Embrace:>Billy Collins

Embrace
You know the parlor trick.
wrap your arms around your own body
and from the back it looks like someone is embracing you
her hands grasping your shirt
her fingernails teasing your neck
from the front it is another story
you never looked so alone your crossed elbows and screwy grin
you could be waiting for a tailor
to fit you with a straight jacket
one that would hold you really tight. ---Billy Collins-

The voice in Billy Collins "Embrace" poem to me seems to be rather humorous at first. Then turns to a more cynical voice. The poem itself is really interesting. The action of wrapping your arms around yourself to pretend you are being kissed by someone, from the back this is obvious. Then from the view in front it is nothing but one person hugging themselves. This image is great, becuase in a way the poem is like what you see for face value and your first impressions. "wrap your arms around your own body and from the back it looks like someone is embracing you".Then the next view is the truth. " you never looked so alone your crossed elbows and screwy grin". Something many people like to hide. My favorite lines are" you could be waiting for a tailor to fit you with a straight jacket one that would hold you really tight".