The Color Purple - Jess Ruby

Letters to God

Hiding behind hope

The only way to cope

Violence is not the key

Careful not to go as low as he

Internal struggle for hate or love

To write is to help you rise above

You have been used

Your mind and heart abused

The pain you endure

Not only your body does he injure

Your mind is just as strong

Trusting god to right his wrong

Answer your prayers, God will

Your faith he can’t kill

Keep writing

Keep fighting

This way of life will soon end

Your wounds God will mend

This poem describes my feelings towards Celie’s writing. They serve as an outlet for her frustrations, and allow her to remain hopeful and rely on her faith in God. I think that even today writing serves as a powerful tool to many in terms of coping. Even with what she has been through, Celie remains hopeful and has continued to write to God. I think that this is a very important part of the story and makes it that much more powerful seeing things from her perspective.

Expectations

Expectations

the words keep replaying

what message are they relaying

not sure of their importance

I guess I’ll just ignore it

that's what I end up doing

how do I keep moving

when I know I’ll never meet them

only existing to condemn

Expectations

Future coming soon

sounds like a horror film

that doesn’t interest me

one I don’t care to see

It has bad reviews

it’s time to spread the news

Why spend my time and money

if I know I’ll end up unhappy

just trying to achieve

these goals set by

Who?

Expectations

That is the question though

how do you even know

what I’m supposed to be

when it's a mystery to me

put the answers on a pedestal

perfection seems critical

but why

who are we following?

Expectations

Maybe we knew at some point

sorry to disappoint

but I forgot

put me on the spot

and I will tell you

that these goals you set for me

who ever you may be

I don’t care

just putting it out there

I’d rather make my own

Step down from your throne

I have a chance to thrive

but on my own time

My Expectations

This poem relates to the struggle in Harpo‘s head about his father’s expectations. He doesn’t truly want to be like his Father, but somewhere deep down he doesn’t want to disappoint him. His feelings incompetence are only confirmed once again by the disapproval he faces from Sophia’s father, and the fact that his strength is inferior to that of his wife’s. She challenges him and out of fear of losing his manhood and respect from other men he slips into the disgusting ways of self proclaimed dominance like the other men in his life. He struggles internally with his own values that become clouded by those of others.

Like a Man

I must display my dominance today

I fancy the girls that come out at night

The one I married will just have to pay

My incompetence comes out when I fight

I have to hit my wife because I can

My mind has been taken over with greed

Her bruises make me feel more like a man

It’s not her pain but the power I need

Went out at night and thought i was clever

I love Shug though she doesn’t love me

Celie knows but leave me she would never

I brought her to my home so she could see

That I am the man with whom she belongs

Voice in my head like my favorite song

I wrote this sonnet poem from the perspective of Mr. ____ about his feelings towards Shug Avery. He is so blown away by her beauty that he can’t get her out of his head, and brings her into his home when she comes ill. The fact that she doesn’t respect him, even in his own home and he still cares for her shows how strong his attraction to her is. He takes out his anger on his wife Celie, because it helps him feel more powerful when Shug takes that away from him. This is a good representation of the treatment of women in this time period which is an important part of the setting in this book.

The Kite Runner, Wescott

Lifeless Trophy

The shapes above with speed they dart so fast

The sea of color in the sky no more

A single kite is triumphant at last

I’m filled with pride, the blast of chants they roar

The chase for the trophy ensues with speed

The best day in my life is almost real

Turn the corner to find a friend in need

I run away despite the choice I feel

I hear the screams inside my head each day

Regret putting myself before my kin

Now with a prize that is so great they say

But lost a part of me, my pride within

On the outside it is a win with glee

Inside I feel alone, helpless, not me

This Sonnet tells the event that occurred during Amir’s win at the kite fighting tournament in The Kite Runner.  The first quatrain is uplifting as Amir’s become victorious over the other kites.  The second quatrain transitions from one of his greatest moments in his life into the one he most regrets, not saving Hassan in the alley.  This was a major event in the book and changed Amir’s character drastically.  Amir can never let it go as mentioned in the first line of the third quatrain.  Even though all of his friends and family are so proud of him, all Amir feels is regret for his actions that day.

