< in the doll house >

[just mercedes]

I like the use of white space in your poem, echoing the image that accompanies it. Within the poem, the word 'the' appears often - along with 'that' and 'that's', which for me are weaknesses. Empty-of-meaning filler words stand out in such a sparse work. They add nothing to the circling thoughts. I really like the sound you've added, though. The 'bark' becomes the insistence of the world outside.