I like how the strength that the exterior world percieves the narrator to hold is contrasted against the "sobbing mess" that the narrator's inner world is comprised of. The narrator seems to view their sympathy and admiration with a well-deserved hostility; no matter how much people tell her or think she is strong it doesn't make the lonely nights seem any shorter. The piece seems to speak of the alienation that is so common in modern civil society; reminiscent of the housewife who paints a smile on to go see the ladies from church, or the man who feigns strength for his familly. The narrator is reeling from a loss and about halfway through the poem a proverbial wall seems to break and an indefinate numbness is exchanged for a sharp, but temporary despondancy. The narrator is in agony by the end section of the poem, but once the tears have dried, the reader can safely presume that the smell of loss wore off on the clothes and that the protagonist of the poem was able to pull herself up: no longer in the depths of mourning and no longer numb from holding back: able for the first time since a loss to look around and realize that she is alive. That's at least what I drew from the piece, though I of course could be completely off. I really like this poem, it's flow is great, themes solid and reads well. The narrator's emotions come through the writing very well, and it is very up-close and personal. Excellent Work!

 Wow, this is a really powerful poem, and I've got to say I actually really enjoyed reading it.

The first stanza did exactly what it was meant to; set the scene and grab the reader's attention, and it definitely did that. It's generally well structured and the short, uneven lines and stanzas fits the tone of this poem.

The only things I didn't like so much was that it seemed repetitive in places. I get the meaning behind repeating some of the things, but some of the stanzas seemed pointless.

I hold it close /God, how I miss you /I will never feel those strong arms /About me again

This is an example: Alone, it's still a powerful stanza but no new information is being given by this. The reader gets the feeling of continuous without having to feel like they're caught in it too.

The last stanza seems a slight disappointment, considering the quality of the previous writing. Particularly:

Death spun the wheel

Is there another way to phrase this, to make it as memorable as the rest?

All in all, thanks for a great, emotional read