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The Beautiful World in Ruins - Colour - White

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The Beautiful World in Ruins - Colour - White

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The colour for this poem in my opinion would be the colour white. White represents a sense of silence, a sense of nothingness. The author of the poem states that the sound of ruins are "chewing the bloody feet of time", as if there is simply nothing to do. He explains how there is nothing in the vines, nothing in the silence, no senses of touch, taste or smell. When I personally think of having nothing to do, it makes me feel as if you're in a blank white void. You're just there, surrounded by nothingness. And if there were other colours for example, red, blue, green, then it would have been something, it wouldn't have been a blank white void. It would have reminded me of something such as green grass, blue skies, red autumn leaves, something related to the "beautiful world". This is the reason I have chosen the colour white for this poem, as it shows nothingness, just still silence.

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The Beautiful World in Ruins - Steve Potter

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The Beautiful World in Ruins - Steve Potter

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The beautiful world is in ruins.

Twisted girders protrude from the ground.

Skeletons lay tangled in vines

as nothing flutters by on the wind

waiting for the beginning of time

in the stillness and the silence.

What can you hear in the silence?

The sound of nothing running in the ruins

chewing the bloody feet of time.

The sound of nothing digging the ground

and nothing blown by the nothing wind

as nothing flowers on nothing vines.

And what can you see in the tangled vines?

Nothing struggling with nothing in silence

and nothing waving in the nothing wind

as nothing dances in nothing ruins

of nothing on the nothing ground

as nothing waits for the beginning of time.

What can you taste in the world after time?

Nothing fruit flavors from nothing fruit vines

grown in nothing fruit gardens on brown nothing ground

and nothing soup nothing in nothing stone silence

as nothing cooks nothing in the nothing ruins

of nothing sweet nothing blown by the wind.

And what can you smell on the nothing wind?

Nothing, nothing, the absence of time,

nothing wood burning in the nothing world ruins

and nothing fruit rotting on the nothing fruit vines

and nothing tea brewing in nothing world silence

and nothing spices not being ground.

And what can you feel on the ruined ground?

Nothing dust blown by the nothing wind

and nothing hands rubbing nothing in silence

as nothing does nothing to nothing in time

and nothing gets tangled in the nothing vines

of nothing, nothing, nothing in the ruins.

Nothing surrounds the nothing ruins on the nothing ground

but nothing vines of nothing in the nothing wind

of nothing, nothing, no time, nothing, nothing, nothing but silence.

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The Beautiful World in Ruins - Symbol - A blank, white void

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The Beautiful World in Ruins - Symbol - A blank, white void

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The symbol for this poem should be a blank white void. The author keeps on repeating the word "nothing", symbolising literally nothing. It's like floating in simply nothingness, not having any clue what to do. It is like as if the poem itself is telling us the eerie feeling of just, well, nothing. Just imagine being in a blank white void, with the "nothing vines" and the "nothing flowers". I believe that these "nothing" things just represent that there is none of that thing anymore. Like the "nothing flowers", could mean that there are no flowers, or perhaps the "nothing waving in the nothing wind", shows that there is no wind and nothing waving. Since everything just represents nothingness, I believe that a blank, white void is the perfect symbol for this poem.

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The Beautiful World in Ruins - Sound of Cutting down trees

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The Beautiful World in Ruins - Sound of Cutting down trees

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This poem could also have another meaning. You see where it keeps on saying "nothing vines", "nothing flowers" and all, it could mean that humans on Earth are killing the planet. They are constantly contributing to climate change, deforestation, global warming, the releasing of greenhouse gases. This is also why poor animals are going extinct. The verse "nothing struggling with nothing in silence" could mean that there are no animals in the forests, struggling in the vines of the trees, struggling in the day to day challenges of being prey for another animal. And this is because humans have killed all animals, cut down all trees, so if there is any animal out there, they don't even care anymore if they are hunted down by humans, relating with the "nothing struggling". According to this new meaning, a sound that could relate with this poem is the sound of deforestation, cutting down trees. Since humans cut every tree down, consumed up everything, taken everything our planet Earth has to give, the sound of cutting the last few trees matches this poem with its new meaning. Just the simple sound of the last few trees on Earth being cut down.

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My mother tells me to fix my hair.

And by “fix,” she means straighten. She means whiten.

But how do you fix this ship-wrecked history of hair?

The true meaning of stranded, when trusses held tight like African cousins in ship bellies, did they imagine that their great-grand-children would look like us, and would hate them how we do? Trying to find ways to erase them out of our skin, iron them out of our hair, this wild tangle of hair that strangles air.

You call them wild curls. I call them breathing. Ancestors spiraling.

Can’t you see them in this wet hair that waves like hello?

They say Dominicans can do the best hair.

I mean they wash, set, flatten the spring in any loc — but what they mean is we’re the best at swallowing amnesia, in a cup of morísoñando, die dreaming because we’d rather do that than live in this reality, caught between orange juice and milk, between reflections of the sun and whiteness.

