when it slides down our houses
We say loss is just a condition
we acquire to bury our pity further
We say the bleeding hands
on the table filled with red wine
imported products and passports
are just reminders of
who we have become
We have no titles no birthright
no groves or Shakespeare
to return to
We apologize for the fear
growing out of our ribs
Apologize for the numbers
still etched on our tongues
Nathalie Handal's creative construction of this poem gives great imagery and thoughts. When she said "We say loss is just a condition we acquire to bury out pity further," it portrays that hardship, struggles and the pity from them can happen to anyone and make a mark on that persons life. Nathalie also went on to say that "We have no titles no birthright" to imply that names can be meaningless and our birth into this world can not be controlled by ourselves. I have also done some research on this author and found that she has lived in many countries and learned many languages. Her experiences are probably why she wrote this.
ReplyDeletethis poem shows alot of imagery. When the author says "We say the bleeding hands on the table filled with red wine" it paints a picture in my mind and I can vividly see the image.
ReplyDeleteI agree that this poem is filled with a lot of imagery. I really like the line that says "We have no titles no birthright no groves or Shakespeare to return to." I think that line is kind of saying we have no reputation to live up to. I also really like the line that says "on the table filled with red wine imported products and passports are just reminders of who we have become."
ReplyDeletethe reason why I like this poem so much is because the word usage Handal writes with makes it seem like she's questioning what they say in the beginning. It is almost as if she is explaining what they believe even though she knows it's incorrect. This is implied through lines such as "We say lightning has no wings...". At the same time, the poem definetly has an apologetic tone to it, as she owns up to the fear.
ReplyDeleteThis poem is very interesting. I think by using "we" the readers can connect better to the poem so when she writes things like, "We have no titles no birthright" it makes us realize that she's talking to us. We don't have a title given to us, we make life out to be what we want it to be. And we shouldn't apologize for what we are.
ReplyDeleteThis is probably one of the more deeper poems I have read in recent time. Like Mariah said, the use of We really does appear as if the author is including us in her thoughts, like we were there while she thought them. The line that really gets me is, "Apologize for the numbers
ReplyDeletestill etched on our tongues" because its puzzling. What does he mean by numbers? Is he saying that we are all the same and only differentiated slightly based on things such as our names?
This poem is pretty deep except I hate how it leaves me sad. I feel guilty and like I should apologize.
ReplyDeleteI like how the imagery of "bleeding hands" and "red wine" makes you think of blood, or at least it does for me. It sets the mood. I also agree with the above comments explaining that the poem is encouraging readers that they have no expectations, nothing to live up to. It almost flows with the idea of Carpe Diem, sieze the day!
ReplyDelete