Anna Swir Blog: I Say to My Body: You Carcass

In this poem, Swir appears to be made at her own body as she refers to it as a "carcass." However, I think the anger is deeper than her physical body. Late in the poem, Swir says, "You are afraid of pain and hunger, you are afraid of the abyss." In my opinion, this quote defines the entire poem. Swir is not mad at her physical body, she is mad at the fact that she is afraid to take chances, which is seen in her quote, "you are afraid of the abyss." She calls herself a carcass for not having the willingness to be her own person. In fact, Swir goes a step further to say, "You, deaf, blind carcass-I say and I spit at the mirror." In this quote, I felt that Swir was using the term blind to signify that she had been blinded by societies norms. This thought was furthered by the word "mirror." She is a mirror of society, an exact replication, which is why she is frustrated with herself.