Covid 19 experience

My family experience with Covid 19.

Honestly, this is just me venting.
Times are scary , and luckily for us we were able to get through it.
At the beginning of April, my aunts husband was tested positive for covid19 and my brother was at their house about two days before . When he came home and when we knew my aunts husband tested positive, i took him to get tested and my mom stayed at my grandmas until his results came back. me and him both self quarantined until the results, each day my aunts husband got worse and worse. his symptoms were so bad that there were points my family was scared he wouldn’t make it. A few days later my brothers results came back positive as well and honestly, being that i was the only one at home with him that whole month of april self quarantining, it was the scariest experience of our lives. each day i woke up scared fearing either my brothers symptoms would get worse , or i would start to develop symptoms. A week later , my other uncle tested positive . so now we had three immediate family members sick and the fear and anxiety had only risen. Other than fear , we also felt beyond lonely being that me and my brother both were quarantined and self isolated away from our parents and everyone we love, each day watching the media which only caused our fear to grow. at a certain point i started to develop symptoms as well, thankfully mine werent as bad as my uncles. Just coughing a bit of fever, and headaches. Falling asleep at night was beyond hard. Some nights i woke up in the middle of the night in cold sweat. having chills. with so much anxiety. Honestly, it was the scariest thing ive ever endured because theres still so little to this virus that we know. After over a month of literally quarantine and not leaving even our front apartment door , when we finally were cleared to go out , i feel like we both developed so much appreciation. We were lucky beyond measure to have made it through , and thankfully everyone in my family had been cleared since and despite how rough certain times were , we made it through. being inside for over a month without fresh air or seeing the ones you love is the hardest thing ive personally ever had to go through, everyday was filled with fear and anxiety.
From my aunts husbands experience where he literally was fearing that he wouldnt make it through each night, im here to tell everyone who may doubt the truth or doubt the seriousness of this virus that it is a very real and scary experience. I still see people gathering in groups and honestly its not worth the fear its not worth the anxiety to not listen to the guidlines is a mistake.
i wouldnt wish this on anyone, i wouldve never thought we would live to see the day this happened or even experience it ourselves.
i hope everyone has a safe and healthy summer , listen to the guidelines, social distance, wear a mask , stay away from large groups.

the little old lady

decided to post this here for everyone to see and tell me what you guys think!
The little old lady

A quiet night in Kosovo, in a little town called Ujz.

It was a quiet summer night in the little town of Ujz. My brother Tomar and I were sitting on our couch when we heard a loud banging noise on the door. When we go to see who is at the door , we see nothing.. A few hours pass. We go upstairs to our bedroom and lay down. The banging at the door starts again. Tomar goes to the balcony to look over at the front. I think to myself , how can anyone be at our door right now , when we already let the dogs out. Our dogs are our protective dogs that will bark and tear anything or anyone apart who and what isn't us. My brother opens the balcony door and sees the dogs huddled up around something near our door….. He looks closer and sees a little old lady.

Tomar quickly goes to wake up my father. 

I can't help but think , why aren't the dogs barking? Why are they so calm?

My dad wakes up and goes to the front balcony. He asks “ who are you? what do you want at this hour of the night?”

The little old lady just stares and smiles. She then starts laughing. She says “ let me in”.

My father yells at her to go home and get away from our house. 

“I'm a good woman,” she says. “ let me in” she says as she laughs.

“ if you were a good woman you wouldn't be out here at this time of the night you'd be at home with your family”

She has one of those scary laughs and grins to her. My dad grabs his shotgun in an attempt to scare her. He's never seen this woman before and we live on private land , how could she even get up here? The loud banging at the door starts again. The little old lady laughs.

“ Let me in,” she says again. 

My dad fires his gun into the air and warns her again

“ If you don't get off my property , I'm going to come down there” he says in an attempt to scare her away.

Again we hear loud banging at the door. This time it wont stop. The banging does stop until we walk down the steps and get to the door. My dad opens the door…

Noone is there. The dogs are just sitting calmly. My dad walks out and walks down the driveway after turning all the yard lights on and no one's there. We get chills as we lock up the door when we get back inside. My dad goes upstairs and warns us to stay upstairs, and go to bed. He doesn't want to acknowledge what just happened. Me and Tomar go upstairs and go to bed.

The next day we wake up to our mom making petulla, our favorite breakfast. As were eating, we heard breaking news on the TV. Me and Tomar stay in the kitchen while dad and mom go watch. We hear a gasp, My dad calls us over. When me and Tomar go to the living room , we see a picture of the little old lady on the TV.  

The headline states “ Elderly woman found dead after three weeks in crops after going missing. Detectives discovered the woman died two weeks ago after getting lost and the cause of death was still unknown”.

My dad , Tomar and I all look at each other… 

The little old lady was a ghost…

Author's notes: 

When this family hears a knock at their door in the middle of the night they weren't expecting this. What started out as a creepy little old lady, turned into being a ghost experience for this family. Could it be? The little old lady was haunting the houses of the people in Ujz? 

This is a short scary story. It takes place in Kosovo in an old fashioned little town called Ujz. I am from Kosovo so i know how their mentality is so writing this story i knew i had to add some of that in there which is why they didn't let the old lady in. 

This is a response to Gabriela. The poem Gramercy Park takes place in Manhattan. I think the poem is about the attack on the World Trade and the eyes are looking out and the eyes looking in at the people stuck inside the buildings.