What they mean is, “Why would you date a black man?”What they mean is, “a prieto cocolo” What they mean is, “Why would two oppressed people come together? It’s two times the trouble.”

What they really mean is, “Have you thought of your daughter’s hair?”

And I don’t tell them that we love like sugar cane, brown skin, pale flesh, meshed in pure sweetness. The children of children of fields. Our bodies curve into one another like an echo, and I let my curtain of curls blanket us from the world, how our children will be beautiful. Of dust skin, and diamond eyes. Hair, a reclamation.

How I will break pride down their back so from the moment they leave the womb they will be born in love with themselves.

Momma that tells me to fix my hair, and so many words remain unspoken. Because all I can reply is, “You can’t fix what was never broken.”

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This poem is quite heart-touching. A mother would usually support a daughter, but here, in this poem, a mother is telling a daughter to "fix her hair", just because it's curly. The daughter in this poem states that "you can't fix what was never broken". She says this because she is proud of having thick, curly hair, and she says that her hair represents "ancestors spiralling". She also mentioned African cousins and people asking her mother "why would you dates a black man?" and all sorts of questions, but she says that they really mean to ask if her mother as thought about her daughter's hair. In my understanding of this poem, the mother is ashamed of her daughter's hair turning out all curly and "African" because she might have married an African person. She is ashamed because everyone keeps on asking her various questions. But, the daughter in the poem states that she loves her curls and it is a sign of her ancestors genetics. She promotes diversity and unity, representing a mustard yellow colour. It's like being diverse and having a mix of people, a wide range, understanding each other. Mustard yellow is a colour you can't quite get your head around. It's different, it's just a new thing. And being diverse can be quite new to some people, so as the daughter might tell the mother that she likes her curls, the mother might start feeling a little new to diversity. Again, if there was another colour, lets say white, red, purple, then they are all colours that we are quite familiar with. Diversity is including new people from all sorts of places, and mustard yellow, the colour itself, is not really a colour that the majority of people would be familiar with.

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Hair - Sound - The chitter and chatter of the forest

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Hair - Sound - The chitter and chatter of the forest

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Again, relating to the idea of diversity, the peaceful chitter chatter of the forest perfectly fits with this poem. With all the different animals such as cheetahs, parrots, tigers, toucans, sloths, red pandas and more, making their own noises, tuning in with the forest. Of course, a toucan and a sloth are not the same animal, just like how two people are not the same, even if they are identical twins. They have some differences. What country they come from, what their favourite food is, what religion they follow. And this poem, may it be about hair, but the daughter in the poem with the curly hair well and truly wishes for diversity. The verse "Can’t you see them in this wet hair that waves like hello?", in my opinion, shows how the girl is telling us that its fine if you have curly hair, your hair is a part of you after all. The poem wants people to accept who they are, to be proud of their cultures and traditions, even if people might not like them. Your own cultures and traditions are not something to be ashamed of. So, just like how there are many languages in the world, many cultures and traditions, many religions and races, the sound of various animals making the forest turn alive just fits ever so perfectly into this poem.

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I chose the symbol to be old, native land. The poem mentioned ancestors and their genetics, and the first thing that came to my mind was native land. Native land is usually passed on to generations of the next families that come from the same family tree. Back to the verse "You call them wild curls, I call them breathing. Ancestors spiralling.", represents how the girl appreciates her genetics, she loves her curly hair. If we were to conclude that the mother in the poem really did marry an African man, and if they had a child, then she/he would have had some African genetics in them. In this case, the daughter has curly hair, which can be a part of the African genetics, which came down from several ancestors or so. Just like how native land is generally passed on, these genetics are also passed on. If the daughter in the future has a child, then her child would have some of those African genetics. This is something her mother doesn't like. She doesn't prefer her daughter's curly hair, telling her to "fix" it. The daughter on the other hand will not "fix" her hair as she respects her ancestors and acknowledges them. So, just like native land is passed down, in this poem, these genetics are passed down, but the mother seems to go against this because she feels ashamed.

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I personally think that the colour dark blue perfectly suits this poem. Why? The reason why is because the father in the poem has lots of questions and doubts such as "Am I strong enough to plead . . ." or "Would we reach the desperate boats of the Mediterranean in time?" or "Could you inflate your body into a buoy to hold your child . . ." You see, it seems as if the father is overthinking and trying to find answers to his different doubts. And all of this is for his daughter, that is very precious to him. He has a sense of sadness mixed with doubts and plead. He has a feeling of doubt for the people in Syria, who are currently trying to push through the border and go in some place save. He feels unconfident. The father in the poem tries to hush his daughter and he hopes for the best for those refugees/migrants. This relates to the colour blue, blue as in sadness, doubt and fear.

