Unwritten.

There was a time

I was certain

the stars and moon

the sun and clouds

were just above you.

All you had to sweat

was about was tip toeing

not to just touch

but to grab them.

I did not see

it were the thunders

blizzards and hurricanes

 that you're willing to keep.

And in your flood

I was gasping for light

I kicked the earth

but nothing

helped me to surface.

Alas, you're reaching for the sun

blowing away the mud

picking me out from my death

alas, you are what

I've known you to be.

Preface to a Twenty Volume Suicide Note, Amiri Baraka

Lately, I've become accustomed to the way

the ground opens up and envelops me

each time I go out to walk the dog.

Or the broad-edged silly music the wind

makes me when I run for a bus...

Things have come to that.

And now, each night I count the stars,

and each night I get the same number.

And when they will not come to be counted,

I count the holes they leave.

Nobody sings anymore.

And then last night, I tiptoed up

to my daughter's room and heard her

talking to someone, and when I opened

the door, there was no one there...

only she on her knees, peeking into

Her own clasped hands.

***

image taken from http://antaryamin.wordpress.com/category/satsang/page/2/

Exploration of the Text. 

1. What is the mood of the speaker in the opening lines? What images suggest his feelings?

- The speaker has lose his interest to continue living, thus making his mood melancholic. Such can be proven when he said he's been accustomed to the wind blowing that it no longer excites him.

2. What is the significance of the daughter's gesture of peeking into "her own clasped hands"?

- His daughter peeking into her own clasped hands suggests that her faith in God is still strong and believes in Him, inadvertently telling the speaker to not give up on life.

3. What does the title mean? How does it explain the closing line?

- "Preface" suggests that this poem is one of many more, perhaps in a book containing notes regarding suicide. "Her own clasped hands" shows that we can always make a difference in our life, it leads back to ourselves. Suicide is done by one's own choice and the decision to "clasped hands" is when one has decided to not give up on oneself.

4. Why does Baraka have three short lines, separated as stanzas? How do they convey the message of the poem?

- The first line, "things have come to that" and the second line "nobody sings anymore" are to emphasize the stanzas before whereby the speaker is telling us that he indeed has become "accustomed" to life that none of its element is moving him. The third line, "her own clasped hands" is turning the poem into a new direction by showing us that the young and innocent daughter of his still has beliefs and is doing something (praying) to keep her life.

5. Why does Baraka begin stanzas with "Lately," "And now," and "And then"? What do these transition words accomplish?

- The transition words shows that the speaker's thoughts, emotions and opinions have been first emphasized then shifted as he witnesses his daughter praying.

6. How does the speaker feel about his daughter? What does she represent to him?

-  With the way the speaker talks about his daughter, she is a symbol of hope and faith. She is also could be the reason why the speaker has yet to take his own life.

Incident, Countee Cullen.

Once riding in old Baltimore,   

   Heart-filled, head-filled with glee,   

I saw a Baltimorean

   Keep looking straight at me.

Now I was eight and very small,

   And he was no whit bigger,

And so I smiled, but he poked out

   His tongue, and called me, “Nigger.”

I saw the whole of Baltimore

   From May until December;

Of all the things that happened there

   That’s all that I remember.

***

image taken from http://starvingcreatives.wordpress.com/2013/04/11/racism-journalism-a-country-not-at-peace/

Exploration of the Text

1. What is the nature of the interaction between the two boys?

The persona's childish innocence of his "heart-filled, head-filled with glee" and smiling at a presumably a white boy was muted when the Baltimorean patronised the persona when "he poked out his tongue" and called the persona a nigger.

  

2. Why does the speaker remember nothing more than the incident, even though he stayed in 

Baltimore from “May until December”?

The persona's conscience was shook when the Baltimorean, who was "no whit bigger" highlights the persona's social inferiority in the community.

The Reading/Writing Connection

1. In a paragraph compare your experience of prejudice with the persona in the poem.

Fortunately for me, I went to an all girls school that welcomed all races and that encouraged me to have good relationships with my fellow schoolmates. Having Chinese blood flowing in me and living in a Chinese community, I have always respected them. It was only after I graduated from high school and continuing my studies in IPTA's that showed me racism still exists even in this century. The boy I was dating had a strong opinion towards Chinese and it made me feel upset. He was stereotyping other races without getting to know them first- which is unfair and anyone of any race would feel challenged when been done so. 

