POETICS Podcast: Episode 21- "PERFECTIONISM" poem by Nicole Cannon, with Tamarah Rockwood

"Perfectionism" is a powerful, compact poem that explores the paradoxical trap of control and rigidity. Through stark imagery and a steadily narrowing structure, it reveals how the pursuit of flawless order ultimately creates fragility, culminating in an inevitable, transformative shattering.https://bainbridgeisland.press/products/a-woman-in-piecesThe poem traces the journey of perfectionism from the initial desire for control to its devastating conclusion. It begins by identifying the fundamental problem of needing control, then shows how this creates a progressively constricting world. The pivotal moment comes with the assured declaration that "life will break you," followed by the revelation that the protective armor of perfectionism doesn't simply crack but shatters into "one million tiny shards of mirror" - fragments that reflect back the broken self. Get full access to Bainbridge Island Press at bainbridgeislandpress.substack.com/subscribe