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My 16-month old daughter wakes from her nap

and cries. I pick her up, press her against my chest

and rub her back until my palm warms

like an old family quilt. “Daddy’s here, daddy’s here,”

I whisper. Here is the island of Oʻahu, 8,500 miles

from Syria. But what if Pacific trade winds suddenly

became helicopters? Flames, nails, and shrapnel

indiscriminately barreling towards us? What if shadows

cast against our windows aren’t plumeria

tree branches, but soldiers and terrorists marching

in heat? Would we reach the desperate boats of

the Mediterranean in time? If we did, could I straighten

my legs into a mast, balanced against the pull and drift

of the current? “Daddy’s here, daddy’s here,” I

whisper. But am I strong enough to carry her across

the razor wires of sovereign borders and ethnic

hatred? Am I strong enough to plead: “please, help

us, please, just let us pass, please, we aren’t

suicide bombs.” Am I strong enough to keep walking

even after my feet crack like Halaby pepper fields after

five years of drought, after this drought of humanity.

Trains and buses rock back and forth to detention centers.

Yet what if we didn’t make landfall? What if here

capsized? Could you inflate your body into a buoy

to hold your child above rising waters? “Daddy’s

here, daddy’s here,” I whisper. Drowning is

the last lullaby of the sea. I lay my daughter

onto bed, her breath finally as calm as low tide.

To all the parents who brave the crossing: you and your

children matter. I hope your love will teach the nations

that emit the most carbon and violence that they should,

instead, remit the most compassion. I hope, soon,

the only difference between a legal refugee and

an illegal migrant will be how willing

we are to open our homes, offer refuge, and

carry each other towards the horizon of care.

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Care is a poem about a father wanting peace and freedom. He wants people to live in harmony, to help refugees and not think of them as terrorists. He regularly questions and doubts himself, if other people will help the refugees in Syria, if those people trying to escape the terrorism in that country. In a line, the father says "I hope your love will teach the nations that emit the most carbon and violence that they could, reemit the most compassion." The father wants countries to positively help refugees, but once again, with the influence of stereotypes, many people think of refugees from the middle east as terrorists or bad people. Just because someone comes from Syria, Afghanistan, Palestine or anywhere from the middle east, doesn't mean that they are from the Taliban group, that they have guns and would shoot anyone who opposes them. Yes, some people do come from the Taliban terrorist group, or they have a gun with them, but that doesn't mean that the other people from the middle east are like these horrible people. Also, some people who do have a gun, some of them don't shoot at people like crazy or for their own satisfaction. The father wants people to know that those refugees are not "suicide bombs", they are not going to terrorise people. They just want peace and freedom, hence relating to the peace symbol.

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This poem has two sides to it, a side a hope and a side of doubt. The father really hopes that people help refugees or at least help support their border crossing. On the other hand, he doubts that the world would do anything to help. He questions himself, would the world really help those refugees? Would they really even want them to be freed? Or do they just think of them as terrorists, wanting to terrorise the new country that will soon give them a spot to reside in? This reminds me of the verse "Daddy's here, Daddy's here, I whisper.", as the verse shows how comforting the father is to his child. He wonders if other children in refugee centres are treated like this, This is just like the sounds of the ocean, that also has 2 sides to it. One side is the ocean being normal, slow, gentle waves swishing and swaying through the night. But then a huge wave crashes over, breaking the peacefulness apart. I think of the slow gentle waves as the hopes that the rest of the world is going to help the refugees, while the huge, unpredictable waves or sea storms are the doubts that the father is facing. This is why I believe that the sound of the ocean at night is perfect for this poem.

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The key idea in this poem from my perspective is hope. The father hopes that those refugees get out of Syria safely and are offered a good place to live. He wonders what would happen to him if he was a refugee, if he and his daughter were currently passing the border. He hopes that the rest of the world helps those refugees get to a safe place soon. He hopes that people don't mistaken the innocent refugees as terrorists or "suicide bombs". The whole poem is based around hope.

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Remember the sky that you were born under,

know each of the star's stories.

Remember the moon, know who she is.

Remember the sun's birth at dawn, that is the

strongest point of time. Remember sundown

and the giving away to night.

Remember your birth, how your mother struggled

to give you form and breath. You are evidence of

her life, and her mother's, and hers.

Remember your father. He is your life, also.

Remember the earth whose skin you are:

red earth, black earth, yellow earth, white earth

brown earth, we are earth.

Remember the plants, trees, animal life who all have their

tribes, their families, their histories, too. Talk to them,

listen to them. They are alive poems.

Remember the wind. Remember her voice. She knows the

origin of this universe.

Remember you are all people and all people

are you.

Remember you are this universe and this

universe is you.

Remember all is in motion, is growing, is you.

Remember language comes from this.

Remember the dance language is, that life is.

Remember.

