Ignorance is Bliss

A bed to my left

And on the first

And second floor-

Every one is empty,

Except mine.

Could someone help

Get this metal from my wrist?

A tag of enlightenment

I never asked for.

Could someone help

To turn the god awful

Steady beat that’s

Teasing my ears?

I never thought you’d

Disappear from my life

I never thought I’d

Be alone again.

I can help myself -

You won’t have to

Pull the plug.

Embrace by Billy Collins

You know the parlor trick.
wrap your arms around your own body
and from the back it looks like
someone is embracing you
her hands grasping your shirt
her fingernails teasing your neck
from the front it is another story
you never looked so alone
your crossed elbows and screwy grin
you could be waiting for a tailor
to fit you with a straight jacket
one that would hold you really tight.

The voice within the poem is one of someone who feels naive and unworldly. She is forced to hold herself because there is no one else there - she has hit bottom, and although she tries to show others she is okay, she needs help, and not just any kind, but professional. "To fit you with a straight jacket, one that would hold you really tight." - the jacket would be the only thing to hold her as tightly as she needs. "You know the parlor trick" - everything she does is for show, so no one can see how she is really feeling. She wants to hide it from everyone, but is having trouble, "you never looked so alone" and everyone can see it, "from the front it is another story"

The Swell Season - High Horses

There's a light inside us all
It only shines as bright as we are
And you've fallen down so low
I'm really worried for you
I'm really worried

And even on our worst days
we were never quite like this
No
We've gone as far as we can go without crashing
No
At the heart of every fool is the hope you're stupid too
And there's this lingering
This lingering feeling that I'm missing something
I feel like I'm missing something

And even at your worst babe
You were never as bad as this
You've gone as far as you can go without dying

I chose this song because of the ambiguity of it, and how I can relate to it, and I feel that many can, or have been able to at one time in their life. It reminds me of my own writing, and I see it as inspiration. It's the scared truth and the feeling no one likes to feel, but it's honesty.

Performance Q&A

Concentrate -

Stay still, keep silent.

Hold your breath -

And slowly release.

Concentrate -

You'll be just fine.

Don't let yourself be defeated,

Don't let yourself be consumed.

You're better than this.

Don't shake,

Don't dare let him see you tremble -

You are no weak.

Take cover -

He's a threat, an enemy.

This has become a battle,

A war.

This fire is approaching.

You can feel it now,

It's slowly rising -

From your toes to your knees,

It's quickly approaching with poor warning.

It hits your heart - grabs and tears.

Your throat begins to swell,

There is no air left.

You're defenseless now -

You're showing off your vulnerability as your chin begins to dimple.

It hits your freckled nose,

Triggering it to flare.

It creeps slowly to prolong the agony -

How sweet.

Next comes the stinging,

Followed by blurred vision.

As each drop falls, you're consumed.

Drip by drip, he wins.

1) What voice is apparent within your poem? Please describe in detail.

Fear is apparent within my poem – a fear for being found out, and a fear for letting someone get the entire best of you. It’s the gut feeling every one is fearful to have, but it’s inevitable.

2) What type of mood will you try to express when performing your poem in front of the class?

I’ll try to express it in a completely honest mood – letting the apparent emotion of the poem flow. I want the audience to be able to connect and feel the emotion - dramatic.

3) What types of gestures, nonverbals, and or movement will you be incorporating into your performance?

Hand gestures, eye contact, facial expressions

4) What frightens you about this assignment? What seems exciting about this assignment?

I’m terrified to let the poem get to me in front of the class, but I would love for it to get to me.

5) How does performance poetry enhance the meaning of a poem? Be specific.

It allows the poem to be opened up and expressed how it was truly written. Through performance, performers are able to use nonverbal to really connect with the watchers and listeners.