Change is the key!

The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance. - Socrates

Every living thing undergoes a life-long process. As for humans, one has to be a zygote, then , to an infant, then to a kid before becoming an adolescent, more so becoming an adult. As if it were in the work scene, a new employee has to adjust to a totally new environment before feeling at ease with a totally new set of people one would be working with. As it is in life, one has to be first inexperienced before becoming experienced; so as one has to be empty to be full.

Song of becoming, a poem written by Fadwa Tuqan is a poem that narrates a process, a process on how one is molded and contoured on who he or she is now. It is a literary piece that expresses the idea that indeed, knowledge is liberating and that our perceptions are greatly influenced by our crystallized and fluid intelligence.

The poem shows the transition of the views of the Palestinians as they become more informed towards the pressing issues that involve them. First, they were simply like young boys, boys who engaged to nothing but to frolic and play; entertained by the western wind. They knew not much, and so they reacted just not as much. But then as they began to know better and know more, they suddenly grew, grew more than the years of a normal life. They have become trees, trees that are deeply rooted to the ground. They begun to stand firm; they begun to cling on tight to a divine power; hold on to their faith. And now that they have become even bolder, they began to make loud protests and not just to simply wait for gravity to take its part; and not just to simply wait for divine providence.

This drastic change was because of knowledge . . knowledge that was brought about by experience. Thus, experiences are the key for change and that change is the key for betterment.

A strong motivating force

"Mine-ing" is an attribute common to all species, be it human or animal, every one and every thing wants to have something; this something they could flaunt to others which they consider their own. Moreover, this attribute don't just come-out naturally for anyone or anything needs it, rather it comes out since their is such a strong need for it.

A need is a construct, a convenient fiction or hypothetical concept, which stands for a force. In the brain region, a force which organizes perception, apperception, intellection, conation and action in such a way as to transform in a certain direction an existing, unsatisfying situation (Murray, 1938, pp. 123-124). . .

Guests on the Sea, a poem by Mahmoud Darwish, speaks about the dilemma of every Palestinian. It narrates their journey and their quest towards liberation. The guests as referred in the poem, are the Palestinians; to be a guest means to be distinguished visitor to whom the hospitality of an institution, a city, or government is extended. Same as the Palestinians, they are simply valued guests for they are just settlers of the land and never the owners of it. The sea, as used as the setting to situate the story symbolizes the land in which the Palestinians would want to call their own. A land that would never be bounded by all means, a land that would be free from any other dominion but theirs, just like the sea.

. . . a need is sometimes provoked directly by internal processes of a certain kind, but more frequently, when in a state of readiness, by the occurrence of one of a few commonly effective press of environmental forces (Murray, 1938, pp. 123-124). . .

This longing of the Palestinians to have their own territory came from their need to have and establish their own identity. Just like all the other countries that were given sovereignty, they should be given as well. The right to take control of their own people, people living in their own land, people fed with the food harvested from their own land.

. . .Thus, it manifests itself by leading the organism to search or to avoid encountering or, when encountered, to attend and respond to certain kinds of press. Each need is characteristically accompanied by a particular feeling or emotion and tends to use certain modes to further its trend (Murray, 1938, pp. 123-124). . .

And with this great motivational force, the Palestinian would do whatever it takes just so they could be the masters of their people. Even if they would degrade their value into a mere object (i.e woman has her first task:seduction) because of being overly desperate (i.e poets fall from melancholy). They are as ready as the martyrs to be above their graves just so they could follow their reverie (i.e martyrs to explode in dream) even if it takes them to lead their youth, or even their own children, to fight with them as well in achieving this long-dreamed goal (i.e wise men to lead a people on towards happy dreams).

. . . It may be weak or intense, momentary or enduring. But usually it persists and give rise to a certain course of overt behavior which changes the initiating circumstance in such a way as to bring about an end situation which stills, appeases or satisfies, the organism (Murray, 1938, pp. 123-124).

Thus, with this need to be free from any forms of subordination, Palestinians would rather take the long road, walk the longer journey, just to realize this life-long dream.

Fear of Abandonment . .

A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials, heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine, desert us; when troubles thicken around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.--Washington Irving

Parents, most especially moms, are the ones that are so attached to their kids. This may be brought about since they are the ones that are entitled and are the ones that are obliged to be the caretakers. From the moment the fertilized egg turns into a fetus, then to a baby, then into becoming a kid, to a teenager then to becoming a mother, mothers are the ones that keep an extra keen eye on their siblings. This relationship is perfectly articulated in the work of Maxine Kumin, in her poem The Journey. As presented, the mom prepares her thirteen year old daughter towards venturing a new set of people, in an entirely different world. On a personal note, I would have to say that I too, experience the same. Every time I leave the house for school, it seems that my mom would not want me to take another step onward,as if staying with her would be safest for me. I could see from a far her fake smile, connoting that every step I take further pains her much. How much more when I would permanently separate her for I too have to take my own life? Walk through life without her shadow? Would the pain of me leaving her, kill her?? I have thought of it for some time already, and by just thinking of it, I have realized that I would not stand a single day without her.

Fear of Abandonment, I guess, is how I should call it. I fear that without her, everything would not be handed in a silver-platter; that without her, I would be miserable; that without her, I would not be loved and taken-cared off this much; that without her, I may die, I may not survive.

