"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.