This is a response to Shiann.  Very encouraging poem during this pandemic. Humans need to stop worrying and enjoy nature and life. Beautiful.



This is to everyone that blogged about the creative writing class. I really enjoyed our class I wished we could’ve finished out the course together. I looked forward to the blogs to see how individuals can read the same story and come up with a different interpretation.  The critiques  was helpful it improved my writing skills and gave me feedback on how to improve my writings.

The Window - Public reading alternative

Experience In This Class

I'm really happy that I took this class it was different from any class i've took because, we we're free to write what we pleased. It was a challenge to come up with something interesting to write every week but it was a good challenge. This class pushed me to be more creative and be more confident in the things I write. Now, I feel like I will continue to write more after this class because it was fun to freely write a poem or a story without restraints. My writing has improved to me since I started this class and it was nice to work in groups and help each other improve. 

My experience in Eng 220

This class  was very helpful to me towards my writing skills, and it also enlighten my knowledge of writing. My first time taking a class like this, I participate it and hopeful I will be excellence at writing one day.As well as that, this class was a nice class with all the group activities we did , reading and discussing.

porn response

This poem was too much, the inappropriate words mention throughout throw me off ... However, I wonder why the author choose to watch the divorce party?and mention "A woman and a dog ?

My experience English 220

I really enjoyed this class as it really helped me improve my writing skills. Every feedback from my classmates and professor helped me a lot to improve my writing. Despite the fact that at the beginning when we started the semester I was afraid of not understanding the content of the class since it was a higher level of English. Every day I was learning more since the professor gave us the freedom to write what we wanted, be it poems, plays or stories. I think that the way the professor organizes the class was very helpful. The blogs encouraged me to obtain different points of view about the readings that my classmates commented. I also think that it was a good idea on the part of the professor since I personally feel nervous talking because I feel that I am going to be wrong but with blogs I feel that I express myself more. In the group critics I learned a lot, it was a nice experience to share with my classmates. Each feedback was applied to improve my writing skills. This class was very good. I thank the professor for always being there giving us recommendations so that our writing improves.

from WINEHOUSE poem

In the poem, ´´from WINEHOUSE´´ by Kevin Young. The author wants to become famous, but no one pays attention to her. The life she leads is not good since she takes drugs and drinks to ease her pain. In this poem she tried to kill herself but then at the end of the poem in the last stanza I think she regretted it. I think that the author needs more attention to not feel alone.

finishing poem 1 and 2.

In the poem "Smalltown Lift" by Brian Blanchfield. I think it is a story rather than a poem since it does not contain stanzas. In my understanding it is about two people who are in a very special place. The author liked to share with the person next to him. I think that despite the fact that there are different types of poems, it has to follow a writing format. In the poem, ´´PORN´´ by Dorothea Lasky. The person who is watching pornography thinks that it is bad and horrible to see but instead the author likes to see them all the time. I think she wanted to have sex but not having a partner. She was distracted watching porn. She shares the pornography she sees with the reader.

My Experience In This Creative Writing Class

I really enjoyed this class. I've grown as a writer and I've made a few friends in the process. Although, we've critiqued each other's work every week, we were in a judge-free zone which made me very comfortable. I've learned to let my creativity flow because this class wasn't just about writing a typical essay. It made me exercise and stretch my mind like a rubber-band. The sky is the limit. So I thank my Prof. and I thank my classmates.

Response To Winehose

In  this poem, it seems like the author wants to be famous but, no one notices her. She doesn't live the life that she wants, so she wants a way out. She thinks that the only way out is to drink obsessively, and possibly, to commit suicide. Would anyone miss her, who knows? It seems that she almost tries to end her life, but at the end, she says "Non no no! As if she wants to change her mind.

Response To Porn

This person says that porn is horrific, but the author watches it all the time. Maybe she wants a man to have sex with, but she doesn't have one and she has never been in love. So she watches it to occupy herself. She's sharing the porn that she sees with the reader. On one hand, some of it is weird to her, and on the other hand, the porn turns her on.

Response to Smalltown Lift

It seems the  author goes to a carnival where you can bowl, and watch a circus. However, the he not interested in that. He would rather go in the photo booth which was something he enjoyed. Especially, having the opportunity to share it someone special.

Intro to Creative Writing, Spring 2020: poem 3 and 4

Gabriela  this poem takes place in Manhattan’s Gramercy Park.  I think the eyes are the people looking in out of the windows during the World Trade attack.

my experience in ENGL 220

   This class allowed me to read more and improve my writing skills. I was able to get to know my classmates and receive feedback from them and this allowed me to become a better writer. We were introduced to many different forms of writing such as flash essays, poems and plays. The collection assignment gave us the freedom to write about anything , and basically create a mini book that we can call our own. The experience with Professor Talbird was good overall. If you’re looking to challenge yourself and improve your writing, English 220 introduction to creative writing is a smart choice.

Intro to Creative Writing, Spring 2020: My Class Experience

Intro to Creative Writing, Spring 2020: My Class Experience: I can positively say that out of every othe English class I've been apart of during my school career, this by far has been one of thee b...



I agree. This class really inspired me to want to write. I enjoyed the blogs, critiques and the readings they helped to improve my writings.

