"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.

"An Empty Suit" by Robert Phillips

The poem starts off by placing this vivid image of this big rich business man in the big city, successful, and living the life. Having it made with all the wealth and you would picture him in the casino with his big bucks and lovely ladies next to him and all.

But suddenly you find that the story slowly went from him living up the life to having less time to sent his suit in the dry cleaners. The poem there after starts to talk about the various stains and the reasons for being there. He would say he was a smoker, and then how he lost weight, due to the fact that his trousers of the suit is frayed.

It makes the assumption that suddenly something has happened to him, something devastating. He is getting sick, maybe from his extravagant smoking and partying lifestyle, who knows. But then you realize that it was merely a suit, not worn by a person, and observed. But instead in a thrift store. Lying there, starting from the high and found at its low.

"Driving Up the Ohio River on Route 2 in Late Fall" by Larry Smith

To whom this poem was address to, I do not know, but one thing is for sure, the speaker is deep in thought. He describes everything he sees in a slow and calm tone. The poem shows subtle changes and signs that that the seasons go by and with that aging.

The road that they are riding on seems like their journey through life their path through life. And all the people that pass by are a symbol of the other people they met in their life, and the new life or younger life, that is going by their lives while this particular couple is slowly ending theirs.

The sign in the beauty shop that they pass by, I think shows the significance on how they lived their lives almost to the fullest, but part of them is not ready yet, part of them wants to still do things they've never done before or experienced before.But the fact of the matter is they are slowing down to a slow sleep, getting weaker...and not able to do what it is that they desire before they leave.