Responding To Poems

            Although I was moved by more than just one of the poems, I have chosen to write about the two that touched me the most and brought the most emotion out of me.  I chose to write about “Song of Napalm” by Bruce Weigl, and “Compendium of Lost Objects” by Nicole Cooley. Both of these poems were very heartfelt and emotional.  They both gave me such vivid pictures of the events and made me feel the writers hurt and pain.

   The first poem called “Song of Napalm” was written about a deep and tragic lose.  I can’t even fathom this kind of lose.  A friend of my family lost her daughter about five years ago and I remember the horrid screams when she found out, like it was yesterday.  This is something that no one should ever have to go through, but unfortunately far too many people do.  In the poem Bruce Weigl writes “The lie works only as long as it takes to speak and the girl runs only as far as the napalm allows until her burning tendons and cracking muscles draw her up into that final position” (Weigl: Par. 5).  That brings so much truth and reality to such a tragic event by stating that no matter how you try to mask the pain and lie to yourself it is not going to last.  You will have to face the truth at one time or another.

    The second poem I chose called “Compendium of Lost Objects” was written about a hurricane.  That there is no safe place for your materialistic things, in an event like this.  This poem brought so many realities to me.  I made me realize how important it is to hold on to and cherish the important things in life like family and friends, because at any moment they could be gone.  I have never experienced a hurricane, but I feel this poem can apply to anyone because what’s dearest to you can be taken at any time.  In the poem Nicole Cooley writes “Because, look, none of this fits in a dark wood cabinet for safekeeping. This is an installation for dismantling –never seen again” (Cooley: Line 12).  She is saying no matter how hard you try or how tight you hold on to something or someone, there is not a safe place on this earth to put them that you can reassure their safekeeping, so cherish every God given moment.  

                                                    Works Cited
Weigl, Bruce. "Songs of Napalm".
http://www.thebeckoning.com/poetry/weigl/weigle.html

Cooley, Nicole. Poets.org. Compendium. 2010.
http://www.poets.org/veiwmedia.php/prmMID/21526