Ideas for Writing

1. What do its form and rhyme add to this poem?

The inconsistent rhythm shows that the poet is stressing on the events rather on the word choice.

2. What is the power of language? What are the effects of the use of the term nigger?

Languages is like an open door to endless possibilities and because of that one needs to mind the words used when dealing with another. When most people think that mastering languages other than your own mother tongue, others see it as a threat and betrayal towards their ancestry. Regarding this poem, that is how the whites feel for the Africans or African-Americans, a threat and they used the word "nigger" to express their disapproval of their presence. Although it brings the meaning of "black", it is understood to be an insult in the United States. 

The usage of "nigger" could cause fights against races, social discrimination, political and economical issues in a country which is there are NGO's fighting for the rights of the oppresses and against racism in general.

To The End.

This poem that I composed was inspired by "All Things Not Considered", written by Naomi Shihab Nye. I choose to share from a soldier's point of view because I believe that not all of them are cold-hearted as we were told. They might have been pressured by their superiors to carry out missions that they themselves are going through a war within themselves for murdering innocent people.

It is entitled To The End because the persona might not get the chance to leave the army and for that he is stuck in a situation whereby not only innocent people are dying, his soul as well. If he is able to get out from the army, he would have the difficulties in forgiving himself or to move forward with his life and thus ending his sanity. War is never a win-win situation, it is suicidal.

The gunshots have become my heartbeat

but I did not sign up for this.

The screams have become my song

but I did not sign up for this.

The cryings have become my lullaby

but I did not sign up for this.

The corpses have become my companion

but I did not sign up for this.

"In the system we trust."

With every beg for mercy

I stab my own sanity.

With every blood dripping

I choke my own throat.

With every eye dimmed

I curse my own soul.

With every body 

hitting the ground

God is taking away 

my breath on this world.

"Don't ask how will the country serve you,

but ask how would you serve your country."

All Things Not Considered, Naomi Shihab Nye.

You cannot stitch the breath

back into this boy.

A brother and sister were playing with toys

when their room exploded.

In what language

is this holy?

The Jewish boys killed in the cave

were skipping school, having an adventure.

Asel Asleh, Palestinian, age 17, believed in the field

beyond right and wrong where people came together

to talk. He kneeled to help someone else

stand up before he was shot.

If this is holy,

could we have some new religions please?

Mohammed al-Durra huddled against his father

in the street, terrified. The whole world saw him die.

An Arab father on crutches burying his 4 month girl weeps,

“I spit in the face of this ugly world.”

*

Most of us would take our children over land.

We would walk in the fields forever homeless

with our children,

huddle under cliffs, eat crumbs and berries,

to keep our children.

This is what we say from a distance

because we can say whatever we want.

*

No one was right.

Everyone was wrong.

What if they’d get together

and say that?

At a certain point

the flawed narrator wins.

People made mistakes for decades.

Everyone hurt in similar ways

at different times.

Some picked up guns because guns were given.

If they were holy it was okay to use guns.

Some picked up stones because they had them.

They had millions of them.

They might have picked up turnip roots

or olive pits.

Picking up things to throw and shoot:

at the same time people were studying history,

going to school.

*

The curl of a baby’s graceful ear.

The calm of a bucket

waiting for water.

Orchards of the old Arab men

who knew each tree.

Jewish and Arab women

standing silently together.

Generations of black.

Are people the only holy land?

***

Thesis.

- This poem centers on the misconception of religion. All religion promotes peace and love, yes we must stand up for our beliefs when being oppressed yet there are a number of people (from any religion) who believes violence will put things in the right order.

Notes.

- why is it 'considered'? why is it not 'important'?

- deceased, young kids/teenager/religion

- imagery used to inform the age of the deceased

- repetition of 'holy'

- those not in the situation would not understand the sufferings

- no one to point out the obvious 

- guns vs. rocks, optional vs. fated

- tone (disappointed, angry, sad)

- itallic sentences

First Exploratory Draft.

