Greetings Joy !

I am currently reviewing as part of the tasks set by the "Game of Thrones" . I especially visited your port to dig your most precious gems then this piece appeared. In this review, I mainly focus on the positives of your piece and I may point some Areas for Improvement if found any. Without much a do, here are the things I noticed after delving deeper into the contents:


"The Palm-Reader Says" offers a scathing look at a fortune-telling experience, leaving the speaker skeptical and yearning for autonomy. The poem unfolds in two parts, dissecting both the encounter itself and the emotional residue it leaves.

The first stanza establishes a sense of detachment and dismissal. The palm-reader's pronouncement is delivered with a flippant "flailing of words," lacking sincerity or effort. The vague pronouncements of good fortune are further undermined by the metaphor of "invisible worlds inside hard rocks," suggesting the speaker finds these predictions fanciful and out of touch with reality.

The second part dives deeper, exploring the speaker's unease and the manipulative undercurrent beneath the palm-reader's seemingly positive phrases. The "distorted gaze" and "scorpion stings" hidden within her words hint at a sense of being misled or targeted. The advice to "hold onto good fortune" takes on a controlling air, symbolized by the image of a "white picket fence." This domestic life feels stifling, particularly with the return of a man who seems emotionally distant ("looks away"). The future the palm-reader predicts feels preordained and unhappy, a half-life devoid of choice.

The poem concludes with a powerful counterpoint: the image of fire-retardant pajamas. These pajamas, splashed with comforting "daisies," represent the speaker's desire for control and self-preservation. Unlike the harsh pronouncements and limitations imposed by the palm-reader, the familiar comfort of the pajamas, "warm, cuddly, trouble-free to wear," symbolizes the speaker's hope to forge her own path. They act as a shield, a way to ignore the negativity and choose a life that feels authentic and fulfilling. Thank you for sharing this. Write on!

Best regards,
Gervic