The Abortion Poem

"What I Did" written by Jim Daniels really grasped my attention. This abrupt poem is questioning. Many things are a bother. 

A parent is advising their son to assist his pregnant girlfriend to an abortion. Through out this entire poem their explaining what he needs to do. What gets under my skin, is how can a parent tell their son to do such a thing as murder. "Neither of you have health insurance or a decent job" (3-4) is their excuse. Another terrible thing this harsh parent says is "And you can't let yourself think for more than a second of the actual child you might have together"(27-30). What sane parent would tell their son this?

I could see where the parent is coming from, maybe I'm over looking their parental advice. Maybe they know the baby would suffer if their son and his girlfriend would keep the baby, but that is not the baby's fault. The parent could of talked to their son about adoption, or trying to change their son into a responsible parent. Instead they gives him the easy and inconsiderate way out. Maybe they regret this due to the fact that the poem is named "What I Did". Or maybe the parent is saying she slipped and did drugs when the pregnant girl was not suppose to, because she was a drug user, and now the baby can be affected by it. "And you've both been taking enough drugs to kill a horse" (5-6). "She's pregnant, that she slipped away the night before she's telling you she's going to the clinic in the morning" (10-15). Or this can all be a test!! Maybe the parent is testing their son to see what they're thinking. Maybe the parent is trying to force abortion, hoping that their child knows it's wrong and doesn't want to go that route. But if this isn't a test.......

Did this parent really regret this? Was this the best advise they felt they can actually give? Do they not believe that abortions is murder? Do they not have a heart? How can a caring parent demand abortion? Were they against children being born out of wedlock? Do they really think abortion is the best option???? So many unanswered questions I would love to know. I was raised growing up knowing that this is murder. I can see where the narrator is coming from but I disagree with them. 

Another fact that maybe the parent is advising their son to murder is that their son wasn't actually with the baby's suppose-to-be mother. "You're going to drive you Plymouth Satellite all night your head jangling like the coins you use to call her from rest stops to make sure she'll wait wait til you get there" (17-23). Maybe the  parent knows it was nothing serious, so they aren't responsible for a serious situation. 

Whether any situation that you put yourself in, you know the consequences. This parent should have not gave this talk to their son. No matter what reason. Obviously the parent has poor parental skills, not just for commanding murder, but for not having a civil conversation about what their son wanted to do. I know I shouldn't judge, because I do not know the real reason as to why the parent told their son this, but obviously the son wanted the best advise. Instead this parent chose for him. And obviously they felt that was the best option, even though they might regret this talk. This poem really gets you thinking, and I'm still hoping this was a test for their son, because a parent should never say "You lick your fingers, you count out your half"(47-48). 

The Romantic Poems

"Variations on the Word Sleep" and "Hate Poem" have plenty of similarities and differences.

"Variations on the Word Sleep" by Margaret Atwood describes the word love as a feeling, desire, and lust. As soon as this poem begins with "I would like to watch you sleeping" (line1), love is behind it. When a person is sleeping, they're defenseless. So when the narrator asks to watch them sleep, they're also begging for permission to love them. That's why with the very next line "which may not happen"(line2) expresses that the narrators wish to let their love, love them, will not happen. In this poem you see actions or thoughts only one would do for the person they admire the most. The narrator did well with this line that is also my favorite from this poem "towards the cave where you must descend, towards your worst fear"(lines11-12). This line explains the narrator would enter their loved ones dream to protect them from nightmares or their worst fears. Only a person deeply in love would be honored to do what ever they can to protect and keep their desire.

"Hate Poem" by Julie Sheehan has so many "hates" but really is about love. The poem is about a female due to the fact that she states "My breasts relaxing in their holster from morning to night hate you"(line19). She's in denial about the fact that she loves the person she wrote this for. I would say more obessed, rather than love. Every single line in this poem has to do with her physically, emotionally, and just her life in general. And in every single line, she harshly uses the word hate for the other person she's writing to. This clearly suggests that everything about her or her life, reminds her of the person she "hates". Obviously she's constantly thinking of her other. "My lungs, duplicitous twins, expand with the utter validity of my hate, which can never have enough of you"(line23) explains littearly, that with every breath, she's thinking about this person. It's like she's also afraid to use the word love cause she's so in denial, she replaces it with hate.

Both these poems express love in different ways yet go about it a similar way. Both of these poems are hopeless. "Variation of the Word Sleep" is hopeless, because the narrator is asking, desiring, and hoping for love. "Hate Poem" is hopeless, because she's too far in deep, yet in denial. Both of these narrators are crazy in love. They just go about it in a completely different way. "Variation on the Word Sleep" puts their pride aside and dives in for love, while "Hate Poem" puts up this huge pride wall, claiming it's hate. Both of these poems go in depth with the meaning of love with out actually saying it. Between the lines of both the poems are the some of the true meanings of love. "Variation of the Word Sleep" is all about being their others protector, wanting to just be, and do everything for and with them.All through out "Hate Poem" is where she's always thinking of her other, and how everything reminds her of this person. Doesn't both of these poems express love well? With all their ways of expressing the meaning of true love, is it real love to you?





