"Jet Lag" by Eve Robillard

The author, in this poem, loves this women, he wants to keep this long distance relationship up that he visits her all the way across the ocean. It works for a while, but the last time he comes, she tells him she needs to study, and doesn't have time for him--even though he traveled across the world for her, she tells him she isn't coming home in May...It seems she has fallen in love with another---the city. After coming home completely tired and jet lagged, he realizes, this cannot work, and their relationship should end.

"A New Lifestyle" by James Tate

The author of this poem recognizes the problem in our modern society today, we all feel that there is just so much to do in such little time, that we feel there is just no time to sleep, and relax. And the only thing that can help people stay up, is coffee. The poem starts of rather, normal--we find people do drink too much coffee, in the morning, when they drive...but then it is slowly exaggerated, giving the readers a image of a dogcatcher chasing a dog with a net in one hand and a coffee in the other---which is a bit odd. I believe that the author is trying to get to the point and idea that we are slowly getting to the point where people would drink coffee in the most random and awkward situations.

"Prayer Requests at a Mennonite Church" by Todd Davis

In this poem, it contains paragraphs of different prayer requests--to pray for others and their sins. The first prayer request was of a son, who died--getting his clothes caught in the gears--they took this as sin, that it was there fault, that the clothes were made too well.
The second prayer was of another loss, one where the man falls and dyes to his death.
The third prayer was for a family, and their "lost" daughter, how she turns away from God, with tongue/belly piercings, and undignified clothing.
The fourth prayer was for a miscarriage at birth--describing the child half formed, with it's head on one side, and heart on the outside.
The last and final prayer was for a son in war, and that he is a savor, and that they ask for forgiveness from any lives he might take.

Each prayer, seemed to represent each station of the cross in order:
the striping of Jesus' clothes, Jesus falls, Jesus is nailed (pierced) to the cross, Jesus (with his head on one side, lifeless) dyes, and lastly, Jesus resurrects, and is our savior.

"Religion" by Robert Wrigley

This poem, is literally about a dog, and how the dog, was scared of it at first...believing there maybe a foot in it. But later taking it home, always passing by it sniffing it--almost ritually, checking if that "mysterious" foot will come back.

The title "Religion" pretty much speaks for it self, the dog is in a sense, us...the believers, at first scared of the unknown, the all powerful God. (aka: the foot) We take the religion to heart, and into our lives(home) and although we've never actually seen God (foot) we believe that one day it (Jesus/foot) will come back. We go to church weekly, just as the dog visits the shoe, knowing that when we go to church God will not literally be there---but we believe it.

"At the Un-National Monument Along the Canadian Border" by William Stafford

The poem is a contribute to the unrecognized monument, the fields of wars and battles. That very monument is the battlefield that was back then fought on, it represented all the lives lost, it was the land that people fought for...and now it is just silent plain land...that seems to be forgotten, or not important because it is already won. This very land may not be the place of battle, but it was the land that people fought for...and yet we commemorate very little to it.

In a way this poem serves as the recognition and memorial to something that otherwise would be forgotten...and has without this poem.

"After Dinner" by Philip Levine

The women in the poem seems to have something lacking, as if she has or about to lose someone. Theres this sense of emptiness, or depression...the fact that she is drinking her coffee with brandy, and that she notices the silence. She seems to feel alone, and because she notices the silence, and the sounds of whispers--showing that this is indeed a new feeling for her, that she has never been alone, as if she has lost someone that was always there to remove the silence...perhaps a loss of a husband. At the end of the poem the woman then walks over to the porch there is diffenaty a sense of depression when she talks about tears and her shaking hands.

"The Ice House" by James Wright

The poem is placed within the eyes of a young boy, with very simple/literal, and yet complex in imagination. Chipping away at the ice walls, he marvels at the piece as if it were a diamond. Walking down to the cellar with his father and brother was a quest and journey for him. It was as if he was stepping into a cave unknown where anything can happen.

He saw his father, as the strong brave leader, and him and his brother as his fellow explorers, searching for some diamonds in the cold dark cave.

"Great Cathedrals" by George Bilgere

The author, talks to the reader, about his former roommate in college. And how, he had a car, shiny and all...and how he put every ounce of effort, and care into the car...making sure it was spotless. To impress girls, for something so imitate, not thinking of anything pass that.

But when he then sees his former roommate from years past, he now sees a balding family man, with a gut, and in front of a cathedral. It's the irony, that in the past he cared so much for his car and to hook up with a girl, that he would never think about...that it eventually results in having a wife, his new pride and joy, and a family, where he now places all his time and effort in making them happy.

"Afraid So" by Jeanne Marie Beaumont

The poem in which the author asks questions, presses questions of negative connotation. It leaves us with yes or no questions that are not particularly desirable to be true. With all these negative, and rather depressing questions, the poem doesn't exactly leave the reader with a pessimistic vibe, like presumed.

The narrator asking all the questions, seems (in my mind) this hopeful wife-like women asking these questions in hopes for a different answer than what is apparent--namely "no, everything is fine". But it seems as if that's not the case. I say wife-like, because wives seem to have the image of constantly questioning and persisting toward a husband, with a "say-it-isn't-so" questions.