Relationships

There are a variety of relationships people have with one another. In this unit we were speculating on different types of relationships. Therefore, we came to cross three different poems from three auspicious times.

The first poem we analyzed was, "How Is Your Heart" by Charles Bukowski. The poem is filled with complexities, and dysfunctional thoughts. When you read it, you know that it isn't exactly positive or pleasant type of story, but it is mentioned many times in the poem that he feels content. The poem talks about all the difficult times he has been through, yet it somehow seems like he enjoys the misery of the life he lives. Enjoyment of difficulties. Since things were never good for him, after all the bad experiences, all that matters to him is how well he survives it all. In the end, what is gathered by the poem from most, is that if you have a good relationship with yourself, you can go through the toughest of times.

The second poem we discussed as a class was, "To A Stranger" by Walt Whitman. This poem is about someone who has difficulty expressing himself. The person knows how he feels, but he also feels like it's wrong to feel that way. The entire poem seems to be a dream. It clearly talks about his addiction to the presence of a stranger, yet the stranger is familiar. It says "you must be he I was seeking, or she I was seeking" then it contradicts with "I ate with you, and slept with you.." It seems as if this person has a deep attraction to this stranger. It's all played out in his head, his imagination running wild into a fantasy. This kind of relationship happens to people with dysfunctional pasts.

The third poem we read was, "Unentitled" by Jennifer L'Hirondelle.  This poem is the least alike to the other two. It is more positive. Throughout the poem Jennifer talks about how she is in a place far away from home, but she feels like she is still at home. There is someone with her, whose presence makes her feel like home. She feels the kind of love that makes you forget the big things, and lets you focus on the little precious details in life. She seems to be aware of her surroundings, as it clearly states, "the salt of this place on our tongues, and in our nostrils"

Relationships can be very complex, or very simple- depending on the kind of person you are, and how your life was in the past. It effects people in all kinds of ways. There's a very thin line between love that is good for you, and love that is bad. Either way, everyone has some kind of it in their lives.

Sukhleen Bachra