Final Presentation

For my final presentation, I chose to write a poem. The concept of it is really abstract and has a lot of symbolism but hopefully you all get the gist of it. It’s loosely based off of Toni Morison’s “Language of a Dancing Mind.” Toni Morrison talks about the bird-in-the-hand and what it signifies. She compares it to language. She talks about it being a living thing over which one has control and also an act with consequences.

In my poem, the living thing over which one has control over is my conscience. My conscience in my poem is then similarly symbolized through a bird. The act that I have control over in my poem is symbolized through the temptation to drink.

My head is spun, my axis are shifted, devil on one shoulder keeps my spirits lifted, bottles now emptied, sorrows now drowned, visions now blurred, music with no sound, voices are hollow, almost echo in distance, was told to follow, but chose not to listen, devil on one shoulder holding me down, my spirits are lifted way off the ground, and now I am flying on wings of a dove, which was perched on a tree branch, and sang just because, her melody was sweet, tho her song was melancholy, and yet I stood still, so she wouldn't deny me, and with that said she flew off in the morning, came back that night with her same song calling, "You're spirits and devils are one in the same, the purpose you're seeking may be in vain. The weight on your shoulders now lifted because, the song that I sing is from up above." although perplexed, I continued to listen, "Time was not wasted, Fate was put in position. And now with this said, may your troubles align. Hopefully they'll come one at a time." The devil just laughed and jumped from my shoulder, went to the table and pushed my cup forward, poured out my hardships, my pain, my strife, told me to drink, then said, "Goodnight." Devil on one shoulder holding me down, my spirits are lifted way off the ground.