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The first thing that comes to my head when reading this poem is pastel green. To me, pastel green shows a sense of calm, a sense of remembrance and gratefulness, which are two key ideas in this poem. The poem tells us to remember our mother, our father, our family, the Earth, the Universe, and how we should be kind, caring and giving at all times. The Earth gave us so much; food to eat, water to drink, fresh air to breathe in, oceans for relaxing swims at the beach, homes to live in, awesome sceneries to look at and so much more. For example, the verse "Remember the earth whose skin you are.", represents how we should remember the Earth and be thankful that we are able to live in a beautiful planet like this. We should be grateful and be giving, always ready to help. Pastel green makes me think of a pure person, innocent, happy, always helping, kind to the Earth, cares for their family and friends and more. We should be more like that person. We should be a better human being. This poem reminds me that their is always a second chance and being a better you. Pastel green reminds me of soft grass, of spring, of beautiful sceneries. That is why I believe that this poem's colour should be pastel green.

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When I first read this poem, it immediately made me think of a loving, caring family. People who are always there for you no matter what. In the verse "you are evidence of her life, and her mother's and hers." This verse uses the repetition of the word her/hers. The meaning behind this is how your legit the evidence of you mum's life, and her mum, and hers. How you should be grateful of your ancestors, how you should be grateful for your past. Your mother and father and siblings love you so much, you should always remember them even in the hardest of times. That sentence is what this poem is shouting at me. This poem means so much. It teaches every single human being that we should always be grateful and thankful for everything we have. It tells us about how happy we should be in life, just like a happy, loving family, casually admiring life. Not just that, but we need to cate for the environment. In the verse "Remember the plants, trees, animal life who all have their tribes, their families, their histories, too." This verse advises how we should be aware of other life around us that is living their life, and how we all share this Universe. We need to go hand in hand, again representing a loving family.

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Remember is a poem that also tells us to slow down in life and adore the little things. Sometimes we need to slow down in life and be thankful of what we have. We need to slowly kill the greed inside us, always wanting more, always thinking of having more. We need to be more grateful. We need to remember that we are not the only people sharing this life. I am not the only person living in this Universe. The verse "Remember you are all people and all people

are you.", reminds me of how everyone and everything and every living being, and how all of us are equal. There are billions of millions of creatures, living beings, animals, plants, humans, sea creatures, so much that takes a place in our day-to-day lives. We need to remember them. By doing this, we kill greed, we kill anger, we kill the want of power, the want of having more than others. We give birth to thankfulness and happiness. Slowing down reminds me of peaceful sleep music. The hush and slow notes of piano soothing one to sleep. This sound related to the poem as the poem is telling us to slow down ourselves and to take time and just admire the small things around us.

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Volcano surfing

is a sport in which a person

rides down an active volcano

at speeds up to 50 miles per hour

using nothing but a wooden board.

When I heard about this activity,

I thought to myself,

it must be nice to feel so safe,

you have to invent new ways to

put yourself in danger.

When the body

thinks it may be swallowing its last breath,

the adrenal glands release hormones into the blood,

the skin becomes a cocktail of sweat and fear,

the heart gets claustrophobic,

the lungs become newlyweds

holding hands in a crashing airplane.

This is called an adrenaline rush.

I was 18 when I started driving.

I was 18 the first time I was pulled over.

It was 2 am on a Saturday.

The officer spilled his lights all over my rearview mirror,

he splashed out of the car with his hand already on his weapon,

and looked at me the way a tsunami looks at a beach house.

Immediately, I could tell he was the kind of man

who brings a gun to a food fight.

He called me son

and I thought to myself,

that’s an interesting way of pronouncing “boy.”

He asks for my license and registration,

wants to know what I’m doing in this neighborhood,

if the car is stolen,

if I have any drugs

and most days, I know how to grab my voice

by the handle and swing it like a hammer.

But instead,

I picked it up like a shard of glass.

Scared of what might happen if I didn’t hold it carefully

because I know that this much melanin

and that uniform is a plotline to a film that

can easily end with a chalk outline baptism,

me trying to make a body bag look stylish for the camera

and becoming the newest coat in a closet full of RlP hashtags.

Once, a friend of a friend asked me

why there aren’t more black people in the X Games

and I said, “You don’t get it.”

Being black is one of the most extreme sports in America.

We don’t need to invent new ways of risking our lives

because the old ones have been working for decades.

Jim Crow may have left the nest,

but our streets are still covered with its feathers.

Being black in America is knowing there’s a thin line

between a traffic stop and the cemetery,

it’s the way my body tenses up

when I hear a police siren in a song,

it’s the quiver in my stomach when a cop car is behind me,

it’s the sigh of relief when I turn right and he doesn’t.

I don’t need to go volcano surfing.

Hell, I have an adrenaline rush every time an officer

drives right past without pulling me over

and I realize

I’m going to make it home safe.

This time.

