Why We Chose It: "{r i'lernin}” by Esther Liew

Written by Catherine Hsu

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Photo by Catherine Hsu

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I chose to write about "{r i'lernin}” by Esther Liew, a poem in the "Stories + Voices Zine" Inscape Chapbook Series No. 4 for the Summer 2019 issue.

This summer's issue overall highlights on inner voice of the writer expressing their own experiences. She talks to her audience through the poem, especially when she asks the question, "Do you believe in love?". She uses When I first read Liew's poem, her title caught my eye due to its spelling and use of the word "relearning". I thought about the way the "i" was spaced out from the rest of the word and how it represented herself as first person. Therefore this gave it a sense of self importance and somehow by the title itself, I felt this poem was going to be about self-care or self-love.

Upon reading the poem at first glance, I was under the notion that her idea of love was found through oneself rather than relying upon others or possibly a materialistic view. She also was articulating her voice while also interacting with the audience by asking, "Do you believe in love through healing". I kept getting this feeling that she was trying to send out a message to people who has gone through their own sense of pain. In a way, the message is like a type of reassurance, that in time, things heal and so will they.  

I feel the main reason this poem was accepted was purely for how relatable it is to the general audience. It was through the pain of another person and the healing of oneself that connects so well to the audience.  

                           Surely easier to whisper "a merry heart does good like a medicine,"

The way Liew describes self-healing through the metaphor of washing the heart "as in to wash and disinfect the wind, get rid of all dirt or debris from your heart" describes how important it is to recognize that when we are mentally in pain, we should treat out emotions like our physical wounds. It reminds us that we are only human and some days we can't just simply carry on with our lives in a daily expense. We need a day off for ourselves and to find our purpose or center again.

We just take care of it like "a merry heart does good like medicine." In addition, healing should not have a time limit or minimum, nor a plan to follow upon. Sometimes the idea of self-healing comes naturally on unexpected days in need. The main point is to accept that you are in need of healing and to take the steps in quality to get better rather than how fast or in what quantity.

In many ways, it reminds me of how I too remind myself that everything I do never matters in quantity but always quality and how well I did it. During hard times, I would step back and stop what I'm doing to see if it is really worth all the expense of my efforts. Helping others seem to take part in Liew's main idea as she closes her poem with "I promise to keep reminding you from the first day of sunrise until it decides to commit suicide." This specific quote really touches more so on people who are struggling. When she says, "but I won't let your broken spirit dry my bones. I promise to stay even after all the "leave me alone's".", it is directed to those who would be more than willing to go beyond what most people could expense on for their patience. It describes those helping hands who reach farther than others, never letting go no matter how hard times get. 

In a logical perspective, this may seem impossible for a sunrise to never rise or to "commit suicide," but as a figure of speech, it is translated as a promise to whom it concerns. The promise that they would never be left alone or abandoned and would be reminded so whenever necessary.

I feel like Inscape really wanted a piece that held some kind of motivational quote. Through careful analyzations, I believe this issue was meant to focus on self-voice or inner voice. I feel that it touches base with the writer themselves as they can write more personally but at the same time directed toward a general audience. Inscape seem to want the audience to be related towards the writers deepest emotions and experiences. 

If you would like to read further about similar works like this, you may click here.

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Catherine Hsu is an English major hoping to find a successful career in the editor field. Through taking PCC's Inscape magazine course will she hope to gain some knowledge and experience in this.