Looking

Into the city I am looking for something

Will I find it?

I’m looking for a boy

I want to go back

But I have to find it

So I can finally sleep a night

The daunting memories of the past

Lead me here

I am frightened

A sudden pain fills me

Along with the peace I desired

I can finally sleep once again

This free verse poem is describing Amir (in his point of view) searching for Hassan’s son in Kabul.  I wanted to make the poem very abstract and not follow any rhythm because this was a moment in the book where Amir believed he was looking for the boy, when in reality he was looking for a way to make up his mistake that has troubled him all his life (this is how I perceived it).  The poem say “will I find it”, making it seem like “the boy” at first but it end up being at peace with himself.  The pain (Asself beating him) allows Amir to receive the punishment for leaving Hassan in the alley, which causes him to finally be free from the resentment and recollection of the event.

Baba

I have looked up to you since I was little

You are so strong while I am so brittle

You are outgoing and help those in need

While am quiet and turn when they plead

I know you are disappointed in me

How mom died giving birth to your first baby

But please give me a chance, my love for you is vast

With the win I got your love, but that didn’t last

I get jealous when you put Hassan over me

I’m not as weak as you think, wait one day you’ll see

Our world is changing, we can start a new life

Where we can agree instead of having a strife

We are in a new place and can finally say

We understand one another today

And when I finally lay you to rest one night

I can remember how we made everything right

This final poem is another free verse that has rhyming and a structure.  It shows the relationship between Amir and his father (who he called Baba).  Their relationship started out with Baba being disappointed in Amir, in part for all their differences and because Amir killed his wife while giving birth to him.  This causes Baba to give more attention to Hassan, who has a character similar to Baba’s.  However, once the two move to America, they are able to settle their differences and finally create a healthy relationship between them.  This moment in the book meant a lot to me as I could sympathize with Amir.  Even if a relationship has hardships, they can be resolved as long as there is love.

The Handmaid's Tale - Dell

Red (Freeform Prose)

Color of anger,

Failure of the womb.

Color of passion,

Feverish lust.

Color of prison,

My fabric cage.

Anger will burst,

The womb won’t be needed.

Passion will soar,

Our love is freedom.

Prison will fall,

Tear the cotton to the floor.

For the oppressor is obsolete.

          Red was one of my favorites to write because it actually has a happy ending. This describes the fall of Gilead after years of suffering under its oppressive rule. I chose the color red as the topic because not only does it describe the dresses of the handmaids, but it also can describe a range of emotions and feelings, such as rage, lust, and power. The first stanza tells of the years of control that Gilead had over the handmaids and other women, but the second stanza tells that this isn’t true anymore, because the resistance has won over the republic.

Mother (Free verse with rhyme)

Her shouts of pain hit deaf ears,

Their suffering all became one.

My bearer’s single purpose,

Was all but good and done.

They took me to the witch’s arms,

From God she took a drink.

And shut out my dear mother’s face,

So I might never think.

They sent her to another wife,

To bless me with a sister.

But God said stop this ticking clock,

And they let her poor hands blister.

This poem represents a birthday in the book The Handmaid’s Tale. The first stanza references the handmaid’s who were present during a birth (specifically Janine’s), claiming that they could feel phantom pains in their own stomachs and back. However, no one important is concerned with the women’s pains or feelings, they only pay attention to the wife and “her” soon to be daughter. As soon as the baby would be born, the biological mother’s purpose in the home would be over. The second stanza describes how the baby would be taken to the arms of the wife, often considered to be hard, unfeeling women (probably especially in the eyes of the mother and daughter), which is why I referred to her as a witch. The drink from got references how handmaids were referred as “chalices filled with wine”, the pregnant ones, that is. The wife is considered to be “taking a drink” from this chalice, and the child is a gift from the Lord. The last two lines describe how the literal mother would be sent away from the child so that they may never know their real bearer. Lastly, the final stanza once again references the mother being sent away so she could birth another offspring from another commander. However, her “biological clock” runs out and she is no longer fertile, so she is sent to the colonies to be worked to death, as referenced by the “blistering hands” from physical labor.

