Will mark branilist
1)
read the poem which follows and select the emotions and imagery of a parent's perspective on a child's death that also appear in the sweet hereafter.
"luna rayne" by susan michalski

i hold this tiny thought
in my fist
if my moon girl
could
she'd dance
through the storm puddles
left behind
in my next dream
and sing like rain
on canvas
for one brilliant moment
as i recall

the lonely image of the moon

the feeling of anger like a fist

the feeling of being in a dream

the feeling of living in memories

the feeling of joy one has when dancing

2)read the poem which follows and select the symbols and imagery of death that also appear in the sweet hereafter.
"absence" by amy lowell

my cup is empty to-night,
cold and dry are its sides,
chilled by the wind from the open window.
empty and void, it sparkles white in the moonlight.
the room is filled with the strange scent
of wisteria blossoms.
they sway in the moon's radiance
and tap against the wall.
but the cup of my heart is still,
and cold, and empty.
when you come, it brims
red and trembling with blood,
heart's blood for your drinking;
to fill your mouth with love
and the bitter-sweet taste of a soul.

the cold

the darkness

the moonlight

the sweetness

the empty cup

3)

read the poem which follows and select the emotions and imagery of an outsider's perspective of death that also appear in the sweet hereafter.
"every death is magic from the enemy to be avenged" by brooks haxton

when fever burned the last light out of my daughter's eyes,
i swore to find and kill the ones to blame. men
must mount the long boat in the dark with spears.
at dawn, where the flowering spicebush hid my scent,
i crouched. a young wife, newborn slung across her chest,
came first for spring water. she stooped. my god,
for vengeance, spoke her secret name inside my ear. her god
stepped back with no scream, his right hand at his mouth,
the knuckles clenched between the pointed teeth.

the idea of secrets being told

the idea of assigning blame

the image of the flowering bush

the image of the pointy teeth

the image of the newborn

4)

read the poem which follows and select the emotions and imagery of an outsider's perspective of death that also appear in the sweet hereafter.
"there's been a death, in the opposite house" by emily dickinson

there's been a death, in the opposite house,
as lately as today —
i know it, by the numb look
such houses have — always —

the neighbors rustle in and out —
the doctor — drives away —
a window opens like a pod —
abrupt — mechanically —

somebody flings a mattress out —
the children hurry by —
they wonder if it died — on that —
i used to — when a boy —

the minister — goes stiffly in —
as if the house were his —
and he owned all the mourners — now —
and little boys — besides —

and then the milliner — and the man
of the appalling trade —
to take the measure of the house —
there'll be that dark parade —

of tassels — and of coaches — soon —
it's easy as a sign —
the intuition of the news —
in just a country town —

the image of the undertaker

the numbness of the bereaved

the curiosity of the children

the image of the casket and the procession

survivors looking to the church for comfort

there can be more than one