Inspiration Response to "The Colonel"

The first line of this prose poetry piece, "What you have heard is true. I was in his house" sets the tone for the rest of the poem. This first sentence gives the reader the impression that the Colonel is an infamous man, someone that people wouldn't believe that the author was dining with. The various themes explored in this first-person narrative are haunting - violence, wealth, power - and leave a lasting impression on the reader. I was struck by the straightforward writing, which is powerful in its simplistic telling. There is a certain cadence to it, even in the portions that are purely descriptive telling, and some of the images are rendered beautifully, such as "the moon swung bare on its black cord over the house." The way that the author creates the setting is vivid and clearly portray a foreigner taking in a new place, although almost in a detached tone at points. I felt an urgency in the telling, and read an interview with the author to see if this poem was an actual firsthand account, which it is. I was incredulous about the human ears, yet at the same time I entirely believed that it had happened because of their description as looking like dried peach halves. It was a horrifying image. The piece felt as though the author was writing down descriptions for the sake of remembering the incident, as opposed to crafting it in a way that would be considered poetic, and this came through as an honest and effective way to tell a story through poetry. I often get too caught up in the way that language sounds, and this reminded me that telling things in a straightforward manner can be very powerful.