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The first verse I read from the poem, "Volcano surfing," , I immediately thought of a person risking their life for thrilling adventures. But as I dived deeper into the poem, it had more meaning to it. The verse "it must be nice to feel safe, you have to invent new ways to put yourself in danger." talks about how this person is feeling like he is in constant danger, in fear. The person in the poem is black and he talks about how he doesn't need to go volcano surfing, he says that being black is "one of the most extreme sports in America." He says this because he gets an adrenaline rush every time there are cops around him or driving past him. He has the constant fear of being caught, marked as "Wanted", even though he hasn't done anything wrong. I believe that the colour dark grey suits this poem because it represents fear. The "quiver" in his stomach - fear - represents dark grey. This poem is quite dark and gloomy, constantly talking about fear, again relating to the colour dark grey. The boy in the poem always fears cops and police, because he knows/believe that many people follow stereotypes, such as "because that guy is black, they probably do drugs etc.". This is why I strongly believe that this poem represents the colour dark grey.

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Adrenaline Rush is a poem which has a lot of deep meaning to it. Racism, drugs, cops, black people, that's only the surface. The feeling of being captured by the police just because you are black, being blamed because you are black, being judged on based on stereotypes because you are black is what the boy is talking about in this poem. Connecting back to the verse, "This is called an adrenaline rush,", the boy states how being black in America is the most dangerous sports. He doesn't need to go volcano diving when he is already black. He is in constant fear, worry, never knowing what is going to happen next. Just like a tsunami; one second you're having the best time at the beach, maybe having a good old swim or a chilled lemonade. But then, in the next moment, half the city is filled with water, gushing inside of buildings, slowly and silently drowning the population. The reason I chose a tsunami as the symbol is because it relates with the poem quite a lot. A moment before the boy notices the cop, he would have been most likely driving peacefully, not knowing the future to come. Then suddenly the cop arrives, making the boy nervous, stressed, what not. Turns out its nothing, and the poor boy continues driving his car, still thinking about the cop, still in fear of what would happen next.

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I chose the sound of a heart beating for this poem as this poem repeatedly talks about fear and stereotypes. The boy in the poem, he talks about how his body tenses up when he hears a police siren in a song. This is because he is scared and he fears about what might happen to him if he was one day caught and chucked in jail because he is black. When you fear something, or whenever you are nervous or you feel your anxiety kicking in, your heart starts to beat rapidly. This can also happen when you are extremely excited or happy. "I don't need to go volcano surfing." The boy says this because he doesn't need his heart to beat fast or to get those adrenaline rushes for fun or for some entertainment. He already gets them because of fear, because of the huge amount of stereotypes that people use against many different people from different races. In this case, that's black people. So, the sound of a heart beating relates to this poem and the key idea of fear; being scared of the mass population that discriminates black people because they are black, being scared of being judged because you are black, being scared of being accused for some crime since you are black. And being scared makes your heart beat, really fast.

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A wall is like a knife

It slices a city in half

One half is on the east

The other half is on the west

.

How tall is this wall?

How thick is it?

How long is it?

Even if it were taller, thicker and longer

It couldn’t be as tall, as thick and as long

As China’s Great Wall

It is only a vestige of history

A nation’s wound

Nobody likes this wall

.

Three metres tall is nothing

Fifty centimetres thick is nothing

Forty-five kilometres long is nothing

Even a thousand times taller

Even a thousand times thicker

Even a thousand times longer

How could it block out

The clouds, wind, rain, and sunshine of the heavens?

.

And how could it block out

The currents of water and air?

.

And how could it block out

A billion people

Whose thoughts are freer than the wind?

Whose will is more entrenched than the earth?

Whose wishes are more infinite than time?

.

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This poem's key idea is about freedom and how no one likes the Great Wall of China because it separated the country in a way. For foreigners, it may seem like a mere tourist attraction made in the old days, but for the author of this poem, Ai Qing, he thinks that the Great Wall of China is a divider. This poem is a mix of deep meaning and light/airy. It talks about blocking out millions of people, whose "thoughts are freer than the wind? Whose will is more entrenched than the Earth?" . This verse talks about how this wall of China blocks out so much innocent, amazing stuff. People with curiosity, rights and wishes. The blocking is the dark, deep meaning side. I believe that another key idea that this poem talks about is not to have grudges with many people. For example, if you have a fight with your friend and then you hold grudge for a long time, while you're holding that grudge, you won't feel better. You will feel lazy, unmotivated, depressed. If you get rid of your grudge, you will be more free, airy, active, fun. Light and airy, just like the colour light blue. The Great Wall of China was made to protect China from foreign invaders. Although this wall is now an amazing, ancient tourist site, it is still a memory of a grudge once held. In this poem, the author states that "nobody likes this wall." as it is "only a vestige of history." This means that the Great Wall of China is only going to erase or disappear from history, it's a nation's wound, and according to this poem, no body is going to care. Soon everyone will go on with there lives normally, again representing the light blue. This poem best relates to the colour light blue as it talks about freedom, being free and having rights.

