levelheaded: ugly mattress

 

The first word of the first line of Zachary M Hodson’s “ugly mattress” is the poem’s engine. Off the bat, as readers we are thrust into a world of possibility rather than a world of actuality. Mattresses can’t panhandle, but if they could…

 

The poem’s ridiculous premise allows Hodson incredible freedom. If mattresses could ask for change, we might respond (“man, that is one ugly mattress”), and our response might lead us to imagine what a mattress might in turn think about us. Interestingly, the speaker’s take on the mattress also offers a judgement of humankind (“man, that is one ugly mattress”).

 

Silly as it is to identify oneself with a mattress, the speaker and readers may have felt others “can’t help,” that they “don’t care ” and “have never lived a day in” our shoes. By making such a ridiculous comparison though, Hodson keeps the poem from  feeling too precious. The poem’s humor keeps us engaged, and subtly, helps us let down our guard.

 

Proper nouns like “north carolina,” “explorer” and “nissan,” along with very specific hypothetical situations that arise (“they are just going to sell its springs for scrap,” “whistlin’ dixie while dumping me via text”) add to the comedy. These moments also make the absurd possibilities seem more real. When the mattress criticizes the speaker, the speaker’s insecurities are laid bare.

 

It’s funny to imagine a guy being insulted by a bed cushion. However, when we land on the last line (“i wonder what i’ll be someday”), the speaker is extremely vulnerable. The joke’s not that funny anymore. This dude imagines a talking mattress and even the mattress thinks he’s a fat weirdo. At the poem’s close, Hodson causes us to consider our shortcomings in the face of an uncertain future.

 

 

– The Editors