Things I Meant to Say to You When We Were Old

by Merrit Malloy, Stephen R. Sanders (Photographer)

Inspirational verses record the memories and regrets of childhood and past love and the hopes and contentments of present love

Genres: Poetry

132 pages, Paperback

First published April 6, 1977

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dear poets,

THIS is what readers are looking for. Truth. Not your personal, tortured soul bullsh*t version of truth where you're hiding behind a mask of verbiage no one cares to unravel.

The contents of THIS book are still true after over 40 years. I stumbled across Malloy's collection at the library and was drawn in by every line. Takes a lot to get me interested in poetry - let alone a whole collection. I'll be seeking out her other work to see if it holds up to this.

Every poet should do the same with their own work before thrusting it on an already dwindling audience.

[Lorraine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not exactly sure how I acquired this poetry collection; I think a high school friend gave me several volumes of poetry she found at a used bookstore, but I could be wrong. I loved this volume of poetry when I was 14. It's very much about sexual relationships, and the frank discussion of sex outside of marriage seemed revolutionary and important and daring to a girl who was raised in a repressed, Evangelical household.

Unfortunately, it doesn't hold up for me as an adult. First, the book is full of these odd photographs that really don't add anything to the poems. In fact, many times, they actively work against the poetry; like a poem about a serious breakup will be topped with a picture of a dog in sunglasses or something. It's an extremely odd choice that didn't even register with me as a teen but seems bizarre to me now. Second, this isn't really what I'd call poetry now. It's certainly confessional, and it's certainly broken up into lines and stanzas, but there's almost none of the literary hallmarks I've come to think of as characteristic of poetry: word play, imagery, subversion of cliche, juxtaposition of the very different, etc. It's very much in the vein of poetry as diary entry. (Also, the ellipses! So many ellipses! Literally every line of every poem in this collection has at least one set of ellipses.)

Reading this I would get to lines I used to think were so profound and meant so much to me as a kid but are cringeworthy to me now, and experiencing both those emotions simultaneously is an unsettling experience.

Parts of this still speak to me; in one poem, Malloy writes: "How could you just go and die like that? / And leave me here / with all these strangers." That packs a punch. There are other similar places.

On the whole, though, I can only regard this as an interesting artifact that tells me something about my teenage self.

[Hope L. Justice · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection was very messy. The photographs do not add to the poetry, which is lacking in form. The ellipses are too often and lose their power entirely. Some of the poetry is intense, but mostly sound like diary entries. And then there is this monumentally gorgeous and poignant piece:

We never could decide upon a name
Always... he was like a myth
Even as he was coming true...

I still feel him
Restless... round and round
Like a dog circling
To find the right position.

Don’t think I wasn’t grateful
I was...even for the chance
To have a chance
Maybe it was the Tabasco...or

Who knows why a baby breathes
And then deflated into anonymity forever
As though the air was poison...

We’ll never know him
And surely the other children will fill us full
With similar miracles...
But...whoever he was
He was restless
A renegade embryo
Unforgettable
Maybe only to the body that carried him
But...unforgettable
Nevertheless

[Britt Fitts · Rating 3 out of 5]

What is the meaning of life and love when it all hurts,... especially when, sometimes, it hurts really good?
Merrit Malloy published this book of poetry that explores what seems to be her outlook on life in 1977.
Maybe it's because of the difference of times, but I don't love this book, despite my obsession with poetry. There is nothing to dislike about it, I just didn't love it.
°°°°°°°°°°°°°
★★★☆☆
°°°°°°°°°°°°°
"Miracles
Are too Loud
Overwritten
And
Too Short

I don't believe
In Kansas
I've lived too long
In
New York"
-Meritt Malloy, Things I Meant to Say to You When We Were Old
°°°°°°°°°°°°°

[Wendy Fullam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every single one of her poetry books are amazing. Been re reading for over 30 years. Still grabs my heart and squeezes.

[cintia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unforgettable
Maybe only to the body that carried him
But...unforgettable
Nevertheless

[Rachel Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book on sale on a very low price. The book looked old (since it was published 1977) but I was looking for poetry books, so I didn't mind and bought it without scanning through its pages. As the moment I read it, I loved it and was really glad I found it.

[Mrs. Klemach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartfelt, honest poetry.

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

i lost this book in a fire. and i want it back. because it makes me... feel.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

LOVE

[Sue J · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book in my bookshelf. It has been there for any years. Some of the thoughts rang true for me. An interesting read.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Merrit Malloy manages to take simple prose and connect with deep feelings.