Hello, Matt,
Thank you for your close attention and for articulating so many of the possible readings—some of which had crossed my mind, others of which are new and interesting to me.
Your note also reminds me why I’m generally reluctant to explicate my own poems. Too much “explaining” can flatten a poem’s ambiguities and, as you say, encourage a kind of overly linear or logical reading that poetry is often trying to resist. I want each reader to arrive at their own sense of meaning or feeling, even (or especially) when the lines are open to multiple interpretations.
While "insight growing until placed in homes" doesn’t fit my intended logic, "years of blights progressing until placed in homes" does. The "placed in homes" phrase is deliberately open-ended with no direct subject. It doesn't make literal sense for "insight" to be placed in homes, but it does make sense for the speaker's group to end up there.
I've made some small tweaks to help with a clearer reading: the em dash is now a semicolon, essentially starting a new sentence with the subject not directly tied to what precedes it. Also, it's now "our faded nights" instead of "those faded nights," with "our" providing more linkage between the speaker's group and the homes.
Ultimately, though, I’m content to let the language do what it will and let the poem stand as it is, inviting whatever resonance or meaning a reader might find.
Thanks again for your engagement!
Cheers,
…Alex
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