In the “Winehouse” poems she wants to be notice, famous and most importantly loved.. She uses drugs to soothe the pain. Living on borrowed time,she overdosed on drugs and came back to life

what did i learned in this class.

actually i learned a lot in this class. I learned how to create a good piece of writtting by thinking and putting words together. Sometimes what i think is not interesting for me can be interesting for somebody else. I learned how to listen to others in our thursday class before the COVID19 when we used to listen to everyone reading their work. Sometimes we think we have problems but we cannot imagine what problems really are. I learned a lot from the readings that we did in class. Specially Underground. I really enjoyed that book and I think it teaches us how to be a better person. A lot of people died because nobody care a lot of people were minding their business and didnt care about others. It teaches us how to forgive people that having hate in our hearts is only bad for ourself.

"Break Free" Poem

I've decided to share this poem on behalf of those who are feeling wary and feel as if they are going mentally unstable due to COVID-19 trapping us inside our homes. Depression, stress, and anxiety are emnities that are to be taken seriously, as I myself unfortunately suffer from these. I hope you all are safe at home and taking care of yourselves mentally and physically as much as possible.

Break free,

Scream and shout,

Climb up onto the highest mountain top.

Take head for when God says:

“You can surely make it another day.”

Look passed yonder as nature would pry and crave.

The breaking point of our worries shall end today.

Take a sip of fresh air,

Let your body and soul become more aware

Enlightened by the world and skies that surround us

The trees and the sun that make us robust.

Let us all walk through the valley of the shadow of death together

And gracefully embrace the blue skies as a white dove.

We may not be surrounded by this nature forever

But all that we have left to embrace is love.

Shake a hand or hug a friend

Take a walk, for this life is not the end.

Pass the torch and let your damaged wounds mend.

Soaking up the sunshine’s rays of warmth

Looking up to God for more wisdom and strength

Sipping on Earth’s finest drink by a quart

As Heaven and Earth’s time grows in length.

Sing the highest melodies

That the breeze can carry and afloat.

Picking the prettiest cherries and catching apples and bees

Is what should remind you of hope.

The birds chatter about

From the highest treetop

They mustn’t worry about their next route

For the rains and winds heighten their spirits better than inhaling a snout.

Hand in hand as we joyously sing,

“From every mountainside, let freedom ring.”

From this world we must eventually leave

For we are guaranteed that we are to break free.

My Class Experience

I can positively say that out of every othe English class I've been apart of during my school career, this by far has been one of thee best experiences I've had in English 220. All of my classmates have made it very joyful and worthwile being in this class. It has made me develop better strategies and ways of writing, and this class has also put me out of my own comfort zone, which is something i've always needed as a writer to branch out into other areas to be noticed more. The feedback was much worth it of receiving. This experience will enhance my skills much more as I continue my writing throughout college. It was a great experience overall.

My Class Experince

What I've learned in this class for this semester is that it made me want to write more and have more ideas to become a good writer. It affect the writing I do because before this class I rarely did any writing but being in the class I'm lowkey glad I took the choice to write more.

Finishing Up Poems (Part 2)

This poem "Trouble in Mind" I think kitty-san is different types of characters that she created. I think she called herself that because of what she is as her character or a regular person. My conclusion this poem is just all over the place. The word meep means she is sounding high pitched. In the poem "Winehouse" it can be 50/50 when it talks about race because he said " Yes I been black but when I come back" they could be mean like acting like it or actually being black.

Finishing Up Poems (Part 1)

In this poem "Smalltown Lift" I think this is not a poem because the way how it is written it looks like it is telling a story. I can believe what makes a poem is that it has to have a certain format of writing it and on what you are talking about. Also, by making a story it has to connect on you are going to write about. In the poem "Porn" I think what women are drawn to pornography as a subject because they can express their experience. It could be both ways.

Final Collections

For those of you who have turned in collections, I am starting to write you with grades. My comments at the end of the term are briefer than throughout. So if you want further feedback or would like to know how I arrived at your grade, then just write and ask. Also, the grades that I'm sending are just for the final collection, not the blog. I won't figure out your blog grades until next week when I will also calculate your final grades.

Finishing up w/ poems and etc.

Someone asked this week why poets can't just be clearer--"say what you mean and mean what you say." I think about clarity as relating to the kinds of essays many of you were probably required to write in ENGL 101. Most likely none of your profs in that class asked you to write a poem, or read one. In fact, you may never have been asked to write a poem before this class. Maybe you've never read a poem that wasn't required for school. So my question to you is "Why poetry?" If you have something to say, why not write a ENGL 101-type essay? What do you think?

Regarding this week's poems:

1. "Smalltown Lift" is what we call a prose poem. If we look in the table of contents, this is listed w/ the poems, so the editor thinks it's a poem, probably the author thinks it's a poem. Do you think it's a poem? Why or why not? What makes it a poem and not, say, a story or a flash essay? How does it use italics? Onomatopoeia?
2. "Porn": Compare this to the story "William Wei" that we read earlier in the semester. Like that piece, this also describes porn in graphic details. Also, like that story, this is written by a woman. Why do you think these women authors are drawn to pornography as a subject? Isn't porn usually (though not always) marketed for men?
3. "Trouble in Mind": Who is Ketty-San? Why is she a "sidekick chum"? What do you make of the poem's conclusion? What does it mean to "meep"? 
4. from Winehouse: This is a from a series of poems about music artist Amy Winehouse. It's what we call a persona poem. Kevin Young is writing from the point of view of Winehouse. In fact, the italicized lines are direct quotes from her song "Rehab." Young is an African American poet and Winehouse is a white British singer of R&B music (which was invented by black Americans artists). How is Young's poem about race? Here is the video for the song:

Also for this week on the blog, I'd be interested in knowing what you learned this semester about yourself as a writer/reader/thinker. How do you think this experience will affect the writing and reading you do as you move forward in your college career and beyond?

