Occupation : Suji Kwock Kim

This poem stood out to me because it kind of keeps you wondering. It makes me think of people working hard and helping others by the saying " there is room for everyone" then again it says "they paint the walls with blood" which makes me think that they maybe they are being forced to build the house and are working hard for someone else. Its a short brief good poem. It doesn't describe to much but you can feel what she is talking about or what she is trying to say.

"Atomic Bride" Thomas Sayers Ellis

I liked this poem it kept my full attention through out it. It made me wonder about many things. The idea that something perfect like a suburban home could have a crazy story behind it. Then again it made me think about how the poet was writing about making memories good ones and how they all start somewhere. Then it also gave me the idea that the poet was telling us Andre could have been a cross dresser or in other words a drag queen. The poem made my mind go all over the place that's why i liked it.

"Divorce" Joel Brouwer

I like this poem a lot. I felt like i could really bond with the idea that was trying to be shown. My parents had gone through a rough patch in their marriage a little ago. When the author said "Thought you might want to know I'm taking classes on how to be a man." It really made me reflect on my dads words when he tried to change my mothers mind. With a little luck and help from his "classes" my mother didn't divorce him and now they're better then ever.

Occupation

There are so much to this this poem can mean to someone. The reason why I chose this poem was how it describes soldiers, I can definitely relate myself to this since my cousin just came back from afghanistan. The words she used were quite gruesome, perhaps a little too detailed. Yet, it capture a clear image to me one how these soldiers today risk everything for their country and so  many are so unfortunate and don't make it. We as people here don't see all that happens when they are out there. The first few sentences she used; " The soldiers are hard at wry building a house they hammer bodies in the earth like nails, they paint the walls with blood" has so much detail on how they work so hard as well as how she used "they paint the walls with blood" really means something she is trying to put an image of how war really means that soldiers die. I just know that one day there won't be no more wars anywhere. And of course, grateful to have my cousin back home. And hopefully, all of this will be over and they can all come home.

Psalm (Traherne)

The reasons why I liked this poem was the simplicity on how the title, "Psalm" A is song or a hymn used in any biblical book primarley used in Christian and Jewish worships. I would not relate myself in this poem, but I can say I liked because it was used so much deep words like; "I live inside myself until I loved and then I live, lord then I lived with thirst and happened was thirst". Those first few words used at the beginning of the poem grabs your attention to how it's describing itself on how we live today as people living a world of love and also a world with "happiness and thirst" what makes you happy is an ambition. I can relate to that today in our society. I liked the way he used so much imagery to describe his feelings about the skies and the world it's self. That something I really liked most about it, it's use for words grabbed my attention the whole time.

Errata

I chose this poem because it simply made me giggle at myself and smile. The definition of Errata means error in printing or writing and honestly I had no idea. The reason it made me giggle and smile was because I love writing lyrics but sometimes I come across writing some that don't even make sense, and of course there is so many errors I make.

Divorce

I chose this poem because it made me quickly think of what my father and mother had to go through when they decided to end 15 years of marriage. " Got your letter. And the crate of dead crows. Are you trying to tell me something? thought you might want to know- I'm taking a class on how to be a man". this reminds me exactly of my father. When he's expressing himself saying he's taking a class on how to be a man all I could think of was, its too late.

"Euphoria" by Major Jackson

This poem has me wondering about the sexual exploits described in the second to last stance: "In rhythm to my hips' thrashing, in rhythm to Luther's voice, which flutters around that word I now mistake for "weep...". I was debating with a fellow about what exactly the girl did, did she have intercourse or did she help the guy master bate? As a teenager, I know that other teenagers do crazy things. But this poem has me so confused, the first lines describe how this teenage boy sees his mom smoking crack, but he's still, waiting in a Benz. I guess that shows that even wealthy, stable individuals struggle with the same vices of individuals of lower classes. In that part of the poem, Jackson also describes how the suspected prostitute is dressed, the environment they're surrounded in, and the experience they share together. To me, this poem describes a real life experience, maybe Jackson is the young man in the poem. Also, this poem is something I could see in a movie script, maybe this is the life of a young man, and somehow ends up leaving his city to find a different kind of life. But my favorite line is the last line: "A family, a dinner, a car, nothing but this happiness so hard to come by." If you're familiar with current slang, this sentence could have a dirty, as in a sexual, connotation. I have more to add, but maybe later. 

