The familiar Vancouver rain drizzles down, casting a gray and somber tone upon the surroundings. However, delving into the poems of Jennifer Spahr, I’m reminded that my gloomy disposition about the weather is a privileged concern. Spahr’s verses, delving into the attacks in Afghanistan and the Riot in Dili, prompt a shift in my perspective. Suddenly, my personal grievances seem trivial in the face of the global turmoil she portrays (27; 31).
Spahr’s poems encapsulate her evolving viewpoint post-9/11, stressing the significance of acknowledging stories and lives distant from our geographical proximity. She underscores the importance of seeking out information hidden from us by mainstream media (42). One verse that left a lasting impression reads, “How lovely and doomed this connection of everyone with lungs” (10). Reflecting on this profound line, it reminds me of an old Japanese advertisement that urged individuals to broaden their worldview:
http://www.pressnet.or.jp/adarc/adc/2013.html
“My father was killed by a guy named Momotaro. In order not to create a single minded happiness let’s widen our world view.”
Works Cited
Spahr, Juliana. This Connection of Everyone with Lungs Poems. Berkeley: U of California, 2005. Print.
Yamazaki, Hiroshi, and Akane Obata. 「めでたし、めでたし？」. Digital image.2013年度 新聞広告クリエーティブコンテスト. Nihon Shinbun Kyokai, 2013. Web. 11 Feb. 2015. <http://www.pressnet.or.jp/adarc/adc/2013.html>.
Falkoff, Marc. Poems from Guantánamo the Detainees Speak. Iowa City: U of Iowa, 2007. Print.