Other announcements:

I will not be holding the virtual classroom tomorrow (Tuesday 5/12). However, I originally planned to have class readings on Thursday, our last class period. I still plan to do this in the virtual classroom from 12:10-1:30. Please do not be late as I will only hang around until 12:30 in an empty classroom. If you would prefer not to come to this class period, you can meet the requirement of the reading by recording yourself reading a selection of your work and posting it to the blog (you can insert a video by clicking on the clacker icon on the ruler to the left of the smiley face).

Reminder: The final collection is due this Thursday at 2 pm. If you cannot meet this deadline, then I urge you to drop the class by the end of the day on Thursday so that you don't get an F on your GPA. Since the collection is worth 65% of your final grade, it is impossible to receive a passing grade if you don't turn it in. If you neglect to do drop the course by the deadline and you receive a failing grade, you can still transfer a class to C/NC up until 6/25. You can make either of these changes on CUNY First. If you decide to take either option, esp. if you receive financial aid, I would confer w/ your advisor before doing so.

Let me know if you have any questions.

The Difference

I am not sure about my understand but I think this poem is talking about the rich people. For,  March of the hanged man Monica is comparing men to ants in the poem.And she talks about when christ rise " in Piero's Resurrection will march right over the sleeping soldiers".

Hurt by the one you love

Hurt by the one you love : A found Essay From twitter and Instagram

I really wish I could hurt you, like you did me. Break your heart into a million pieces, so you know how much pain you caused me. But I can’t do that to you, even if I could, I’d still care about you regardless of the shit you put me through. I’m falling apart right in front of your eyes and you don’t even see me. I’m hiding what I’m feeling but I’m tired of holding this inside my head. I don’t remember the last time I genuinely smiled. It might hurt to walk away but that will never compare to the pain of staying. Don’t let the fear of being alone keep you in a relationship or friend where you are alone.

 I wish things were different, I wanted to stay but for what reason? your lack of effort forced me to either choose you or my joy, I’m done choosing you it’s time I choose me. My heart was taken by you, broken by you now it’s in pieces because of you. I don’t hate you , I just refuse to give you the opportunity to hurt me again, I’m good off you. I’m tired of being unhappy and feeling worthless. Depression is taking over my life, this isn’t a joke or a trend , it’s real. If you really wanted me to be happy, I wouldn’t got to fight for my happiness. At this point, I’m done ,I’m over you I tried my best but it didn’t work. After all the shit you put me threw I done lost every bit of interest I had in you. You can try and replace me all you want .But you will never find another me.

Contributors, in order of appearance: @Uhhdrugz , @Main_feelings,@Queens.dre , Scare_quotes, Fire_quotes.

March of the hanged men
In the poem hanged men she compares the men to ants , ants  march around eat and destroy wherever they land. Christ marched over the men disregarding them because he gave them power over the Earth and all they did was destroy it.


Why poetry
He speaks of himself being scared inside his head. It meant that he could never be a women because he was born a man and would never fit in. He writes about he was not safe in his head because he thought of really bad things maybe killing someone. The darks means that the bad thoughts (devil) in his head he writes poetry instead of hurting someone and maybe lose his life. The light refers to wisdom (God)deciding to write his feeling and not hurting his family . Through his writing he makes himself and his love ones proud.


Gramercy Park
The first stanza refers to the eyes of the people looking out the windows when the terrorist attacked the World Trade. The third stanzas are the eyes of the dead people killed in the terrorist attack. Named us to pieces means that everyone killed on that day had a name.

poem 3 and 4

In the poem, ´´WHY POETRY´´ by Craig Morgan Teicher. He talks about himself being afraid of himself for having bad thoughts in his head. Not being able to be the person he wants to be, he felt helpless. He felt that having bad thoughts was going to hurt other people. That is why he was afraid of hurting someone or hurting himself so he started writing poems. He felt that the poems helped him a lot to be distracted and not to have bad thoughts. In his poems he expressed his feelings. The dark in the poem can be the bad thoughts, the fear and the light can be the way in which writing poems helped him to overcome himself and not hurt anyone. In the poem, ´´GRAMERCY PARK´´ by Sylvine Baumgartel. It is a terrorist attack. In the first stanza, I can say that it refers to the people who see through the windows while this attack takes place. In the second stanza, there is talk of an Iraqi girl who could only see her eyes since she was covered.  The third stanza are the eyes of dead people who were killed in the terrorist attack. It is describe that the winners were well prepared. I think that the repetition of the word ´´eyes´´ is because it is being visualized.The phrase "called us all to pieces." I think it means that the people who died on that day have to be commemorated.

Why Poetry: A Partial Autobiography Response

In this poem, the author Craig Teicher talks about his battles within his own thoughts. He's dealing with being an outcast. Writing poetry seems to be his outlet. He talks about learning from his mother but then he doesn't want to so he waits. He doesn't have any sense of direction, so his thoughts just wonders I guess. When he was a kid, he said that other boys sense his fear. Maybe he suffers from racing thoughts and anxiety. Writing poetry gives him light, and makes his mind calm. He said it saved his life. i think writing is like his therapy.

