By: Faith Chung
Present
I am a present.
Special, treasured, cherished.
Received with loving arms.
Filled with worth and significance.
But I am not a second-handed thing.
Owned, stuck, trapped.
To be passed through generations like an heirloom.
To be thrown away after all my use is gone.
I am a person.
Living, valued, respected.
To be judged by my morals not my skin.
To birth innocent children without shackles and chains.
I am no longer a present.
For I am free.
I like you structured this poem--each of the first three stanzas start with a statement, and then the second lines contain three adjectives. Then, the last stanza is different from the others.
ReplyDeleteI like how you are giving voice to an historic person. This seems much more vibrant than other accounts of Oney's life.
ReplyDeleteWhen i first read this I pictured it being from the perspective of a modern person- but it was not until after reading some of the other posts, that i realized it was from Oney's perspective. I am not sure if that makes a difference or not. What do you think?
Hi. Faith;
ReplyDeleteI very much enjoyed hearing from you today during our discriptive review about what inspired you to write this piece on Oney Judge and one of most powerful parts of the piece was were you refer to Oney in the beginning as a present but in the concluding stanza you refer to her as no longer being a present. Could the use of the word present also signify the idea that in some ways, Oney is still present?
This powerful piece got me thinking about all the uses of the word present as more than just a gift.
ReplyDeleteI love the first line of your second stanza: "But I am not a second-handed thing." It evoked some great ideas and connections for me. I also liked your use of the word present. I was thinking of the many meanings of the word as I read your poem: present as in gift, or present as in being present in the moment. I wonder if that plays into your meaning at all.
ReplyDelete- Michelle Lubonski, PhilWP TC
You've imbued Oney with so much boldness and conviction. I like how you begin with the conventional idea of presents being something positive, but then turn that idea on its head.
ReplyDeleteBeautifully written! As a mother "To birth innocent children without shackles and chains" speaks to my heart. I look forward to sharing this with my children and hearing their thoughts.
ReplyDeleteThis writing resonates both in the past and today. The word “Humanistic” stands out for me after reading your beautifully written piece!
ReplyDelete