Saturday, April 27, 2013

Poetry Response #13: at the cemetery, walnut grove plantation, south carolina,1989 By: Lucille Clifton

at the cemetery, walnut grove plantation, south carolina, 1989
By: Lucille Clifton

among the rocks
at walnut grove
your silence drumming 
in my bones,
tell me your names.

nobody mentioned slaves
and yet the curious tools
shine with your fingerprints.
nobody mentioned slaves 
but somebody did this work
who had no guide, no stone,
who molders under rock.

tell me your names,
tell me your bashful names
and i will testify

the inventory lists ten slaves
but only men were recognized.

among the rocks
at walnut grove
some of these honored dead 
were dark
some of these dark
were slaves
were women
some of them did this
honored work.
tell me your names
foremothers, brothers,
tell me your dishonored names.
here lies
here lies
here lies
here lies
hear



     This poem by Lucille Clifton is very powerful especially in the way she chooses to end it with very short, straight to the point lines. Ms. Clifton is an African American who wrote this poem after a tour she took of the walnut grove plantation in South Carolina. This tour she took never mentioned slaves or anything along those matters so she was curious in asking more questions about the plantation. She wants the slaves to be remembered because although all this happened in the past it still happened and we can't just ignore what happened and try and cover it up by leaving all mention behind. The first two stanzas are her curiosity, why does no one mention the slaves because someone did the work here. She speaks of the silence under the rocks in where these men and possibly woman now sleep their eternal death under the earth. The third stanza is that she wants to know their names so that she can tell others what they did and what happened to them, so that they past my still be known regardless of the tragedy. She did her research and found that ten male slaves were accounted for but women were not included. The last stretch of the poem wraps it all together in such powerful words even though such little was said. under the rocks were black slaves, including women unaccounted for in the inventory. They did honorable work but their names were dishonored as they were not recognized in their passing. The last five lines make a huge statement to list those who lie there as "here lies" and ending it with "hear," as in listen. Listen and see the people who worked here and suffered. Open your ears and honor those who should be honored. Because they are people just like us and there they lie now unknown, unnamed... ♥




Saturday, April 20, 2013

Poetry Response #12: Many red devils... by Stephen Crane

Many red devils. . .
By: Stephen Crane


Many red devils ran from my heart
And out upon the page.
They were so tiny
The pen could mash them.
And any struggled in the ink.
It was strange
To write in this red muck
Of things from my heart.





     Many red devils by Stephen Crane is an amazing poem using extraordinary imagery to get his point across of our demons. The poem describes what he writes as little devils on the page running from his heart. Sometimes we have so many demons in our heart it's hard to escape them as we try and kill them, as they are now blood split on a page. I personally relate myself to this poem in how I handle my demons. It helps to write down on the troubles in your heart and lay them out on a page. Not for other peoples' eyes but just so that in your own heart can attempt to let go of everything held inside. The symbolism of devils running out, is such a great image though. I love the way he made the relation of our demons with devils literally running onto the paper as we try and crush them through our writing.   

     I enjoy combining music with any emotion I may be feeling. With this specific poem there are many songs that would work so well but the one I will share is, "Animal I Have Become" by: Three Days Grace.


                                                           "Animal I Have Become"
I can't escape this hell
So many times i've tried
But i'm still caged inside
Somebody get me through this nightmare
I can't control myself

So what if you can see the darkest side of me?
No one will ever change this animal I have become
Help me believe it's not the real me
Somebody help me tame this animal
(This animal, this animal)

I can't escape myself
(I can't escape myself)
So many times i've lied
(So many times i've lied)
But there's still rage inside
Somebody get me through this nightmare
I can't control myself

So what if you can see the darkest side of me?
No one will ever change this animal I have become
Help me believe it's not the real me
Somebody help me tame this animal I have become
Help me believe it's not the real me
Somebody help me tame this animal

Somebody help me through this nightmare
I can't control myself
Somebody wake me from this nightmare
I can't escape this hell

(This animal, this animal, this animal, this animal, this animal, this animal, this animal)

So what if you can see the darkest side of me?
No one will ever change this animal I have become
Help me believe it's not the real me
Somebody help me tame this animal I have become
Help me believe it's not the real me
Somebody help me tame this animal
(This animal I have become)





"Animal I Have Become" By: Three Days Grace♥


Sunday, April 7, 2013

Poetry Response #11: Oh No by Robert Creeley

Oh No
By: Robert Creeley


If you wander far enough
you will come to it
and when you get there
they will give you a place to sit

for yourself only, in a nice chair,
and all your friends will be there
with smiles on their faces
and they will like wise all have places.




     Oh No by Robert Creeley is a really short poem but says so much in so few words. The first stanza  is life's journey in a nut shell! We wander through life and once we've made it so far we are there. We are now old and frail where we will finally need a place to sit in which we will be given. Everyone gets their own and isn't a crappy chair, but a good one. All of our friends will be there as well because our lives will all be around an end, but with smiles as we have lived out our lives and now it is time to be together again, to sit and rest. They will have places along side of us as we are now taking the end of our journey together. Another thought on this could be a nursing home. After life's journey we take our last sitting together in a home for the elderly. I really enjoy how the author can say so much in such a small poem. Length doesn't always determine the importance or strength that words have to offer.