Sister and Preference Response

            Of the poetry packet, my two favorites were “Sister” and “Preference.” Since we’ve started this class, I’ve had a very hard time relating to the material. I don’t understand this kind of writing through poetry, mostly because my brain isn’t wired this way. However, I read and read over the poetry, trying to gain some meaning from it somewhere. I had aimlessly read through all the poems until I came across the section where these two are at, and I finally was able to understand and get something from them.

            The lines “Did it ever occur to you, boy, that a woman does the best she can? Comment on Stoop So does a man,” really struck home for me. I grew up heavily involved in my church, which we were supposed to be taught to not judge our neighbors. However, I found that to be opposite in my church. Everyone in my church was judging everyone else more heavily than I had seen anywhere else. Which really bothered me for a long time, because what was the point of a church family if they were going to rip each other apart and judge one another. I always felt like people were doing what they could and to the best that they could do it. So when I read these two lines, a lot of old mixed feelings rushed back to me and made me realize that not everyone is on the same level as someone else. And it reminded me that no level is better than another, everyone is at a different place in life and each level is of equal importance.

            The following poem, “Preference,” reminded  me of my life right now. I’m an extremely independent woman. I have a job, an apartment and a car of my own. I’ve worked very hard to be able to support myself, all on my own, without needing someone to take care of me. I don’t want to find a man who I have to rely on to support me, I’m too independent for that. I want a man one day, if at all, that will bring more to the table than money. And if that means that I find a younger man to do so, so be it.

            Not all poetry I can relate to, much like all things in life, however, when I do come across a poem that I relate to, I see that I am able to enjoy it a lot. Hopefully, I will be able to find more that relates to my life now, my past self and eventually what I want in my future self and in that, I will begin to enjoy poetry more altogether.