journey of patience

This is my two voice poem of patience. I choose Odysseus and Penelope because they both took the road of patience and finished the road. The road contained pain but, still they endured it and finished the journey of patience.

Odysseus

Penelope

I long to Return to Ithaca, the sea so challenging and dangerous. Without Penelope and Telemachus My heart feels empty. 2. A gift from Aeolus but, what a hindrance! I tell myself that Penelope will be waiting. Aeolus refuses to help again. The whirlpool causes a shipwreck and washes me ashore the island of Calypso. 3. Escape from Calypso, I am finally at my haven. I Promise on the river Styx I will never let them have Penelope’s hand. Only I Odysseus string the bow. 4. I Odysseus eliminate all the suitors. Finally, there’s only me, Penelope and Telemachus. I have returned home

I long for him to return Waiting for Him day after day year after year, I sit and weave. Without Odysseus My heart feels empty. I miss his smile toward me. I tell myself that Odysseus will be back. I weave by day and unweave by night I will never choose a husband among the suitors. I weave by day and unweave by night I ask the suitors to join the shooting competition. I Promise on the river Styx I will never marry the suitors. Only Odysseus can string the bow. Yet a beggar strings the bow, and eliminates all the suitors. Finally there’s only me, the beggar and Telemachus. He has returned home

What shapes me?

  What labels does he place on the groups to which he belongs? on other groups?

• How did those labels shape the way he perceived his choices? the decision he made?
• Why does he have regrets? Did he make the right choice?
• Would your answer be different if he were a white American?
• Who is the victim in this story–Colón, the woman, or the larger society?

 My thought about Jesus Colon is that he lacks of courage. He limited him self as a black. He mentioned that he was caring, journalist and Puerto Rican. But, when he saw the white lady he just limited himself as a black. If he thought that he is caring, journalist and Puerto Rican he could had offer his help to the lady.

Also the reason why I said he lacked courage is because he was scared what will the lady say. I thought he should have at least offer a help to the white lady even he was afraid what's she going to say. He made a wrong choice, it is a moral duty to help a lady anytime even if you're black and the lady is white. He told himself that he is a black, and if he offer a help he will get refused.

What Do We Do with a Variation?What do we do with a difference?
Do we stand and discuss its oddity
or do we ignore it?
Do we shut our eyes to it
or poke it with a stick?
Do we clobber it to death?
Do we move around it in rage
and enlist the rage of others?
Do we will it to go away?
Do we look at it in awe
or purely in wonderment?
Do we work for it to disappear?
Do we pass it stealthily
Or change route away from it?
Do we will it to become like ourselves?
What do we do with a difference?
Do we communicate to it,
let application acknowledge it
for barriers to fall down?
James Berry
This poem is really connected to Jesus Colon's story. This poem is about the ignorance and taking the differences. He ignored the difference that he could think, that he is a blak but, also a journalist and a caring person. If he took the differences he could have offered a help witha courage. I hope that, this event will make him take the difference but not ignore again.

Pro-democracy is back in Burma

  This painting is drawn by pierre subleyras and it's called as "justice". I could possibly say that the woman is showing Aung San Suu Kyi and what she's holding is Burma's justice and freedom. 


  Aung San Suu Kyi is 65 years old this year and also a former General Secretary of National League for Democracy. In the 1990 general elections her National League for Democracy had won 51% of the citizens. However she was under a house arrest when she got elected. She was under house arrest until 13 November 2010. She was in a house arrest for 15 years. She knew that if she remained silence she could have been released faster and live a peaceful life but she didn't, she never remained silence and stood up for the peoples in Burma. When she was released Burmese citizens went and wore a shirt written "We Support You Suu Kyi"it was really touching.Her facial expression looked as it that house arrest is nothing for my people. She looked peaceful and happy. She had made a great decisions in her life, perhaps a sacrifice. She had decide is she going to protect her family or Burma. She sacrificed her husband and protected Burma while her husband was dieing.It was a great sacrifice she made to remain standing up for the freedom of the Burmese citizens. She could have just give up after her husband died but, she worked even harder to get back the freedom of the citizens.  She didn't sacrifice for herself but, just for freedom, peace and the law. She values everyone's idea and their freedom. She is making people to stand up for what is not right. After I read her story and her speech I asked my self "Did I ever made a difficult decisions or a great sacrifice like her? " I said no of course. Maybe the reason why is I am too young or that I never stood up for other people who needs help. My decisions until now was only "what should I buy?","Where should I go for holiday?" and the some other simple decisions." I think I should be active politically. Because I look upon myself as a politician. That's not a dirty work you know. Some people think that there are something wrong with politicians. Of course, something wrong with some politicians." is one of Aung San Suu Kyi's quote. She calls herself as a politician and she tells that politicians are some wrong. She is not scared to say the government criticizing words if it benefits her society, community and the freedom of her people. 

Are we all connected?

   This picture is drawn by De Es Schwertberger. The painting is called "Connection." The painting is showing two boys hugging and their head is connected and there's a light shining in the part where they're connected. That shows lights only shine when people are connected. The poem No Man Is An Island is John Donne's work. Donne indicates that one person doesn't make the world but it's just a part of the world. It's like a puzzle, one piece doesn't make the whole it's just a part of the whole. Donne says 'if a clod be washed away b the sea, Europe is the less' meaning when even the smallest part of the earth is washed away everyone suffers and is 'diminished'. 


  Our world is connected but, people who should be connected are not connected. When we see a beggar we often treat them like dirt and think that they are not one of us but, they're one of us who hopes to be the part of the whole. You could just make a small donation but, not pitying them, you must donate with your heart reminding him or her that they're one of us too. It's not just the beggars but in my school too. When I see the cleaner ladies and the guards I never gave them a smile instead I told myself that "they're just cleaner ladies why do I have to smile?" or "they're just the guards why do I have to smile?." But they are so important to us because without them we could have a dirty school or a school without any protection. They are also the part of the whole too but I mistreated them. I was foolish to mistreat them because that makes the whole shake or become unstable. "And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee". This says everyone will eventually die, don't ask me who will die."  "Any man's death diminishes me", our ecosystem depends on each other. If one species disappears, others will disappear because they don't have anything to depend on, and soon everything will be destroyed and we human will get effected by that. If something disappear it won't straight away effect us, humans but, it will be critical to us one day. We are all interconnected and interdependent. We need to stop things disappearing or else our life will never be stable but weak and vulnerable. We humans don't really appreciate what we have and just ignore it. The ignorance is like a wind which is trying to shake our life blocks so that the blocks will collapse. We need something to block the wind which is a small hope from everyone, perhaps a smile, perhaps a thank you, perhaps standing up for people when they need help. It shows that we're connected.