Poems

I have tough time with poetry. This is the one part of English (the subject not the language) that I have a tough time understanding. Ever since I could remember learnigng about poets and their writing, it had to be explained. They never came out and said what they thought. I do not like to write in allegories or through hidden messages. I am extremely blunt and to the point. So when I m sitting in class and my teacher is telling me that Emily Dickinson is trying to make this point and making a statement on society with this line, all I can think about is, "Why not just say it then? Why do we need this to be explained. Say what you mean and mean what you say." I wonder if poets go into writing thinking they can find ways to make college students have more homework trying to understand why they chose to use a word that no one uses outside of pieces of paper. So, that being said,

I am a tad jealous of those
 who can use prose
to describe what goes
on atop this globe
I strive for a mind
that is well timed
and can have my words lined
up the way I want told
To do that would be a blast
no one could ever be aghast
at what would be written last
on the blank page that is my soul

Graffiti- truly the most public of writings

 As I have gone to and from different places in my life, weather it by car, bike, feet, I would notice the most public style of writing there could be: graffiti. These people would come to these public places in the middle of the night, shake their cans of disposable paint, and run at the first sign of light(s). They would leave their life on those walls, however. This is nothing like what I had done. I did not have to scale a wall, imagine what I was going to say, then commit a crime to make sure that the East Side Banditos would know that this was my turf (West End Birds for ever: CACOOOOO!). I sent out a message that contained a horrific time in my life. Sure, I was completely terrified about what others would think of me. I would toss and turn in bed dreading the date of submission. I would have rather gotten 20 shots from the doctor than to ever go through this again. No, an emphatic NO, would be my response to ever attempting this again. The worst part about the whole experience was that all of that worry was for nothing. I was informed that the people who publish my work will not tell me what the responses were. So now, there is a piece of me, floating around on the world wide web and I do not even know if I started a controversy due to the comments left on the page. At least the East Side Banditos would know what's up. They would get a response or at least an ugly look from another crew...

poem 1 and 2

In the poem, ´´MARCH OF THE HANGED MEN´´ by Monica Youn. She compares man to ants since ants eat and destroy the land. Christ walks on us since he created the world and died for our sins but sometimes we do not realize that we are like the ants that we destroy and we do not take care of the place that he gave us. In this poem Monica uses numbers for each stanza. I think that what makes a poem more interesting is the way in which the person expresses their feelings and the feelings of others. I also think that the person who writes a poem must have experience to know how to put themselves in the shoes of others since a poem is not only about feelings or friendship. There are different types of poems about religion, relationship, wars and more. The person who writes poems has to be creative in each poem. In the second poem, ´´ THE DIFFERENCE´´ by Ishion Hutchinson. I can assume that this poem is about rich people since the only thing they talk about is the oil and coffee trade.

March Of The Hanged Men Response

The men who were hung had ants crawling on them as they were soon to be destroyed. I can imagine them getting mutilated. This poem was really disturbing. This reminded me of when Jesus was sent to try to be killed on the cross for our sins. The poem doesn't specify if the hanging men were innocent or not. So that's all I got from that poem.

Public Writing Project

I enjoyed watching the clip form the play"In My Head". Unlike others, my project was done virtually because i didn't get a chance to view anything in person. This happened because of the shutdown due to the COVID-19. I experienced mine in a different way but it was still very good. The play was done through a split screen because the actor and actress had to do social distancing while still managing to capture the story. They did a great job.

I met the requirement of this assignment by attending QCC  published writing seminar.  I really enjoy the seminar. Professor  Miller called out words from a book and instructed us to select from the words that would make for a good poem or story. I felt this was a great strategy because if ever I want to write or have writer’s block this would help me come up with an idea. I would attend this seminar again and recommend it to someone else. Also I will use this technique with my family.

Public Writing Project

This experience was very good since it was a little different from what we usually did in class. When I attended this meeting at QCC, I really enjoyed it because Professor Miller dictated words from a book and then the game was to put those words in a poem or story. In the end, when we finished our stories and poems. He was giving us recommendations so that our stories and poems improve even more. He also recommended us to publish to the page that he showed us. At first I was very nervous since I had not participated in a meeting like this before since I got to college. We were 10 students in the classroom and we all started to participate and share our stories and poems. I would engaged in an activity like this again in my own since it is a good experience. I can share with other people and get new ideas.

Public Writing Poem

The experience I had with the Public Writing Project was pretty good! I was very scared and anxious about posting my work to the outside world. I posted my story on my instagram and on a public blog I made with my classmates, and I felt comfortable posting with my friends. When it came to posting on instagram where the world outside of creative writing 220 can see. I was worried they wouldn't like my stories or they thought it was dumb, but surprising I got support on it! I also was encouraged by reddit to post on my instagram! I did enjoy the project, it wasn't a difficult project and I liked that.It also gave me experience with posting in the real world. I would totally do this again on my own! I will eventually post a short story on reddit, where a lot of people post short stories! 

The Pandemic’s Atrocities

The Pandemic has changed everything and I feel like it keeps getting worse because the governor and the president decide to move the date (of our freedom) for the second time. While working in the mall having more time to be relaxed and get more acquainted with some of my colleagues. After getting to know one of the guys I work with which I helped train for his position at work. He was always sad somehow, seen by his expression one can tell he was missing someone or something, as I ask what was wrong he simply tells me that he came to America for his family not caring much of what he wanted which was to stay in India. As we got to know one another he told me he had a daughter that is 16 year old and a son at 18 year old. Unfortunately I was unable to talk to him because I noticed that he was unusually tired more often because he was always sitting down never really walking around doing rounds and he was coughing sometimes and a bit much other times. So I decided to keep my distance just in case 2 weeks later he was sent home and wasn't allowed to come back to work until he got better.

