T. Clear has shown that not all “COVID poems” have to be self indulgent slogfests of victim-in-verse and vexing political gobbledygook. The concept of “Autobiography” is simple enough, but it’s the execution that sets this poem apart from its peers. Instead of a tottering mess of adolescent melodrama that bumbles on about anxieties and bellyaches, “Autobiography” is vibrant, jouncy, whimsical and alliterative. The evocative and absurd images swerve around seriousness and cruise on in sharp turns of phrase and light self deprecation. It’s a lot less exhausting to go out when one doesn’t have to worry about their appearance: it’s as simple as that. This poem is a perfect example of a straightforward idea elevated to art through flawless composition.
A Short Autobiography of a Mouth