Women (Italian Sonnet)

How may I serve my God from my being?

My mind holds treasures found in page and pen.

Lips bear gold from spindles birthed by wise men.

Both my eyes can view what they are seeing.

Heard of woman teaching word from reading?

These hands have worked to wrangle feathered hen.

So clearly there is work that I may tend,

Because our society needs feeding.

But I am told to be a girl of Eve,

For God has blessed my chalice to bear wine.

So they tell me my brothers only read.

Power cannot be held in our naive,

We only get value for months of nine.

The Earth is for us women to plant seed.

Women describes how a religious girl might feel excited to serve the established republic of Gilead, asking what work she may do to assist. She goes through and lists her qualities that make her just as capable to do work as a man, such as reading, education, social skills, world views, and also skills in cooking and teaching. However, the sestet tells her the republic of Gilead only has one purpose for her: reproduction. She is not viewed as the body of knowledge and potential that she is, and is forced to “work” under the government’s oppressive hand.

The Kite Runner - Ozbun

Clouded Mind & Empty Heart

The day came and the tournament began,

Amir exuberant with his great win.

His eyes don’t believe this cruel act of man,

what was done to his friend caused hurt within.

Oh what a great mistake Amir had made,

running from conflict he sure should have solved.

Decision haunting him for years he strayed,

these years he wished he was never involved.

Assef had trapped his dearest friend Hassan,

and committed acts Amir had not seen.

Amir decided he must now move on,

he framed his friend for stealing, cruel and mean.

Choices were made and Hassan must now go,

a clear mind and heart, Amir would not know.

I wrote my sonnet about the main character Amir’s relationship with Hassan his childhood best friend after what had happened during the tournament. Amir went out to search for Hassan, but when he found him he saw other boys raping his best friend. Instead of doing something about it, he turned and ran and decided that it’d be a better idea. Everyday after, Amir is haunted by the image of it and decides Hassan must go. So he frames his best friend for stealing money and a watch, and even though Hassan didn’t do it he admits to it. This poem was written because not only does this happen in the book it happens in America and in other parts of the world. Victims of rape remain unspoken because they are ashamed of what happened to them. Most witnesses to these acts remain unspoken as well just as Amir did in the beginning of the book. It connects to the main plot of the book, and the real world too. These decisions people make or actions that are done to them stay in their minds constantly and haunt some or most of them for the remainder of their lives.

American Dream

Some will travel near and far to get away from what they once knew

Some will leave the places they had known and had once grew

Some will never know what it is like to live in a crazed war-zone

Some will do whatever it takes to make it to life’s next stepping stone

Some will be able to do it simply and some it will take lots of time

Some will struggle and persevere in which it may be a hard climb

Some will lose ones they love along this journey toward success

Some will realize that they are more fortunate than others they will confess

Some will encounter people that help them along the way

Some will meet that someone that will be with them for the rest of their days

Some will go back to the place in which they used to reside

Some will notice it isn’t as it once was in the past and may have even cried

Some will search and search through the rest of their days

Some will find and accomplish their dreams in the simplest of ways

Some will not be able to do it as easy others and it will make them scream

Some will do whatever it takes to live the one and only American Dream

This poem relates events in the book and parts of Amir’s life that he must get through in order to reach his goals and accomplish his dreams. Along his journey to meet these, there are plenty of things he has to get past in order to truly be happy. It is a lot harder than he was expecting though. Baba, Amir’s father, and himself escape from the Soviet controlled War-Zone which is Kabul. Next they move to California and Amir attends school and meets the love of his life. However once he meets her they plan for a quick marriage due to his father's health. Baba soon dies after. Not only that but another hardship Amir must go through is the struggle to have a child as well. I chose to write this poem because it proves how hard Amir’s life is and the ups and downs along the way. Also there are plenty of people that may share a similar story in which they move to the United States seeking new opportunities.

