Spliced Wire

Spliced Wire by Jimmy Santiago Baca
“Spliced Wire” is a very intense poem that tells a story of a man loving his wife to the fullest and then it leads to the disappointment of a break up. “Spliced Wire” was written by Jimmy Santiago Baca.   He was born in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Jimmy had a rough childhood. He was on the streets which led to him going to prison for drugs. While in prison he began to write poetry. Electricity is a repeated image used in association with love between two people. Within this poem he says “I filled your house with light. There was warmth in all corners” (Baca, 2009, lines 1-2). These lines elucidate his affection towards her. It shows unity within their relationship. In this poem, the relationship between two people is so deep it can be a symbol of a warm home. He also says “My words I gave you like soft warm toast in early morning.” (Baca, 2009, lines 3-4) This is representing his devotion to her and uses the phrase “soft warm toast in the early morning” to show the wonderful feeling she should feel when he speaks of words about his love for her.
In the third stanza, he wrote “I brought reception clear to you and made the phone ring at your request” (Baca, 2009, Lines 11-12). This symbolizes how he did everything for her and on her demand. Electricity is a symbol of this because electricity flows through phones. This shows he shares every piece of him with her. In the fifth stanza, is when everything starts to go downhill. He says “And then you turned away, wanted a larger mansion. I said no. I left you” (Baca, 2009, Lines 19-20). This resembles her betrayal. She wanted more than what he was giving her. He said no and their relationship fell apart. He then says “The plug pulled out, the house blinked out, into a quiet darkness, swallowing wind, collecting autumn leaves like stamps between its old boards where they stick” (Baca, 2009, Lines 21-24). This is an indication of his disappointment of their break up. It shows his loneliness....