By: Cadence Wright

A poem that really impressed me from the 2024 edition of Tributaries was “Growing Pains,” by Meghan Grubb, a piece that depicts a woman ashamed to admit the realities of her life to her younger self. It takes talent to guide readers to acknowledge and reflect upon the changes in their own lives, especially the gradual personality shifts that come with maturation. Grubb accomplishes this with her clever phrasings and metaphors. To say “a quarter century,” rather than referencing a specific younger version of herself, shows true creative ingenuity, as does the usage of the question, “When was the last time you sang?” to encompass all aspects of youthful joy and the way it is lost to time. These clever phrasings convey complex ideas in an original manner that keeps the reader thinking long after the poem has ended. I love the subtle slant rhymes which create a very steady rhythm within the piece and allow it to be read aloud beautifully. By using slant rhymes, the often-forced nature of true rhymes is avoided, and the poem is able to maintain a serene tone containing only the content needed to elicit the nostalgia of readers. The details are introspective and vivid. Still, we can all relate to the fear of disappointing our younger selves, and the graceful style with which Grubb illuminates this topic is what makes it a favorite poem of mine.

Growing Pains

MEGHAN GRUBB

One day I looked up and a quarter century

sat at the kitchen table across from me.

She asked, “How have you been?”

though she knew the bruises hidden within.

I told her I still hear the voice of my father,

how it stings to be a parentless daughter.

I showed her the bills from how often

I frequent my therapist’s office.

I said that I’d forgotten the rules

to the spelling game I used to play in school.

She extended a hand to smooth my bangs

and whispered, “When was the last time you sang?”

I said, “I can’t remember,”

and bowed my head so as not to offend her.