Four days after that while working my morning shift on Saturday on March 21 we were called in to the office by our manager and I remembered that day because it started to get warm out. As we waited in the manager's office and other colleagues started coming in. The manager decides to tell us important news regarding the security officer my colleague and those 3 years of working with him. My manager told us that Mohamed the officer that was on home leave was not coming back to work and also said that on that Saturday morning about 9am he had passed away. The guy I saw last week from then. The 58 year old man fairly young man that told me he came to America for his family knowing that it kills him leaving the only place he knew, the place he had his childhood that man is now gone.Muhammad has passed away in Queens hospital at 9 that morning of March 21 2020. I looked away and I felt a tear coming down from my eyes, even biting my lip to feel some pain and show little to no remorse but it killed me. I decided to think of work and play along as if nothing happened

What Makes a Poem

I belive the most strongest elements in creating a poem is having some experience of your own in order to relate to someone who has been through similar events like you. You should have the ability to step into someone else's shoes and seeing what life is like through their eyes, so that you are able to connect with an audience through your experiences as well. Most poems that poets have written are based upon their life experiences or naturally occuring events that everyone can relate to, such as heartbreaks, friendships, relationships, religion and more. Thinking outside the box is also another way of apporaching to compose a poem. For example, rhyme schemes and choosing particualr words that fit together with meaning is what also makes a poem more effective. You can choose any theme of your liking but it also has to be releatable in order for it to be understood completely. That is how i normally approach poetry.

How I Met The Public Writing Project

The way in which I had met the requirements of this public writing project was by me submitting different pieces of poetry I had written from English class and outside of English to a literary online magazine to have it published. I had also submitted my writings to the creative writing club to also have my poetry published in the poetry book that they produce each year. I can positively say that during this experience of having to physically put myself out there and selling myself, it was a great experience. It seemed very professional like in the way I approached this project. It gave me a better insight on how I was able to shape myself as a better writer.  During my short time participating in the Creative Writing Club at QCC, I learned a completely different approach on writing poems by only using words that were dictated to me. That poem is included as a part of my experience. I was very interested on the approach that the professors took during this first group meeting that I attended to get the class going. They were very cordial and pleasant to all of us there and insisted on each of us to keep trying or perfect what we think we may need to work on as writers. They were very supportive of all of us when it came to the writing exercise, which as a result, I wrote the poem called “Good Morning, Progression”.

          

  I had asked one of the professors there to read what I had produced with the exercise as feedback, and she was very impressed on what I came up with. The way in which I wrote this poem were only to include the phrases and words that intrigued me the most, and the ones that would most likely fit together and make much sense. She had also discovered that the poem can not only be read forward, but you can also read the poem backwards without it losing its meaning. Both of our jaws dropped when we discovered this. This experience has made me realize that I was able to do just about anything with my writing if I put my mind to it. I was also able to catch on quickly to new ways and approaches of writing. I surprised myself completely. As for submitting my work in public literary magazines online, the process of having to wait for an approval was time consuming and anxiety driven. I also had to consistently check to see if my work was approved by the author of the magazine so that it can get published. Not only was this public writing project a help to push my creativity, but it also gave me the opportunity to seriously have my work out there in the public for everyone to read, which is something I’ve always wanted to do as a poet.

Public Writing Project Response

I meet this assignment by just doing it ahead of time. My experience with this project was different because I usually dont do any activities at school but it was a good experience. I did enjoy it because it showed me I can do more. I was nervous because i was thinking I wouldn't go this far into doing this. I might this activity again soon.

Public Writing Project and Grades

I'll be sending out grades on the Public Writing Project over the next few days. You'll notice that my comments will get briefer toward the end of the term. That's b/c you can't really revise this work any more. However, I'm happy to elaborate on anything or answer any questions if you are curious about how I arrive at my decisions.

Also, I'd like you to share your experience of doing the PWP on the blog this week. Some questions I think people would be interested in reading about:

• How did you meet this assignment?
• What was your experience like?
• Did you enjoy it or not?
• Were you nervous about this experience? Why or why not?
• Will you engage in an activity like this again on your own? 

Poems (Part 2)

I feel like they're different races in this poem because it is talking Obama, and talking a little bit about Egypt. These poems can be similar because they have try to reach out to how they feel. I believe it is titled this because maybe not everything or everybody is the same. I don't really consider this an autobiography because usually there are longer and more detailed. That means that he does not want to end up like her because of the things she did to me. The words "light and dark" can work together because he said his writing for poetry is dark, but his love for doing is dark. That can mean that he has ideas that are dark, but when other people read it can come out towards the light.

Poems (Part 1)

I think what makes a poem is when a person express how there are feeling towards themselves or other people. The way Monica writes her poem is different because after each stanza she uses number to break her poem down. It can affect my reading of the poem because telling something and showing something are two different things. Also, when people tell me certain things I would always say "I'll believe it when I see it." In the poem " The difference " I can assume the they was the white people because in the first sentence it said " They talk oil in heavy jackets and plaid over their coffee, they talk Texas and the north cold."

Poems

First of all: What makes a poem? If I were to write these poems in prose like, for instance:

"...Christ in Pierro's Resurrection will march right over the sleeping soldiers without pausing or lowering his gaze..."

Is it the same thing as the way that Monica Youn writes it w/ stanzas and line breaks? Why or why not? Again, what makes a poem?

