting title for this poem. Bruce has used “Piece” in other titles; for example, “Sea-Piece” is a short but grandiose poem about the ocean and the life therein. Here I think the title draws attention to the poem as not the actual story of a man, but a poet’s rendering of the story of a man. One can also recognize relevant puns: “peace” (of which the subject of the poem has none) and “piece,” slang for gun.
…
Piece
The prisoner . .
Is restless
—
I do not think
—
He is doing well . . .
—
He said
He feels ill . . . .
—
The court waits
—
His chains bind
—
But . . . . .
—
It
—
Is
—
His mind
—
That
Suffers so.
—
I do
Not want you to
To feel
Sympathy for him.
—
Only recognize
—
The
Prisoner
In
The
Mirror
—
When you
—
Shave
—
This
Morning
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—
Copyright 2008 Bruce MacGibeny. All rights reserved.
