Poem Review: Difficult for me
The poem in Difficult for me is a quietly powerful meditation on emotional paralysis, distance, and the silent weight of unspoken connection. Rooted in everyday experiences and internal conflict, its strength lies in the delicate, almost hesitant way it unfolds — mirroring the uncertainty and vulnerability of the narrator’s inner world.
The opening stanza sets the tone with intimate introspection: “I imagine / what it would be / like if we / were talking / to each other.” These simple, fragmented lines carry deep emotional charge, conveying a yearning for connection that remains stifled by fear or hesitation. The rhythm of the language, like thoughts forming and dissolving midstream, echoes the song’s likely ambient or minimalistic electronic textures, enhancing the emotional pull without needing to overstate.
A key theme is the tension between clarity and confusion. The narrator admits, “Everything is / actually clear. / What is holding me,” — a moment that feels both painfully honest and universally relatable. The question lingers unresolved, like the emotional stasis it describes.
The imagery of movement — “paths,” “direction,” “drive by sight” — subtly contrasts with a sense of inertia. The speaker is in motion, but not progressing. It’s a beautiful metaphor for emotional stuckness: going through the motions of life without feeling aligned or seen.
Perhaps the most striking moment comes in the closing lines:
“The safer the distance seems,
the more I feel
safe and lonely
at the same time.”
Here, the paradox of emotional self-protection is distilled with clarity and grace. The desire to stay “unnoticed” and keep thoughts “unspoken” becomes both a shield and a prison.
As a lyrical companion to electronic music, this poem does what great lyricism often aspires to: it deepens the listening experience by grounding abstract sounds in raw human emotion. It’s minimal but resonant, introspective without being indulgent — a poetic voice that doesn’t scream, but lingers.
