Ariella Green Week 3: “In the In-Between” by Sierra Demulder

 Ariella Green Week 3: “In the In-Between” by Sierra Demulder

The title of this poem is very thought provoking for me because I too can relate to being in that in-between phase. In some relationships or processes, there is that in between phase where it’s not the beginning, but it’s nearing the end. Whether you are waiting to hear test results, a verdict, or a response from someone. In this phase, you have no idea what to do and you are simply waiting for that stage to end in order to move on to the next one. For example, some of you may have already applied to college and are in that phase where you are waiting to hear whether or not you were accepted. Nothing can happen for you until you hear back from the colleges, so you are stuck in this waiting phase, the in-between. In Demulder’s poem, she expressed that deep down, she and her partner had wanted to stay in that in-between stage where nothing bad or detrimental will happen. Before admitting this to herself, Demulder writes twice in italics that she should “just end it!” because she knew deep down that they had made the right choice to end their relationship. 

In this poem, Demulder is referring to the moment in a relationship where you both know you should no longer be together, but you do not want to admit it yet. Quite a few times in the poem she compares their love to something that you would want to end like a terrible board game that’s being dragged on forever, an animal that was hit that you want to die quickly to put it out of its misery, or when you’re in labor and you just want to have had your baby already. 

The more I read Sierra’s work, the more I love it. She doesn’t use complex words that you’ve never heard of, or analogies that you would not understand. I believe she wants her work to be relatable to everyone and would rather you focus on finding meaning in your own life rather than figuring out what she’s trying to say. 


Comments

  1. Jack YesnerSeptember 19, 2022 at 11:22 AM

    "In the In-Between" is a very impactful poem. Too often we exist in the "In-Between" purgatory state unable to get out of it. Demulder's message, where she left her "In-Between" and improved her life, is a testament to the strength of making a choice. I will be put in a difficult "In-Between" state later this year when I must wait to be accepted to a college and then choose one to attend, though hopefully this will occur hastily and successfully.

    ReplyDelete
  2. BenSeptember 20, 2022 at 5:52 AM

    I really liked this poem because it's more accessible to the general public. Too often, poets use convoluted language and complicated analogies that obscure the meaning for people who do not encounter this type of language on a regular basis.

    ReplyDelete

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