1) Youn's "March of the Hanged Men" is an ekphrastic poem. That's a poem that responds to an artwork. Here is the painting, Resurrection, which she's referencing:

Now that you've seen the artwork, how does that affect your reading of the poem?

"The Difference":

Who is the "they" of the poem? "They talk" are the first words of the poem and also some of the last. What are they talking about? Where are they? This poem, like the previous, is told in couplets (2-line stanzas). How else are they similar? How are they different? Why is the poem titled this?

"Why Poetry: A Partial Autobiography":

How is this an autobiography? If this is a life story, then what do we learn about the speaker/poet? What does "I could not learn / to become / my mother for obvious / reasons..." mean? Why do you think he writes, "I knew / I was not safe / in my head..."? How do the words "dark" and "light" work together in the final two stanzas?

Nearly everything you need to know about "Gramercy Park" is on the Wikipedia Page for it. What do you think the last stanza means? Why the repetition of the word "eyes" in the first three stanzas? (Also, notice the slant rhyme between "eyes" and "keys" in the last stanza. Connection?) What does the phrase, "named us all to pieces" mean to you?

What questions do you have about these poems, or about poetry in general?

This semester, I was invited to read w/ another faculty member and two students on campus. Obviously, that was canceled, but I read for the event's organizer professor Lago's blog instead. I'm reading a couple pages from the opening from my novel The World Out There which will come out this July.

Reminder:

The final collection is due this Thursday. I will take these up until 2 pm the following week, 5/14, but that is the last day that I will take them. If you can't meet that final deadline, then I encourage you to withdraw from the class to avoid getting a failing grade. You must upload your collection to Blackboard.

Let me know if you have any questions.

10th week of Self-isolation

Hi,

How is everyone? I'm feeling pretty tired as this is my 10th week of self-isolation and I'm almost at the end of the semester which means I'm 2x as tired. I'm not working but studying from home is pretty stressful in itself. It's sad how it's Spring but I can't go outside even for walks.

Wunderkammer 2

Why doesn't Keeper stuff pets usually?

They mentioned that as long the person knew the original animal then it wouldn't be the same. I admit I understand since even if my cat were replaced w/the same cat's appearance I would notice the small details and it would bother me. Also, I feel like it's creepy to keep a stuffed pet since it's not really there just an empty shell of something.

Wunderkammer 1

Why is the Kid "undetermined"? And, if they are undetermined then why does the playwright specify that this character should be played by "a female-identifying or gender-nonconforming actor"? Isn't this "determining"?

I feel like the author of the play wanted the most freedom for deciding on different roles since the Kid is the main character but if the casting director was uncertain then they offered some ideas. It's closer to when teachers would offer different essay topics for specific essay exams and then students would decide on the topic the day of the exam.

What a wonderful night

Additional notes: I have some changes to make on this poem but i would still like to get your feedback on this poem

I enjoyed night walks on the beach of Antigua

As I laid on my back and watched the stars

As they shine bright into the night knowing its shining perfectly light

I gazed into the light counting as many stars I could see in sight and smiling to myself

I know this is where I should be and I cannot think of  anywhere else to be

From far below I wonder what it would look like to see the stars close

As I laid on my back I saw a shooting star

I closed my eyes tight as I can making a wish

A wish that I am hoping to come true

The smell of the fresh air so pure

No noise just silence

Strange Dog wandering the lonely beach looking for food or perhaps a friend or he is just enjoying the warm weather

As I put my lips together to whistle at him

There was someone short running towards him

I taught he would’ve chased him but the young boy was just trying to feed him

It was about time for me to leave

It was getting so chilly and noisy, people had started to come on the beach

I was just trying to enjoy the silence, the moment, the stars, and the weather

I couldn’t take the noise so as I stroll down the road thinking of how I enjoyed the night on the beach

I smile so bright because that’s all I needed a little peace

Author’s note : I decide to write this poem because I was born in Antigua and Barbuda it’s about a few years now I have not gone back to visit. As well as that, I miss my home country, the surrounding, the beaches, and the food. Along with, that I miss the night I would take night walks on the beach.

Stay safe

Hi, I hope all is well with everyone and that you're being safe.
wash hands
use  sanitizer
wear gloves and mask
 social distance

Conclusion for the play

They do not live in the same burrow because they eat differently and they have differences. Badger and Armadillo like each other but since Albatross starts talking about how Badger is not like them and it would be ridiculous for them to be together. Armadillo decides to leave it, he is scared of Albatross and Armadillo believes that they wouldn’t make a good couple. The conclusion of the play was well developed since at the end we saw that Kid was that one who had all the power. Who was insecure but learned that by having everything end, means that he has a reason to be himself, and he left with a dog lady so that she would be happy with him since she was miserable with her husband. Both characters had a happy ending, they deserve it, the dog lady wasn’t happy for her life, the kid didn’t know who he was and why he belonged there, so even a new name he was able to make, he is the owner of his own decisions.

Finishing Wunderkammer

Albatross is a character that he speaks up, he is never quiet, he tries to find a solution. Albatross has the power to decide what he thinks is right since he is an animal, for the kid, he is very undecided. He doesn’t know where he even belongs, so it is hard for him to be like Albatross. Also Albatross is very stubborn,at the end he makes the other animals be victims because of betrayal, but what is he eating other things he wasn’t supposed to ? What makes him so special, since at the end of the play everyone vanished. Who really had power and did not know was the kid, but he was even aware of who he was and why he belonged there. When someone educated someone is for them to be aware of what is good or bad, they teach them how to behave in an environment in which Albatross tried to do in the play. Albatross wanted to make a nest so that place would be livable, so he deciding to make everyone nest since he thinks everyone likes nesting.

