You're Missing by Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen
You're Missing

Shirts in the closet, shoes in the hall
Mama's in the kitchen, baby and all
Everything is everything
Everything is everything
But you're missing

Coffee cups on the counter, jackets on the chair
Papers on the doorstep, you're not there
Everything is everything
Everything is everything
But you're missing

Pictures on the nightstand, TV's on in the den
Your house is waiting, your house is waiting
For you to walk in, for you to walk in
But you're missing, you're missing
You're missing when I shut out the lights
You're missing when I close my eyes
You're missing when I see the sun rise
You're missing

Children are asking if it's alright
Will you be in our arms tonight?

Morning is morning, the evening falls I have
Too much room in my bed, too many phone calls
How's everything, everything?
Everything, everything
You're missing, you're missing

Comment:



Before I read the poem, I did not know it is also a lyrics for a song. The sing version of the poem is much touching than the reading version. Mrs. Patton mentioned that in general the poem is used to sing. According to Michael Meyer, "Although the most widely read verse is found in greeting cars, the most widely heard poetry appears in song lyrics" (367). Mrs. Patton also asked some students you show the lyrics of their favorite songs. Some lyrics works out as a poem, but some do not.

The poem or the song is to commemorate the victims of 911. The poem create a strong atmosphere of  absence of love ones by depicting the scenes and elements from everyday people's life. Be more specific, the arrangement of all the objects and people corresponds to certain places. For example:

Shirts in the closet, shoes in the hall
Mama's in the kitchen, baby and all
Everything is everything
Everything is everything
but you're missing

These lines lead people to visualize the poem. If a thing exists, it must occupy a physical space. We can imagine what a music video the poem could be. When the camera move from place to place, shirts, closet, shes, hall, mother, kitchen, and baby, the last scene stops at a place where the missing person was used to be. This arrangement of the objects and people reinforce the feeling of someone absents. The repetition of the line, "you're missing," also truthfully reflects the sorrowful emotion within people when they lose someone.

When I first read this poem, I did not know it is a poem to commemorate the victims of 911 because of the last two lines of the poem:

God's drifting in heaven, devil's in the mailbox
I got dust on my shoes, nothing but teardrops

I thought it was about a war that young people join combats and never return. "Devil's in the mailbox" tells us the death notification is in the mailbox. However, the only hint which tells people it is about 911 is the word "dust." Because of the great explosion and collapse, the remains of the victims become fragments. In order to identify the victims, running DNA check is necessary. When the test finishes, there will be a latter sending to the family to confirm the death of their love ones.

Finally, I think this poem not only about 911. It also can use to other situations which about missing and losing someone, or even works for romantic purpose.