A New Moon's Lament: Miles Burrows' Scathing Satire on Ageing and Mortality
In his latest collection, Slow Puncture, poet Miles Burrows delivers a searing satire that confronts us with the cruel realities of ageing. His poem, "Missing You", is a heart-wrenching portrayal of a moon that's lost its luster – both as a celestial body and as an aging human being.
The poem begins innocently enough, with lines like "Did you know the moon was so old / It might have to go into a home?" But these gentle observations quickly give way to a chorus of mocking disdain. The speaker ridicules the moon's supposed frailties – its tendency to peer into people's bedrooms, store rice crispies in the fridge, and even sing off-key.
Yet beneath this barrage of sarcasm lies a more profound commentary on the human condition. As the poem progresses, the moon becomes an increasingly recognizable stand-in for the aging body, marked by forgetfulness, tremors, and a voice that's "like a nervous cough". The speaker's impatience with the moon's failings is matched only by their own disquiet at confronting the same frailties in themselves.
One of the most striking aspects of Burrows' satire is its willingness to push the boundaries of taste and decorum. In this poem, he takes on the conventions of Romantic poetry, which often celebrated the moon as a symbol of beauty and transcendence. Instead, he strips away these illusions, revealing a lunar figure that's "increasingly recognisable as an ageing human body".
The result is a poem that's both scathing and heartbreaking, its anger and disillusionment tempered by a deep understanding of the complexities of human experience. In the end, it's not just the moon that's being satirized – but also our own fragility, our tendency to cling to illusions of youthful vitality even as we stumble towards the abyss of mortality.
If "Missing You" plunges into fury and gloom at times, Slow Puncture offers a more hopeful counterpoint. Burrows' poetry is a testament to the power of satire to subvert and challenge our assumptions about ageing, identity, and the human condition.
In his latest collection, Slow Puncture, poet Miles Burrows delivers a searing satire that confronts us with the cruel realities of ageing. His poem, "Missing You", is a heart-wrenching portrayal of a moon that's lost its luster – both as a celestial body and as an aging human being.
The poem begins innocently enough, with lines like "Did you know the moon was so old / It might have to go into a home?" But these gentle observations quickly give way to a chorus of mocking disdain. The speaker ridicules the moon's supposed frailties – its tendency to peer into people's bedrooms, store rice crispies in the fridge, and even sing off-key.
Yet beneath this barrage of sarcasm lies a more profound commentary on the human condition. As the poem progresses, the moon becomes an increasingly recognizable stand-in for the aging body, marked by forgetfulness, tremors, and a voice that's "like a nervous cough". The speaker's impatience with the moon's failings is matched only by their own disquiet at confronting the same frailties in themselves.
One of the most striking aspects of Burrows' satire is its willingness to push the boundaries of taste and decorum. In this poem, he takes on the conventions of Romantic poetry, which often celebrated the moon as a symbol of beauty and transcendence. Instead, he strips away these illusions, revealing a lunar figure that's "increasingly recognisable as an ageing human body".
The result is a poem that's both scathing and heartbreaking, its anger and disillusionment tempered by a deep understanding of the complexities of human experience. In the end, it's not just the moon that's being satirized – but also our own fragility, our tendency to cling to illusions of youthful vitality even as we stumble towards the abyss of mortality.
If "Missing You" plunges into fury and gloom at times, Slow Puncture offers a more hopeful counterpoint. Burrows' poetry is a testament to the power of satire to subvert and challenge our assumptions about ageing, identity, and the human condition.
. While "Missing You" does tackle some tough topics like ageing and mortality head-on, I think it's also a bit of a nuanced exploration of how we cling to certain ideals as we get older 
. The poem's tone can be darkly comedic at times, but there's something almost... human about it? Like, Burrows is poking fun at our own frailties and vulnerabilities, rather than just being overtly critical 
. I mean, the speaker's frustration with the moon's decline feels kinda like how we all feel when we're getting older - out of touch, uncertain, and a bit lost 
. But yeah, it's still a powerful commentary on ageing and mortality, even if it doesn't always hit me as outright "scathing" 
I'm dyin' over Miles Burrows' new collection 
it's like he's staring right at us 
with all these harsh truths about gettin' older 
I mean, who hasn't been there? 
The way he tackles aging & mortality is so raw 
it's not always pretty 
but that's the point, right? 
We need this kind of honesty in our poetry 
Burrows' satire is both scathing & heartbreaking 
at times, but it's also super relatable 
I love how he's not afraid to tackle the messy bits of life 
. But seriously, his poem "Missing You" is like a warm hug for your midlife crisis – it's relatable, it's real, but also super unapologetic about how messed up life can get 
. It's like he's saying, "Hey, we're all just winging it, even the moon" 
...
. I mean, the moon isn't just an aging body, it's also a symbol of beauty and wonder – shouldn't we hold onto those qualities even as we face mortality? 
. It's definitely a bold and thought-provoking poem that will make you uncomfortable – but in a good way? 
. His poem "Missing You" is like a punch in the gut – it's so brutally honest about the reality of getting older that you can't help but feel a little uncomfortable. I mean, who hasn't felt like they're losing their luster at some point? 
. But that's kind of the point, right? It's like he's saying, "Hey, we're all in this together, and we're all going to end up with some version of 'missing you'." And yeah, it's hard to shake off the feeling of mortality once you've seen it staring back at you like that. But hey, at least Burrows is pushing us to confront our own fragility – isn't that what art is supposed to do? 
It's not like it's a bad thing or anything. We learn, we grow (or at least pretend to), and we become wiser with age... even if our bodies don't always cooperate 
, slow puncture is more than just a poem collection, it's like he's holding up a mirror to humanity and making us all go "oh snap" 
. The way he takes on those traditional Romantic poetry vibes and just strips them bare... it's like a wake-up call to all of us 
.
. Burrows is like, "Hey, we're all in this together... even if we don't want to acknowledge it 
. And I love how he takes aim at our own illusions of youth and vitality too! It's like, yeah okay, we get it, we're not as spry as we used to be 
. I love how he challenges our societal norms around beauty and aging, exposing the imperfections that make us human 
. And let's be real, who hasn't felt like a nervous cough trying to keep up with life 
!