Finishing Wunderkamer #2

The friendship of the badger and the armadillo is that although they are different they can work together only with the only difference that the armadillo liked to speak a lot, criticize and the badger did not like to speak was a little quiet. It was important to define Kid - Keeper, pet, human, etc. since the animals were not comfortable with the Kid. The Kid and the Dog were able to form a relationship where the two supported each other.

Finishing Wunderkammer

Albatross is the teacher in this scenario since he was the keeper. He criticized the Kid a lot since the kid did not know what he really was. He was not allowed to touch anything since he had special powers. It is important that the creatures are placed in a hierarchy with the superior humans since this way they can obtain the power. The play generally tells us that despite the keeper dying, the animals trusted the Kid as he brought them back to life. The only thing that could not leave him in power since they believed that he was a human but he really did not know that he was himself.

Corona Virus update

How is everybody doing out there? Are you all adapting to what is now the new norm? I usually only go outside unless it's to pay my rent, to go grocery shopping, or to restock up on masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, and hygiene products. I hope everyone out there is doing well, staying safe, and staying sanitized. I pray for us all when I pray for myself. One of my cousins passed away from the Corona Virus and his wife has contracted the virus. I haven't spoken to her because she is staying distant. I've been asking my mother to give me updates. So, that's my only way of knowing if my cousin is doing okay.

I truly think that Trump is opening businesses up a little too early. I'm going to still stay home until at least September. I'm serious and really scared to tell you the truth. To me I feel like this is worse than the great depression, or the recession, or 9/11. But we are in this together and we will get through this chaotic pandemic. We just don't know when. Nobody knows. The only thing we could do is take it one day at a time. God Bless us all!!!! We need a miracle!

Wunderkammer 3

This reminded me of the character Kid in the play Wunderkammer He was lost because he didn't know if he was a boy or girl. He didn't know if he was even human. But what happens when you were born a certain gender, but you want to be the opposite?

This is a touchy subject. My little cousins Justin and Jason are a set of twins. They are 27 years now but years ago, this is what happened.

When they were around 7 years old My Mom told me that their mother called her and said that Justin wrote a letter to Santa wishing  for him be a girl. Can you imagine knowing at 7 years old that you don't want to be in the body that God made you to be? That can cause depression or even worse, suicidal thoughts.

Now at 27 years old I wonder how he feels or even views the opposite gender, or if he ever told his brother. How would his twin view him if he ever told the truth. All of these things crossed my mind as my fingers typed this blog. I just pray that he has a piece of mind because living life can be very difficult when you are not comfortable in your own skin.

What sucks more than a Hoover?

It seems that even here (a fictional story), when a power vaccum is created, someone or something will try to fill that void. Here, the albatross tries to instruct the group who is at the top of the chain of command. It is most likely the bird was quicker at thinking to act as the leader, because it would have been much lower on the chain. It most likely would have been looked down upon by the bear and even the badger. I think that had the kid known a little more about the world and not treated like a slave, things would have went differently. The animals would have been subserviant and would have changed the outcome. Had the animals not been able to communicate and think with the same cognitive power as a human, I think things would have been sorted out differently (also, how did they talk to each other? Did they speak English? How did they learn it? I know I shouldn't think about it too much, but it seems weird that these animals would just start talking in one of the worlds hardest languages.) Finally, when the woman returns to, some sense of normalcy comes back. She is the leader (even though she says she is not) and the two leave. Because the woman has a level of knowledge greater than the kid, I can only assume that she would be in charge for some time. It appears that there are those that lead and those that follow. We are no different than animals I guesss...

Wunderkammer: part deux

This play is unsettling for me. I am usually unmoved by most works (TV shows, books, movies, etc). I find them to be the same old troupes. This is a copy of that and that was a copy of this work and this work was something found on a cave wall in France. There are some things that do move me, however. This was one of them. I could only imagine the mayhem that was the fight before the "things" were destroyed. Then, in short order, these creatures were reduced back to the dust and ashes they arose from. To think that a child had to witness this only heightens the drama of the scene. Then the quiet morning begins with the child, still covered up to his elbows in the blood of the dead Keeper, in a snow lined shack. Such a stark reality this kid has to live in. Listening to the dead and reanimating them. What kind of a life would that be to hear these "ghosts" for the rest of your life? Again, we have to look to a fictional character to see how we might react (The kid from the 6th Sense. I guess a kid has to be the one to experience things like this. I guess these type of children do not make it to adulthood). Still, it was hard to sleep at night, because I kept viewing the carnage and a child witnessing it. I have just completed a report on the horrors of seige of Leningrad. After the war, the children would play games, but have very stoic or arose faces. Even when they were in groups, they would not smile and act so care free. It is a chilling scene indeed.

My Blogger for poetry

Here is a link to my blogger: https://cspoetryclass.blogspot.com/

Finishing Wunderkammer

Albatross the teacher is in this scenario because I can assume the teacher was demonstrating in front of the animals. I can relate to this kid because when I was younger I would imagine that the animals had could talk. I think the indeterminate gender can be the bear. It can say that their are tying to get closer with each other. The significance of the badger and Armadillo' friendship was like a they were in a relationship or something.

Join our blog

For the public writing project, my group and I decided to create our own little blog, feel free to join it

https://eng220pwp.blogspot.comhttps://eng220pwp.blogspot.com.