Monthly Archives: November 2022

Where I’m from


I am from a cup of tea,

From milk  and sugar.

I am from the wooden doors my father made by hand, tall, strong, glossy.

I am from the figs growing on concrete,

And the spinach growing on wood.

I am from eggnog on christmas

And round faces,

From uncle sunny

and ivy lynn and gertrude.

I am from the loud conversation 

And vague descriptions .

From big feet

and long legs.

I am from good intentions.

From listening to understand and not listening to respond.

I’m from the city that never sleeps and the sweet island of Jamaica,

Salt fish, ackee and breadfruit.

From my parents who moved from warm tropics to winter snow,

The coconut water turned soda,

And fresh fruit turned canned.

I am from the photobook on the nightstand with Jamaican dollars used as bookmarks.

Parents

After reading the short story “Gorilla my love” by Toni Cade Bambara is prevalent that children do take the words you tell them to heart and as an adult your words have more weight when speaking to a child. I think it she should established before hand when speaking to a child about something serious and let them know what you mean what your about to tell them. because its very common for children to misunderstand something along the lines of what happened in the story. though a parent should not always be brutal and tell their exactly how the world is they should guide them and let them learn from their experiences because the best way to learn is from experience

Within the short story of gorilla my love is evident that that the author uses the story as a form of activism which is different from the methods of activism that are used in today’s society. regardless of the changing of our society and technology art is a form of self expression which is not only a common form activism it is also used today in our society. As society progresses ideals and messages will always be hard to understand without first person context but with art it helps an author portray their messages the different means of creativity as we see with music poems actual art and so much more all these forms preserved throughout time and show to different generations allowing authors to control aspects that simple speech cannot convey. A common example of this is shown through renaissance art from the 15th century. even though this event occurred 6 centuries ago through the physical art we can and understand the change that went about in society within literature technology and philosophy without even having set foot in the that time period nor a word spoken.

Where am I from

I come from the tropics,
from delicious food and kind people.
I come from concrete streets
the branches on which the birds perch.
I come from a family member on the lunch table
and family discussions,
I come from a maknae
From movies about love
From a kind heart
and a small flower
I come from the temple
from a family with a tradition of being a teacher

I come from Hanoi,
The capital of Vietnam
From people who work hard
From a country affected by war
I come from a beautiful country

Frankenstein

In chapter 17 of “Frankenstein” shows how society doesn’t accept unordinary things into their society. Frankenstein’s creator shows how he regret making this creation because of his physical qualities, he wishes he never made him because of society’s impact. Chapter 17 of Frankenstein states “I do refuse it,” I replied; “and no torture shall ever extort a consent from me. You may render me the most miserable of men, but you shall never make me base in my own eyes. Shall I create another like yourself, whose joint wickedness might desolate the world. Begone! I have answered you; you may torture me, but I will never consent.” The creator is having troubles going through with the request to make another because of Frankenstein’s looks. All the monster wanted was love and compassion just like any human.

The monster describes his passion for finding answers as well as feeling like he’s a part of this world. He wanted his creator to help him find happiness by bringing another monster into the world. The creator is struggling with agreeing to these terms. The creator is afraid of what the monsters will bring upon society because he knows they won’t be accepted and the struggles for both. Although the creator understands the monster’s passion for wanting to be happy like any other human being in society.

Who Said It Was Simple (erasure)

There are so many roots to the tree of anger
that sometimes the branches shatter
before they bear.

Sitting in Medicks
the
women rally before they march
discussing the problematic girls
they hire
to make them free.
An almost white counterman passes
a waiting brother to serve them first
and the ladies
neither notice nor reject
the slighter pleasures of their slavery.
But I who am bound by my mirror
as well as my bed
see causes in colour
as well as sex

and sit here wondering
which me will survive
all these liberations.