Poem Analysis -- critically praised but lesser known poet?

Question

How does the poem below foretell the following through its Imagery?  
-the narrator's mental instability
-the author's mental instability
-guilt
-unrequited love
-how does it tie a person and their circumstances to geography

The Ohio (from the book, Breckenridge County Suite)
by Joe Bolton

Seven miles south of anywhere
You'd rather be, it is autumn.
What sweetened shrivels,
What shriveled falls,
And what fell is leaf-rot,
A sick rich scent in the air. 

You are paling, you are bored,
You are zipping up your jacket
And walking into a dynamo
Of twilight and raw wind,
Tossing your hair as a brief bruise
Of pink scores the horizon.

Seven miles north, below the lights
From bars and dance halls
Of small towns, the Ohio swells
With a cargo of barges,
And catfish twist through the bones
Of what never bothered to rise.


** this is not an assignment.  sometimes you come across a work that's lesser know that knocks you over with its imagery.

DonaldM · Accepted Answer

Sounds to me like this is a story about a man who has been hit by a tragedy involving the death of a loved one. for there is only death in deaths wake and none shall pass unscathed. Also it seems that this man has done some soul searching on the Ohio river working for a trash barge as it is that he feels like the trash that is being taken with the river for failing in his duty to prevent said tragedy. of coarse this is speculation as I have not heard of Joe Bolton nor read his work before.

yahoo · Answer

This is very good and it reminds me of growing up in ohio the author definitely lives by the lake and he like I knew winter was on its way because things start dying and on the lake fish smell bad people start going to the bars more and the shippers start trying to get their stuff shipped because in winter it is really  bad in the north and lots of times things shut down electric plays tricks etc. Nobody wants to open the doors yet life goes on. Sounds like to me he is in Cleveland ohio which is where we all wish we could be in the summer but man I don't miss those snow storms for real lol

Anonymous · Answer

This is not a poem ,only some futile jotted words

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Poem Analysis -- critically praised but lesser known poet?

3 Answers