The poem The Tray (p.105) is a short little poem. It’s almost like its explaining what the phrase “every cloud has a silver lining”, that whatever goes on in the day whether it be displeasing or distressing that there are still those little highlights of the day. Even if that one highlight is sitting down and spending time with people, no matter their own history, or their people’s history, is. Nobody needs to talk for you to feel a connection with others, just sharing a nice peaceful moment is enough to create a pleasant memory.
The other poem Trenches and Moats and Mounds of Dirt (p. 117) is possibly twice the length of The Tray, but holds just as much meaning. At first it describes a changed and ruined land, “…a bird rises from the cloth to fly in circles over a scene she does not recognize. Where is her nesting place, the safe slot between branches?” This passage may not represent displaced animals but also the displaced Palestinians. Some people lose their families in a matter in minutes, it is a saddening fact and worse is that it doesn’t just happen in the Middle East. People will always conflict with one another, usually ending in fights and wars. There is such a language “called Mean” that I would gratefully see die (if it could). While the ‘Mean’ language goes extinct we should all make friends in the least expected of places, making the chances of fighting die of with each friendship that we forge.
Although these poems are rather different, they also seem to be linked in some aspect as well. The second poem deals with being able to get along, building friendships, and peace. The first peom is dealing with enjoying other people's company even if there is no talking. These connections with people and the relationships that people can have, loosely ties the two poems togehter.
ReplyDeleteThere is some kind of silver lining behind all the poems. Nye seems to be finding the silver lining in the most simple experiences to the most tragic. Its seems that she is trying to give people a more positive perception through most of her writing including these two poems.
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