Analysis of A Postcard From Amy

Joe Strickland 1986 (Hobbysville, SC)



Amy, the bibliophile, browses through the stacks
Of the local used bookstore, on a hunt for new tracks
She scours every shelf for hidden gems to find
And perks up at titles that grab her curious mind

She believes in the magic that lingers in books
The essence left by readers, the energy that hooks
And so she only buys used, secondhand, pre-loved
To tap into the power of thoughts gone above

Amy discovers a novel by Ross Elliott one day
A writer she’s never heard of but with a lot to say
As she opens the book, a bookmark falls out
A piece of someone else’s journey, she doesn't doubt

For Amy, bookmarks simply don’t hold much sway
If she forgets where she left off, she’ll just reread the play
But something else caught her eye as she turned the page
A name and address from Yugoslavia, definite traces of an earlier age

The book is about two friends fate brings to meet
But for Amy, this discovery feels like the ultimate treat
The energy of the previous owner hits her as a spark
She picks up a pen, and tries to suppress a little hark

Her hand hovers over the paper as if to hesitate
She’s not sure if an old postcard will cause the address to elate
But the energy coursing through her veins has a different plan
She writes a few lines, and drops it off in a nearby mail can

Amy feels a new thrill she's never known before
A connection to a stranger, a feeling she can't ignore
As she looks back at the novel, she can't help but feel
That this is exactly how the magic of books becomes real.


Scheme AABB CCXX DDEE DDFF GGHH IIJJ KKLL
Poetic Form Quatrain  (86%)
Metre 10011101 101011101111 1101001110111 0111101101001 101001011001 0101110010011 01110111011 110101011101 100100101110011 01011011110111 11100101011 011110101101 11010101111 11011111111101 110110111101 01011010010010111001 01101111111 1110101001101001 0100101001010101 11101011010101 01101001011110 11111111101101 1010010101101001 110110111001111 101011110101 001010100101101 1111101011111 111010101011011
Closest metre Iambic heptameter
Characters 1,514
Words 293
Sentences 1
Stanzas 7
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 28
Letters per line (avg) 42
Words per line (avg) 10
Letters per stanza (avg) 169
Words per stanza (avg) 41
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Written on May 16, 2023

Submitted by JoeStrickland on May 16, 2023

1:29 min read
10

Joe Strickland

I'm just a regular, blue collar, working stiff who took an interest in writing poetry many years ago but until recently I haven't had a desire to share any with anyone or pursue publication. I'm an unpublished fork lift operator by night, and a day drinker by choice. I can be followed on Twitter @JoeStricklandSC more…

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