Fwd: Brother I Don't Know

This entry was very sophisticated to me, for an addiction that can seem so basic and detrimental. One thing that I had felt right off the bat was that this story could be very plausible in anyone’s life; an addiction can take over even the best of people. I really like the informal feel that there is to the lines: But you can't keep out of the cabinet/And we're just not haven' it.  I think that “haven’ it” really brings you as the writer into my own mind, and makes you more real in a sense. I did also have a question when reading this entry, which is what do you mean when you say I want to give up/Not think of you over a cup. It was a line that stuck out strongly to me, and thought it could be more powerful if it had more information/context connected to it. I liked how after reading over it a few times, I still don’t know if your “brother” is in rehab, has gone to rehab, or has no experience with it at all. I’m impressed by how you keep some things a mystery!

From a different perspective, I found the poem moving. The story was typical, but the way you expressed the way it makes you feel made it easy to understand. As someone who does not personally know an addict, I understood the way it makes you feel (perhaps as well as someone from the outside can). Further, what made it so strong was that you didn't specifically mention any emotions anywhere. You made me feel what you feel and understand it, but didn't tell me what to feel or how to understand, and that is what makes good writing. I'm very impressed. I disagree with the previous commenter on some counts, most of all in that I feel the story is not what you're trying to tell us. The way I understood this was that you were trying to convey your feelings about your brother and his addiction, using the story as a medium for that. I don't think the details of the story matter because you've given enough information for the reader to really get how you feel.