Poem: But you Didn’t be Merrill Glass

Remember the time you lent me your car and I dented it?
I thought you’d kill me…
But you didn’t.

Remember the time I forgot to tell you the dance was
formal, and you came in jeans?
I thought you’d hate me…
But you didn’t.

Remember the times I’d flirt with
other boys just to make you jealous, and
you were?
I thought you’d drop me…
But you didn’t.

There were plenty of things you did to put up with me,
to keep me happy, to love me, and there are
so many things I wanted to tell
you when you returned from
Vietnam…
But you didn’t.

Questions:

1. What is the effect of the repetition at the end of each stanza?
2. Were you surprised by the ending of the poem? Did this make more of an impact on you? What do you think the poet is trying to tell us about death?
3. Where do you imagine the poet is when she is writing this poem? Explain.
4. If you had to create a YouTube video for each of the stanza what scenes would you create? Explain your decisions with reference to the text.
5. What is the message that the poet is sending to the readers? Explain your answer.
6. What does this poem teach us about the relationships we have with those we are close to?