Interconnection

In Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer’s poem “Yes, That’s When,” the speaker forgets their individual body and connects with the natural phenomena around them. The acts of forgetting and losing one’s individuality may be considered negative in other contexts, but the speaker welcomes these circumstances. Rather than incur loss, the speaker cultivates a higher consciousness. Entering a forest is a gateway to a different awareness that transcends self-interest and mundane daily preoccupations. The speaker collapses the distance between themself and the other entities in the woods. This is reflected through the poem’s language and grammar. Overall, “Yes, That’s When” suggests that unity causes the world to appear more vibrant, intricate, and meaningful.

Though the poem does not use explicitly spiritual terminology, the speaker still insinuates that separation is an illusion. The “when” in the title refers to a state of interconnection. The physical...