The Message

Plenty of years

Times have changed

Ruled by violence

Tempers greatly flared

Once the family had left

Someone new was put in charge

Of their once humble abode

A call had been received

A call to come back home

An old friend deeply sick

Something important was to be said

Ultimately the trip has one reason

But first a great message

That may send some to their knees

While the sick friend was gone for treatment

Unbelievable had occurred and had happened

The friend that Amir had once knew

Will never live to see another day

He had not seen him since they were young

When he decided to cut him out

His life never to be the same

This free verse poem is about the hardships that Amir still has to go through throughout the rest of his life. He is regretful for the rest of his life of how he had cut Hassan out of his life after he had seen him raped by other boys. Another old friend called Amir to Pakistan in request of a favor, but along the way the unexpected was told to him. Hassan and his wife Farzana were killed by the Taliban in the safety of their own home. This poem connects immensely to the crazy radical events happening all around the world today. People losing loved ones left and right and not ever getting a chance to say goodbye. It is almost weekly at this point that we hear about another mass shooting, murder, or terrorist attack happening across the globe. I chose to write this because it greatly connects with the book yet wraps in some of the connections with the outside world as well. It also reminds me to always cherish the small moments in life and appreciate the ones that I am close with because there is no telling when they may leave my life for good.

The Kite Runner Kransberger

                 Where is the Love
My heart is cracked for people hurting now
They can't control the cards that nature took
Yet pain is caused by hateful minds that vow
Some kinds of humans rank by how they look

Our world is one composed of hate not love
Be kind and accept must be foreign words
A change can occur we can rise above
A new breed of human emerges in herds

And watch in their new hearts love rings for all
They accept others instead hope they fall
   
I wrote my sonnet about racism which is a prominent theme in The Kite Runner. Hassan is looked down upon even as a child due to things about his physical appearance he has no control over. The Taliban targeted him ultimately ending his life simply because he was living in a big house alone with his family as a Hazara. This is not simply a middle Eastern problem however, America struggles with racism as well. I connect that part of the book to all of the police brutality incidents that plague our newspaper headlines. It makes me sick to my stomach that some people really believe they have earned superiority simply by being born looking a certain way. It is my generation's job to create a new breed of humans blind to race in both our children and ourselves.

          Perfect Two
A best friend is a blessing
Through anything I'm guessing
By your side they will stay
Without a thought of going away
A person in the universe made just for you
Together as a pair you are the perfect two

When things get hard and people drift
It is normal to feel a rift
Time may pass without a call
It feels like they would no longer catch you if you fall

Time mends all wounds however
And your friendship is the biggest treasure
So that means at the end of the day
You know who you want around when you're becoming old and grey

A best friend is a blessing
This is a fact I'm stressing

This rhyming poem was inspired by Hassan and Amir growing up as best friends. When things got complicated the day after Hassan ran the kite, Amir dealt with his emotions by cutting Hassan out of his life.The book begins with him discussing his regret towards his actions that day. When he returns to Afghanistan and discovers Hassan is dead I know in a way his heart was shattered. This makes me think of the people I love the most and how it is important to see past the little things and appreciate your people while you have the chance because best friends are incredible blessings.