"Sticks" by Thomas Sayers Ellis

I enjoyed reading this poem because I can relate to having a father who's strong, tough, and extremely hard/cold. At the beginning of my life, when I was about three years old, I hated my father. We never had that typical "daddy's little girl" relationship. One of Ellis's first lines explains my dad's outlook on life: "Kind and lack of size were nothing more than sissified signs of weakness." Yes, I am a female, his youngest daughter, but he often says he wishes he had more sons. My father still tried to plant that sort of masculine attitude in me. I mean, I'm not weak, well as not as weak as he think I am. I cry, smile, laugh, and make mistakes. But we (my dad and I) have never had a conversation about how I feel about him, or how we feel about each other, and about the mistakes we both have made. Like I said, we both have made mistakes, but he has changed. Our relationship has improved so much; we have conversations about his life, and what he has been through. He had to be brave when he left Mexico at the age of 14 or 15; so along with becoming independent, he left those emotions behind. I don't want to go into detail about my dad's struggle, but now I understand why he is the way he is, and I respect him for that. 

"Sticks" by Thomas Sayer Ellis

When I read this poem it kind of made me feel bad for the kid. The kid has no good role model his dad slaps his mom and the mom tolerates it. Therefore the child thinks it's O.K. and he wants to follow in the same foot steps as his father. "Use his, pretending to slap mother when he slapped her."

"Elegant Endings" by Richard Blanco

I chose this poem because I felt like it was very descriptive. He used many adjectives to describe what he was talking about. I also like the way he connects everything. Another thing I like is how he compares things to other things. I really enjoyed ready this poem. I especially liked the part about "a foggy night, a silver train someone's hand pressed on glass, crystallized breaths eclipsing a face in a window slowly moving past someone left with smoke clinging around their feet--that ending." I felt that it was very descriptive.

"Euphoria" by Major Jackson

In this poem I like how he describes the mother and what she's doing. In this poem the mother likes smoking. Smoking is a bad habit, but at the same time people like smoking. Also I like how he describes where he's at, and what he is seeing. When he says, "But this happiness so hard to come by" it makes me realize that he hasn't been happy, and when he is, it's just once in a while. Walking in the street at night is scary because something can happen.

"Elegant Endings" by Richard Blanco

I like his poem, "Elegant Endings" because he goes into details and describing. He seem well inspired in the poem. Also I like how Richard, that author, was into the poem, while he was writing it. I like how he describes the girl in the poem. Another interesting thing is when he says, " I trust in God, I fear no one." It's true because nowadays nobody trusts anyone, only God. When you don't fear anyone, I think that makes people stronger.

"Divorce" by Joel Brouwer

I chose this poem because it really shows how it relates to life. Joel says, "This week we learned that if you want to be one, you can't be celery, a  hotel room, or the big dipper." I think he is trying to say that you need to be your unique self and not be like anyone else.

"Aesthetics" by Joel Brouwer

I like this poem because I can relate to it. I know how it feels to have something terrible happen to you and nobody care or give sympathy. He is saying that no matter what happens in life, you have to move through it and not let it bring you down. The poet says, "A body has soft and hard parts like a piano. Music comes from where it meets." In my interpretation, I think he is saying that life has its ups and downs, but you have to keep moving forward and see what new things life gives you.

"Atomic Bride": Thomas Sayers Ellis

Atomic Bride is a poem that makes you wonder. Its about a guy who's cross dressing as a girl and is a bride. He starts off talking about how happy a suburban home is, and then all of a sudden everything has fallen apart.  It goes from good and happy, to bad, mad and sad in an instant. He talks about things that a lot of poem writers usually wouldn't. It gets to the point to where it seems like he's trying to say that people tell lies to get them by. It's a lot different than most poems I've read, which makes it that much better. He talks about things that really do go on.  Whether in our lives or not, it goes on in someone's.

"Sticks": Thomas Sayers Ellis

This poem, "Sticks," has somewhat of a twist to it. It starts out as a poem where he's talking about his family life and really emphasizes about his father and how he's more of bigger and muscular guy and that he wanted to be like him. He makes you really feel the intensity of the poem by saying "I learned to use my hands watching him use his, pretending to slap mother when he slapped mother". Then he states he discovered writing where he really let all of his feeling by using word like "BAM" to express his emotions and to control his thoughts. He digs real deep into his emotions so that you feel exactly as he does, which makes it a great poem.

Occupation - Suji Kwok Kim

This one was deep. I liked how she described the situation of the occupation. " They hammer bodies into the earth like nails" "They paint the walls with blood" Good descriptive stuff right here. It had a holocaust feel to it.

Sticks - Thomas Sayers Ellis

I found this poem interesting. Had to go back and re read some parts. There was a twist towards the middle where he saying how his dad would beat his mom. He talks about his dad like he's this great guy and then we see he's diabetic as well. He's stricken with illness.

"Sticks" by Thomas Sayers Ellis

The thing that cause my attention was a ling, "...Pretending to slap mother, when he slapped mother." When I read that, I thought go a kid, wanting to be like his father, in the wrong ways. His father, "..was a enormous man." His Father, think and showing things, not right for kids. But then I like when he discovers writing. It sounds like he could take is "learnings" out on it, instead of others. I enjoyed it going from the father to discovering and writing.