Apparently Holloway Prison is a women's jail, used for both genders until early 20thC, in London.
I can think of 2 interperetations...
Sounds like the prison in the story is this woman's deafness. Her partner has to fight to keep her stable ('Tune my weaker eye, spit white, hold the world up all day, She's blue in the face again, paracetamol, sleep the darkness all away') and is troubled by the communication barrier ('married by signs'). There seem to be a lot of references to visual stimuli, like maybe she knows that her sight is the only way she can communicate with her partner ('Drinking kitchen paint to dye the winter', 'deaf and dumb with the lights on', watching night come amber', 'blue in the face'). Following it through, it sounds like she loses the fight ('suburban suicide') and he has trouble getting over it ('six months' [unwashed] linen').
The other idea is that maybe she's alone and 'married by signs' suggests that her deafness has led her to lead a lonely life - hence, married to her condition.
Apparently Holloway Prison is a women's jail, used for both genders until early 20thC, in London.
I can think of 2 interperetations...
Sounds like the prison in the story is this woman's deafness. Her partner has to fight to keep her stable ('Tune my weaker eye, spit white, hold the world up all day, She's blue in the face again, paracetamol, sleep the darkness all away') and is troubled by the communication barrier ('married by signs'). There seem to be a lot of references to visual stimuli, like maybe she knows that her sight is the only way she can communicate with her partner ('Drinking kitchen paint to dye the winter', 'deaf and dumb with the lights on', watching night come amber', 'blue in the face'). Following it through, it sounds like she loses the fight ('suburban suicide') and he has trouble getting over it ('six months' [unwashed] linen').
The other idea is that maybe she's alone and 'married by signs' suggests that her deafness has led her to lead a lonely life - hence, married to her condition.