       Champion
Victory
The cheering on the streets
Deafening roars of approval
Heart pounding
Hands sweating
Smile emerges ear to ear
This is real
A dream had time and time again
Now a reality
Hours spent preparing
Everything to make this moment
Floating on a cloud of joy
No one can bring down

My final free verse poem is a more positive one. This poem is inspired by the emotions Amir must have felt when he was the last kite runner standing. The immense feeling of joy when something that took so much preparation becomes a reality. I connect this to lacrosse and emotions I have actually felt when my team dominates in a tough game. Knowing that you worked the hardest and emerged victorious is one of the best feelings in the world.

Death of a Salesman - Fenneuff

Willy

Always a gentle man

Too afraid to ask for what he needs

Except from his sons –

Then the fighting proceeds.

Always a determined man

Doing whatever it takes

But never enough

To be content.

A dollar on the fridge –

And two dollars for the roof –

Not to mention the washing machine –

And the vacuum.

Next time dear.

I’ll do better next time.

Why won’t he stop insulting his sons?

Will he finally ask to stop travelling so much?

I worry too much

He tells me not to

Think’s he perfectly fine

He doesn’t know what we see

We can see his mind deteriorating

His memory going

Along with his pride.

He still sees his brother

Young Biff and Happy

Even me – years ago.

Thought he was driving the Chevy the other day

A car we have long since retired.

I am scared.

He’s too reckless a driver now

And every time he leaves

I wonder if he’ll come back.

I’m scared that he won’t come back.

It’s only because I know

One day, he won’t.

This was a poem focused on the fears that Linda felt as she watched the mental state of her husband slowly deteriorate. In the play, she constantly goads their sons for not being kind to their father, but she knows that Willy himself is not being the best father to their sons. She understands that he cannot help it, as he is clearly losing his touch with reality and is becoming more and more emotionally unstable, but it upsets her just the same. Linda also constantly fears Willy killing himself, and she reveals this fear to her sons, explaining that the car “accidents” Willy was involved in were no accident. The poem captures Linda’s fears and worries about Willy and her general sadness over what is happening to him.

As I read through “The Death of a Salesman”

As I read through “The Death of a Salesman”

I started off lost and confused

Yet somehow amused

To see him talking to friends and family long past.

As I read through “The Death of a Salesman”

I began to understand

He was no amusing old man

He was a sad, tired, lonely fellow.

As I read through “The Death of a Salesman”

I worried for Willy

I read on aggressively

Hoping for him to obtain a better fitting job.

As I read through “The Death of a Salesman”

The hopes I had were that, simply,

He would soon cease to be

A danger to himself.

As I read through “The Death of a Salesman”

I saw that there was no way

That Willy would ever say

“I’ve worked far too long, I need to rest.”

As I read through “The Death of a Salesman”

I grew increasingly scared

For poor Willy and how he despaired

Over what was happening as his life fell apart.

As I read through “The Death of a Salesman”

My heart hurt

As I turned the page

And felt immense sorrow

For the fictional characters

In the story.

This poem explains how I, as I read through Miller’s play, was drawn into the story and became empathetic toward Willy. I became invested in the characters, and was hoping for a happy ending, but not expecting one. At the end of the story, I was devastated to read what happened to Willy, and was effected very deeply.

About A Salesman

A salesman who desires only success

Seems that his energy never expires

Working to satisfy his family

No one could suspect he would ever tire

The man wants only to live lavishly

Like the story he heard quite long ago

Working hard as he can daily, nightly

His main motivator is his ego

Despite his constant and steady protests

There is no more hiding his condition

Fighting his age, and losing the contest

Working hard’s only more ammunition

There is no more hiding the truth of it

He can’t go on, it’s time for him to quit

This sonnet is written about Willy and how hard his life became to be. A combination of Willy’s flashbacks and present-day conversations explained Willy’s desperation to be a wonderful, powerful, and wealthy salesman, idolizing a story he once heard of a salesman who was extremely well respected. However, with age, this goal became harder and harder to obtain until it eventually became clear that Willy was completely unstable. He could no longer work as hard as he used to be able to and he was not going to be able to become the powerful salesman that he had once wished to be.