Response: The Difference Between Pepsi and Coke

The first thing I noticed after reading David Lehman's The Difference Between Pepsi and Coke was its appearance. Its presence, and enjambment, is very apparent. It makes you think, why? Is there a specific reason Lehman took the time to create each line the way he did? Was it premeditated or did the pen lead the way?

The poem starts with a very depressing tone. A portrait of a man masked with failure. He feels inadequate, he looks fat in jeans, he cheats, he panics, and he fights. Yet, after the initial "this guy is a mess," reaction there is a ray of light. A sonnets volta, the whole voice of the poem is flip-flopped. While he may fall in certain ways, he gets back up. He compensates and makes up for his imperfections...like any human being. And that is what makes it such a powerful piece. It's real and it's raw. A man beneath his cover.

The line that really resonated with me was:

"give him
a minute with a road map
And he will solve the mystery of bloodshot eyes;"

I've been there, stuck in a car, wondering where to go. Battling the feisty itch of my bloodshot eyes. It was just a powerful line for me. Powerful poem.