Walden; or, Life in the Woods by Henry David Thoreau

Simplicity and moderation were some of the main themes in this story.  Henry starts the story off building his very   own cabin out of the nature around him.  He then went on to describe how there were people out there taking advantage of people who hadn't built their own homes.  For instance he tells how it cost him just as much to build his house as it would cost to stay at Cambridge College for a year.  Henry then moved on to describes the other faults that society today had.  Such as reading the newspaper and all of the gossip it included when they could be utilizing their time elsewhere bettering themselves.   Through the whole story it appeared as if the author was trying to sell his way of life and persuading people through his philosophy on life.  It is through a simple and modest life that one lives life to its fullest.  Materialistic things such as the railroads and newspapers are unnecessary and only distract people from the true beauties the world has to offer.      

Tornado (inspired by Katrina page 31)

I was born far away

tossing and turning I begin to spin, churning up boxes,
fences and so much more

I was swirling, whirling, I threw down
a wall of hail, falling blocks of pain

Turning the sky green, letting you know I'm here.
Hungrier than you had ever feared.  Howling for more I come for you,
only to devour

everything you once knew.

The Blood Dazzler by Patricia Smith

The collection of poetry put together by Patricia Smith about the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina left me in shock.  Before reading these poems I had a general understanding of what happened when Hurricane Katrina swept through New Orleans, but I never understood the things people did during this natural disaster.  It was after reading these poems that I could finally grasp what exactly people why these things happened.  For instance I never understood as to why anyone would stay through the storm, however I then realized through the poem "Man On The TV Say" that the people had been told to leave so many times before and that some people just couldn't bare to leave all of their things behind.  For Patricia Smith to not even have been in New Orleans and written such graphic and vivid poems just goes to show that she had done a fantastic job at researching the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.  In fact I didn't even know that she was not there until I was told during class, for there were so many believable descriptions of what might have happened in the storm.

Place by W.S. Merwin

The poem by Merwin starts off with a feeling of doom from the very first line by talking about the end of the world.  His last wish was very surprising to me at first for it was not typical answer one would expect.  Instead of wanting to gain something for himself, he wanted to give back to the world.  Then as he explained what kind of try he wanted I began to think of his reasoning behind why he was being specific on the kind of tree that he would want to plant.  I then began to relate the poem to the consumption of resources and how instead of depleting the world of anymore, when he passed away he wanted  the earth to gain something out of his existence.  It then occurred to me that that was not what the poem was getting at, rather he had stated that he  wanted one that would be able to enjoy the beauty the world had to offer. Such as the sun set, rain and clouds passing by which are all things that I think many people take for granted on a day to day basis.  Overall I really enjoyed this short poem and it really proved to me that not everything has to be so complex to be appreciated.  It took a short poem with a simple message in order for me to really look at all the things I have been taking for granted and has really helped me grow to appreciate the little things in life.

Is This Kansas

Throughout this story I had sensed a strong sense of racism.  Even though in the very beginning the author has mentioned that racism no longer exists, she still went on to compare the disaster of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans to a tornado that had run through Iowa City.  In talking about the hurricane it was evident that in the aftermath aid and rescue was not happening nearly as fast as it should have.  The author then tells that reports of looting and violence had run wild throughout the media and even those reports would later be proven to being false people had already become attached to the idea that the people of New Orleans were "savages."  This really made me to start to question the integrity of society and if racism really is at large.  As I read on the author then began talking about her personal experience with a natural disaster in Iowa City.  The tornado there had completely devastated the small town and although looting was occurring reports of the disaster mainly were about neighbors helping each other out in times of need.  The author did a very nice job at showing how the two disasters were treated completely differently.  While I do agree with her that racism does still exist I had a really hard time getting past her very stereotypical view of college students in the Midwest.  Although I maybe only a freshman I have not experienced any of the things that she was talking about.

Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place

Terry Temptest Williams did a very good job at setting the scene right away.  Her description of the Great Salt Lake was as if she was an expert of the region and knew everything associated with the lake.  I really enjoyed her approach in describing things not only by their appearance, but also by their significance scientifically.  As the story progressed we learned of her love for the land as a Mormon and how that had lead to her loving nature.  It was with the removal of the owls that we truly get a  feel for how passionate she is for nature and a glimpse at the anger that begins to form inside of her.  Then Terry switches gears to talk about her grandmothers passing away to cancer.  This part of the story was very emotional for I could feel every bit of pain she must have gone through not only to have a loved one pass away, but to also to have sat there and watched a loved one suffer in more pain than one could even imagine.  This is what I believed was the last time that Terry was going to sit back  and do nothing.  Now she was determined to do something in order to protect everything that she loved.  Thus protesting over the nuclear bombings in Utah made perfect sense to do.