In the poem "All Things Not Considered", written by Naomi Shihab Nye, the poet describes the effects of a war carried out in the misconception beliefs of religion. The poem focused on the younger victims of wars and how humanity fades from one's faith.

With imagery, the innocent and young age of the murdered victims was emphasised by including the activities (playing with toys, skipping school) or situations they were in when they were attacked. Some were happily and innocently playing with their toys while some were murdered brutally infront of a family member- two victims died in their father's presence. The victims were described by their different religions(being the main excuse for a war). At the same time, the poet portrays a calmer situation whereby families bring their children out and about the explore and spend quality time together. The poet was raged by the absence of a bold volunteer who would stand up to point out the obvious things- the war happening and its effects. It was clearly explained that everyone who is able to think is able to choose wisely, not just for themselves but also in respect to other human beings. Even if one is to be pushed to a corner to carry out a sin (murder), the conscious should be able to reason the nervousness and choose not to carry it out. 

The repetition and itallicised of 'holy' and it being linked to "religion" shows how the poet losing her faith in religion as it has been pushing people to take another person's life without any stronger basis nor logic as to killing children. In the poem, religion is being described as an evil excuse to carry out wars just to stand up for one's confused belief, it has deviated from the religion original teaching which is to promote peace and love. The poet struggles to convince what is more important, that peace can be found in each other and not by going against one another.

 Image taken from http://electronicintifada.net/content/un-office-palestinian-childrens-rights-being-violated/7721

Women In Poetry.

As literature grew to be a part of the world, women began the to pick up the pen and write down their thoughts and feelings. It could have been intended to set themselves free from the oppression that was still breathing near them and to make a stand, not to be equals among men but to demand for respect.

It was hard for me to choose a favourite and so I will share two female poets that I can relate to, along with their short biography and poems from them.

Sylvia Plath

·      She was born on 27 October 1932 in Boston, Massachusetts.

·       Had her first poem published when she was 8 years old in Boston Herald (10 August 1941, page B-8).

·     She was suicidal despite being a bright student, successfully took her own life at 30 years old after her marriage to Ted Hughes fell apart.

·       She is best known for her two published collections: The Colossus and Other Poems and Ariel.

·        She won a Pulitzer Prize for The Collected Poems.

Mad Girl's Love Song

I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead;
I lift my lids and all is born again.
(I think I made you up inside my head.)

The stars go waltzing out in blue and red,
And arbitrary blackness gallops in:
I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead.

I dreamed that you bewitched me into bed
And sung me moon-struck, kissed me quite insane.
(I think I made you up inside my head.)

God topples from the sky, hell's fires fade:
Exit seraphim and Satan's men:
I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead.

I fancied you'd return the way you said,
But I grow old and I forget your name.
(I think I made you up inside my head.)

I should have loved a thunderbird instead;
At least when spring comes they roar back again.
I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead.
(I think I made you up inside my head.)

***

Anne Sexton.

·         She was born on 9 November 1928 in Newton, Massachusetts.

·         She was not a fan of studying but started to write and act when her parents sent her to Rogers Hall.

·         Although her beauty and daring character attracted many men, she was troubled and depressed since young and worsened as she grew older.

·         She is best known for her poems The Addict and Cinderella.

·         Received the Pulitzer Prize for poetry for Live or Die (1966).

Again and Again and Again

You said the anger would come back 
just as the love did. 

I have a black look I do not 
like. It is a mask I try on. 
I migrate toward it and its frog 
sits on my lips and defecates. 
It is old. It is also a pauper. 
I have tried to keep it on a diet. 
I give it no unction. 

There is a good look that I wear 
like a blood clot. I have 
sewn it over my left breast. 
I have made a vocation of it. 
Lust has taken plant in it 
and I have placed you and your 
child at its milk tip. 

Oh the blackness is murderous 
and the milk tip is brimming 
and each machine is working 
and I will kiss you when 
I cut up one dozen new men 
and you will die somewhat, 
again and again.