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I chose a coastline as the symbol for this poem because even though the sand and the sea are different materials, they work together to shape the landscape and form our beautiful coasts. Now, first things first, how does this relate to the poem Wall? Well, in my perspective of this poem, its telling us to not have grudges with people, not to build walls against them. Instead, we should have healthy, balanced relationships with people, just like the sand and the sea. Though you both may have different interests, different tastes, or it may just be that you happen to simply not really like their personality, you cannot really just build a wall to "protect" yourself. Instead, you're actually just not letting yourself get used to different people and their different personalities. So instead of making everybody hate you, just like the verse "nobody likes this wall." , don't create unnecessary walls that will make you lonely. Soon, you will find yourself building walls with everyone, and no one will want to socialise with you because they know that you keep on building walls and that your relationship won't last for too long.

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I chose a thud/thump sound to relate to this poem. Another topic that this poem talks to me is about caring for different relationships, making sure that you aren't too selfish. I mean, I get how selflove is an awesome thing, its great to give yourself some treats now and then, but making everything about you isn't healthy. Imagine this; you have a friend, classmate for example. They tease you for fun. You tell them that you didn't enjoy that, and they say sorry. Matter closed, right? No. It's not closed if one of you decided to hold a grudge because of that one small matter. Or it could be that you help a grudge towards someone because you assume that they are annoying or mean etc. And here comes the sound, thump, thud, and there, you have successfully placed the first brick for your "grudge wall". Again relating to that verse, "nobody likes this wall." , because yes, indeed no-one really likes this wall in the first place because it's a wall made of grudges, memories of bad times. Why can't people let the small, mere things go? Why do they always, ALWAYS have to build walls like this? In the end, they are just going to isolate themselves. And, thump! Wow, you have managed to isolate yourself. If people keep on "thumping down" these bricks for their "grudge wall", then they are only going to make themselves feel more lonely. And thump! You have now managed to destroy your favourite relationships. And all of this is because you decided to make these walls, blocking out people "whose thoughts are freer than the wind."

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Admiring the plane flying across the city

Scenes to look at in delight,

Food to try and places to go

Sounds like the perfect site!

Fire and chaos everywhere

People look like they have drowned

Passengers desperately trying to save their children

While they lie dead on the ground.

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Delightful croissants on my plate

Served with some colorful berries,

I bite one, tasting sour and sweet

But my favorite are cherries

I look at the toast in disgust

It tastes awfully bitter,

I throw up, dying inside

Turns out my sister put in some glitter

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The cockroach

in the coffee cup

skates

past the rings

of previous events,

reaching

for the rim of the world,

trying to escape

the hell that lies

waiting

at the bottom.

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Bright purple is a colour that in my perspective symbolises a lot of things going on at once. It shows a new start, lots of energy, escape into your own realms. It presents a feeling to the audience, the feeling of everyhthing going at once, the action, everything that the human brain has to intake and understand. The poem Cockroach, when we take it literally, about a roach in a coffee cup, trying not to drown in the coffee, but to reach "the rim of the world,", the rim of the cup, so that it can survive. But, looking at this little insect trying to survive, I see myself instead. "Trying to escape the hell that lies waiting at the bottom.", this verse shows me trying to escape the moment when my week is jam-packed, the times where there are assignments in every place, English, science, maths, French, geography, physical education. I can see myself struggling to keep up with all of these assignments so I decide to plan my week out. In relation to the colour bright purple, this can be seen as all the action happening, all the things a human brain must intake in days like this. But, alas, life sometimes doesn't work out like you want it to. Sometimes you have to face what is waiting at the bottom because of your previous actions. For example, if I decided to binge watch shows all afternoon after school, then I would have been shocked with all the work and assignments I have not been able to finish because of my lack of time management skills. But, sometimes my time management skills are top-notch. Seeing myself in that cockroach, whenever I have superb time management skills, I easily reach "the rim of the world", and save myself from being engulfed with work. I am a PC. If I get too much work, I overload. If I manage everything perfectly, I work just fine. Other things I noticed in this poem is that it is a short-form poem. It only has 31 words, which is under 60 words.

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The poem Cockroach in my opinion shows a small slice about life. This is not only my chosen symbol for the poem, but this is also a quality of a short-form poem. Short-form poems such as this one usually show moments in our lives, whether it be direct or indirect. I chose life as the symbol for this poem because this poem may be mere, but it shows a lot in your life. Back to the verse "Trying to escape", it can represent multiple things. You could be trying to escape the amount of work you have at school, you could be trying to literally escape from jail or something, you could be trying to escape into an imaginary realm that only exists in your head, you could try to escape reality by getting lost into books, music, movies, whatever catches your interest. I personally love escaping reality and getting deeply immersed within something that someone else might call "a mere book". The verse "skates past the rings of previous events,", also has various meanings. You could be trying to forget some sad memories that lay deeply in your head, you could be trying to flush away those times and start new again, you could be trying to take away those toxic people in your life that are no use to you, but of course, keep an okay-good relationship with them as you probably don't want to get into fights or huge arguments. As shown from two verses with a huge amount of meanings to them, it is clear that this poem shows slices of life indirectly to the audience.