If it fears me much, how much more to my mom? I have consulted her with the issue, and asked her directly, and she simply smiled and said, "I'd rather take all the misery than give you a dash of it." Her words never left my consciousness, her advices never leave the corners of my mind. I have to grow, not just for myself but grow for my parents, most especially for my mom, so that in turn, she would have this sense of fulfillment having been able to do her job. I have to be strong, not for myself, but for her. And though it pains me more than she could ever imagine, I have to do it in her behalf!

. . . Every mother is like Moses, she does not enter the promise land; she prepares a world she will not see (Pope John Paul VI)

Suffice me not?

William Blake presented the poems "The Lamb" and "The Tyger" from the Songs of Innocence and the Songs of Experience respectively, as two entities that are inseparable. There seems to be a bond so strong that connects the two different and contrary states; and this is what Blake would want his readers to decipher.

If it were for me, I would relate those persona portrayed by the Lamb and the Tyger as the dual personality of innate in every person. These are the two warring states of the human mind. Quoting Freud, I would consider "The Lamb" as the superego while "The Tyger" as the id. To justify, the lamb, as presented in the poem is the cloudless youth, free from any form of embellishments, the naive and the inexperienced state. Similar as the person's superego, having known all the do's and the dont's imposed upon by the society, the person tend to allow himself to be cloudless, be naive, be inexperienced just so in doing, he would be able to conform to the these demands. Thus, the two (i.e. the lamb and the tyger) both allow themselves to be hindered by these given factors; leaving them both a feeling of innocence for they often times don't walk the extra miles for they fear committing mistakes.

In contrast, the Tyger, as presented in the poem, is the fierceful, tenacious and experienced side of the dualism. Never hesitant on which walk to take; never thought on how others would react just as they would and they could satisfy suffice themselves with their longings. Just like the person's id, which is governed by the principles of pleasure, it's major aim is to satisfy one's cravings without even considering what would be at stake upon their actions.

But then, these personas are present in every person, thus, every person has both the positive and the negative side. It is up to the ego, or the mind (to situate), to weigh their options on which among these two contradicting states should be considered and attended first. Afterall, it is simply an issue on setting priorities.

Don't Forget

Listen to mom, she's calling you, answer her. Do not just sit there, move. You are no longer young, take part on the chores, do your share. Keep your pens and paper inside your bag; do not just leave them on the floor, grandma might step on it. It might tear, and I'm sure you wouldn't like that you'd surely cry. After class, do not bring your shoes inside the house, put them off while you're still on the door and leave them on the shoe rack. Your uniform, keep it away form the wet ones, sure you know how to distinguish what's wet from what's dry, right? You're no longer young, remember that. And please be reminded that watching the television should not be done the entire afternoon, it'd be better if you'd study. Open your books, read and write. Learn to be obedient and do what the elders say. Be polite, it's your responsibility. When grandpa says do not play with the water, please don't you'd give him headache if you'd do that. Your toys, of course, I could not forget it, do not just put them under the stairs, keep them. At times, dad could nag, just bare with him like I used to do before. But not that you would not take time to listen to what he'd say again and again, take time to listen and understand, like I used too. All those words are of your benefit, consider.

The Abstraction

Art, as loosely translated, means arrangement or to arrange; thus, could be universally defined as something as was or at some point arranged in some way. It refers to all creative human endeavors and is simply a generic term for any product of the creative impulse, out of which sprang all other human pursuits.

Every individual could be an artist in his or in her own way; for artistry has never been limited in the walls of painting or singing, rather, artistry could be anything. The manner of dressing oneself, or the manner of speaking or even the manner of engaging in affiliations could be seen and considered as a form of art. This is how vast the world of artistry is, this is how enormous the world of artistry could get.

As suggested by the work of Franz Kafka entitled A Hunger Artist, art is simply relative toward time; and that art is greatly influenced by how the society change and develop through time. That in any moment the art that is seemed to be practiced and appreciated by the majority, the form of art that is in trend could just condense if a new and a better one comes along. But as art, as perceived to be a form of expressing the self and the expression of beliefs, judging an art is never that easy for art has always and will always be subjective, thus judging it objectively isn't fair. This would mean that a literary art would never be better than military art or vice versa. Like a theory, it could not be judge through its truthfulness, but through its functionality. As it is for art, an art that expresses more of himself is more praise worthy than those form of art that delimits himself for the sake of conforming to the laws imposed upon by the demanding society we are all in. Consequently, the art that simply lives to conform isn't art at all for it defeats its very purpose, and that purpose is to express the self.

Hanging Fire : A Consummation

A hanging fire happens when the fuse of a cannon, or any other firearm, is lit but does not immediately takes off; as if it stops in a second or two before it fully ignites.

From the title in itself, Hanging Fire, it is evident that an African-American Teenage girl (i.e. the narrator) is waiting for the wind to do the job; and that job is to turn her wheel of fortune. She is simply waiting for change to come rather than take the necessary step and start to make a change.

To justify such claim, let me quote a few lines from the poem, there is nothing i want to do and too much that has to be done and momma's in the bedroom with the door closed. These lines imply that although much is expected form her, she still chooses not to take any of it. Though the the door may be closed, she still has the power to open it if she really wishes to. It was not locked, it was just closed and all it takes is initiative but still, she hasn't done any.

Life, often times if not always, provide opportunities to everyone. There may be competition but this so-called rivalry between the others was not made to inhibit but to stimulate.

As for the poem, being an African-American (the persona portrayed by the narrator) should not hinder her from exploring new walks in life, exploring new heights instead, it should be a motivator; that although they are seen as different, they too are capable of making a difference.