Ever After



I picked this poem because it can relate to almost half of America. Divorce is everywhere, everyday, every hour. It's also caught my attention due to the fact that my parents are going through a divorce right now. The poem Ever After is soothing compared to a long dirty divorce. It's not negative but not positive. It's over looking the negatives trying to see the situation as neutral, and thats what makes it interesting. This emotions are not common like most human beings getting a divorce.

My favorite lines are "that was sinking into the tall white cake. All that sweetness, the layers of one thing" (Sutphen 92). While couples actually do this on their beautiful wedding day, the layers of the cake can symbolize everything that they have endured together as a couple such has the years spent together, the happiness, the bad times, just all the memories. How can any one let go so easily?

This poem really did make me think. Nothing that I hadn't already known, but just made me think more in depth. It's sad to say that divorces are normal or common, because they shouldn't be. When you think of marriage, you're suppose to think of positive outcomes, not divorce. Marriages are suppose to be til death do you part. Do vows not mean anything anymore?

Marriage is suppose to be a beautiful thing. My question is, Why are the divorcing? Was this discussed together as a couple? Was the idean mutual?  How long were they together? Can they see eachother with out one another? Do they think it's going to be easy to move on? Who even brough divorce up in the relationship? Did one not want to divorce but just gave in to watch the other be happy? Had they been thinking of it but just trying to hold on? Did they attempt to give it one more shot? or did they just give up? It's upseting to see a couple who loved eachother change feelings along a way. Was that way happy, frustrating, or just tiring? Yes, People have their own explanation as to why they are divorcing, or try to explain that others won't and don't understand. But When you take say those meaningful vows, you're suppose to give it your all. In the poem, did these people even try? Could they just not hang on anymore?

This poem is very honest and doesn't try painting a confusing picture. You don't have to read between the lines to get an idea. It's very simple and broad. She leaves open spaces every where for many reasons I believe. Everyone has their own reasons as to why they divorce. But Ever After, the poem expresses how every divorce is whether happy or any other reason being. Any divorce can relate to this poem. It's just simply explaining how a happy couple are moving on with life but with out one another.



Stitches

(Small 56)

As a child, David Small would view things as a normal child. One of the differences between David and others was that he didn't have no one; No friends, close family, pet, nothing. He was always lonely. He would cover his head up with a yellow towel pretending to be Alice with her blonde hair. He imagined the fairy tale as an escape from reality. He just wanted someone to care for him. He would run around, searching for a mirale to happen to find anyone and anything to care about him. When the other children from the playground see him like this, they find it unusual. They find it bizzare cause they have eachother, while David has no one. They called him hurtful names to attack David emotionally. David had to run away to avoid their physical actions that backed up their cruel words.

(Small 59)

After fleeing the bullies, David gets creative. He draws and imgaines himself entering his work. This is his way of expressing himself. This is his way to feel secure. He's going into his artwork thats shaped like an actual stomach. This demonstrates that him drawing makes him feel guarded and protected.

(Small 63)

As a teen, David still plays a role in Alice and Wonderland. David views his therapist as the mad hatter or white rabbit from Alice. Just like the white rabbit leads and cares for Alice, Davids therapist does for David.

(Small 269)



When David and his mother go to Indiana to visit her mother, David see's something that makes him question his grandma. He notices a man on a cross and asked his grandmother what is it. When she asks him if he has one of these in his house, David replies back with a statement that offends grandmother. She disciplines him in a very harsh way and puts him to sleep. While laying in bed, David waits for his mother to return. He tries telling her that his grandmother is crazy. His mom doesn't approve of this and tells David to never repeat that. She then leaves David alone. He starts thinking there's no hope and imagines Jesus denying him. Which as an adult he now knows Jesus loves and accepts everyone whether he believes or not.

(Small 101)

As a child David would always obey his mother or just stay out of her way. As he got older he no longer tolerated her rudeness. On page 174 when he is recoverying from surgery, his mom asks him what he would like within reason. He tells her he wants his book that she had thrown away previously but with anger and resentment. He's realizes he isn't going to take that nonesense. He starts treating his mom the way she treats him. At the end of the book when he's an adult, his mother passes away. He then learns her history of her heart being on the wrong side of her chest and how she suffered heart attacks towards the end of her life. He looks back to when he was a child and realizes his mom would always be coughing.

(Small 15)