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I made this poem go from your own personal problems (work overloads, relationships etc), to a whole new level. Back to the verse "Trying to escape", there is another, more legit, but more humanised way of interpreting this poem. It could be a slice of life, a moment where you could be witnessing a person on the verge of life, or maybe its you that's on the verge of life. Holding onto a cliff, hanging from what looks like a fall of miles. Shivering, not being able to feel your hands as you slowly start to freeze in the intense cold in the Antarctic. Water gushing into your lungs as your heart aches but you can't move a muscle; it feels as if the water's is holding you down harder, pulling you more as you try to call out for help. This person calling for help could be you, your friend, a random stranger, literally anyone. This doesn't have to be a person actually shouting, yelling or screaming for help, they could be doing it indirectly. For example, your friend could be struggling with their mental health, so they need help, but they could be too scared to ask. They are trying to escape, but they cannot.

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Bees

have small furry pelts

hard to keep from getting sticky.

Their languages

are dance and telepathy.

Inside each bee

is delicate machinery

a noisy watch mechanism.

Some kamikaze freely for the Empress.

Others, at the end, look back with pride

on an 8 oz jar in the supermarket.

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As soon as I read the verse "are dance and telepathy.", I thought of bright pink, happiness, cheer and joy. It reminds me of the good moments in life, those important people or places in your life that make you feel better. Unlike the poem Cockroach, the poem Bees reminds me of good times. This poem makes me feel a strong, positive connection. The verse "hard to keep from getting sticky" could mean that a true friend always "sticks" with you. Through the hardest of times, the toughest of times, the worst of times, a true friend will always have your back. Whenever you are feeling blue, feeling unmotivated, not wanting to do a single thing in life, your best friend, a friend who never uses you, a friend who genuinely understand you, a friend who cares for you, will always we by your side. They will be your light when life has gotten dark, they will help you out, help you figure out what you want to do in life, or how to get out of the situation you might be in. They will brighten up your mood, again relating to the colour bright pink. Cheerfulness is a word which you can physically relate to bright colours, yellow, pink, orange. Same goes with happiness, joy, and more. The verse "others, at the end, look back with pride on an 8 oz jar in the supermarket." , reminds me of a true friend being proud about their friend doing something good, whether it be getting a good grade, getting their life together, or just being a better person in general.

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The short-form poem, Bees, reminds me of friendship. A true friendship shared between a group of friends can be the best thing you could ever wish for. These true friendships will never backfire in the future, instead, you will have a loving friend/friend group, hoping for you to succeed, always hoping goodness for you, never hoping for your fall. Your friend will always help you no matter what. Unlike some of the other poems I have analysed, this poem speaks the words of positivity. I can clearly convey meaning from this poem that speaks of friendship. There is a strong sense of community, helping one another in a bee hive, and I think that this has a really strong connection with how human friendships and healthy relationships work. Again, connecting back to the verse "hard to keep from getting sticky,", showing how friends stick together, how true friends work together. True friendships and relationships work out when both people help each other out, not just one person doing all the work to keep the relationship or the friendship together. Again, this relates to the bee hive, where all bees work together to produce honey, to help their Queen Bee and to work hand-in-hand. Both the bee hive and the sense of a true friendship works all together perfectly, isn't it wonderful? Bees have their own unique way of showing their love and gratefulness for their friendship, but so do humans. We have our own ways of communication, and even if it might not be as beautiful and unique as the bees, it still have purpose in keeping those true, healthy relationships and friendships you have with people. For example your favourite teacher is in a bad mood, so to help cheer him/her up, you could comment positively on something about them. This is a way you can strengthen your student-teacher relationship with your teacher.

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Bees - Sound - Laughter & the sound of Nature around us

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Bees - Sound - Laughter & the sound of Nature around us

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Laughter is the best medicine. That's a quote many of you would have heard about. The sound of laughter relates a lot with the idea of friendship in this poem. It represents the happiness and joy you are feeling, it shows the goodness in our lives through a fun and delightful sound. Personally, the verse "is delicate machinery", to me means is referring to a good/true friend. True friend are quite hard to find, and once you find one, they are hard to let go of. Even though the poem could be referring to the bees as "delicate machinery", I believe that the poem is best placed around the idea of friendship. Laughter is also a sign of true friendship. If most of the time, you and your friends are usually happy, then that could be a not-so-good friendship you guys are in. But if you and your friend are usually happy to see each other, you guys have a lot of good, fun memories, or you guys generally laugh a lot, that's a sign of a good friendship. The heart-to-heart conversations you have with your friends once in a while go a long way. They are genuine conversations, sometimes sprinkled with some laughter along the way. They also symbolise a true friendship. I know, in this response I have talked a lot about the symbol for the poem Bees, but its because the sound and the symbol are quite linked together. Back to the sound of laughter, it is a beautiful thing. Just like the buzzing bees in the poem, human friendships have their own sounds, the fun, light-hearted sound of genuine laughter.

