“The Thing About Feathers” is a beautifully crafted poem written by Megan McFarland. The narrator must deal with the increasing weight of her feathers, and she blames her suffering on maintaining her hope. However, this burden turns into a blessing as her feathers finally become strong enough to support her as she flies. The author used the feathers to represent how one must struggle before they succeed, as the narrator grappled with her problems before soaring away.
     I found this poem buried in the poetry section of the September edition, where it mostly blended in with the other poems. The reason I found this particular poem enticing is because it describes the importance of suffering. Struggling makes the reward at the end that much sweeter. The lines that drew me in were, “… and allow her eyes, / normally dulled in womanhood, / to shine up at the sky again…” These lines were what I caught in my first glance at the poem. They intrigued me, and I wondered what had reignited this woman’s eyes. It turned out to be the reward she had got after working hard and pressing on.
     “The Thing About Feathers” is an elegant poem that used symbolism to portray the importance of struggling and perseverance.