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Whoi! Mother, father, mi baby – gone

Whoi! Sister, brother, mi uncle – gone

Whoi! Daughter, mi son, mi family – gone

Whoi! What stain have I bestowed?

.

She held her son, the flesh melted from his bones,

Tears streamed down her cheeks, like raindrops down the window screen.

Unexplainable, undeniable, but beneath the ground he must go

– Singing, mourning, cries of pain –

Who next will suffer this dreadful stain?

.

The sunset kisses the Blue Mountain range,

Darkness covers the Kingston plains.

Tomorrow we shall start again –

Who next will suffer this dreadful stain?

.

The sun seeps over the Caribbean Sea,

Today my brother I shall not see.

Like the petals from roses – gone too soon –

Red ribbons I left on his tomb.

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Unspeakable. As soon as I read the verses "She held her son, the flesh melted from his bones, Tears streamed down her cheeks, like raindrops down the window screen.", instant shock loomed across my heart. I instantly thought of a song that I usually listen to, about a family losing their son. They seemed so sad, so devastated, the loss not only being a pain whenever they come to think of the death, but it genuinely hurts. There's nothing to represent, the word sadness is only a small percentage that the mother could be feeling in the poem. Just like the colour black. Sadness, desperation, depression, there's really no colour to represent these horrible feelings. Imagine if someone you really loved died. You most likely won't be able to even digest what would be going on. You will simply let the feelings take hold of you, just like the colour black. It takes in everything, it holds so much. The verse "Who next will suffer this dreadful stain?" reminds me that this horrible, terrible thing could happen to anyone's family. You start to feel nothing. No pain, except for the sadness, that one moment when you could've been holding your loved one tight, hoping for the best. And now, in the poem, the mother probably feels guilty. She's blaming herself for her son's death, the author's brother's death. She's wondering what would happen if she somehow managed to save her dying child. So now, all she probably feels is nothing, except for the guilt. Just like the colour black. There's something eerie about that colour. It's different.

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When something really bad happens, it feels as if you're floating into the abyss, into complete darkness. Emotions of immense grief and sadness loom around you. Devastation is in every corner of your mind, you don't know how to escape it. It's everywhere, that moment. Vice versa with happy memories. The happy emotions are always with you, but the thing is, grief, and those negative emotions tend to stay with you longer than those hard emotions. Imagine being a father, or a mother, and your son died in your hands. Imagine the challenges that couple felt. Imagine having to live every single day, memories about your son's/daughter's death hovering about. I believe that this poem is about a mother's son going to war, and then being killed. Or it could be that the family is in a terrible state where war is all around the place, and the son sacrificed his life for his family. Just think about it; a once happy family, spending all their time with each other, then boom, way breaks out. Families are separated, some are killed, some are imprisoned. It's simple horrible. In the verse " – Singing, mourning, cries of pain – ", it makes me think of who else has got this horrible thing in their fates. Which other family is going to have to witness the death of their own son, their own child, their own blood. Just imagine the grief, the horror, the devastation. I know I go on and on about grief and devastation, but it's a terrible feeling to go through as a parent.

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Now, after a lot of in-depth meanings with this poem, I'm going for more of a legit reason for the sound. Crying. A natural thing that all humans do when they feel distressed, devastated and mainly when they are sad. In the verse "– Singing, mourning, cries of pain –", there is clear evidence of the mother in the poem crying in pain. Crying in pain because her child died, his "flesh melted from his bones". The verse "Red ribbons I left on his tomb.", showcase the aftermath. The aftermath of the times when moments of grief were too much for you to handle. Let me ask a question. If your best friend died, how much sadness would you feel for them. The bare minimum, you will keep all the feelings to yourself and cry alone. Some might cry out loud, as the emotions have gotten control of you. They make you express your emotions in different manners. Crying out loud is usually when the strong emotions of sadness, distress or even anger, get hold of you can start to control you. Now, when I say control, I don't mean that they make you a hero or a villain of some sort coming straight out of a comic book, I mean that they grab hold of that emotional side of your brain. Us humans, sometimes we get attached to one-another. For example, you and your friend, you guys like each other as friends, you're all happy with cheer and all. Then, when you guys get extremely attached, when a small thing happens to the other person, you immediately jump up and you're ready to help. Attachment is the reason you cry. If you didn't care about your friend, you guys wouldn't be friends, and if something happened to the other person, you guys would most likely not care. That's enough about the meaning of why I chose the sound crying, but in simple words, I chose the sound of crying out loud because it's a simple and well-known way of how some people represent their sad/negative emotions to others.