My daughter made drawings with the pens you sent,

line drawings that suggest the things they represent,

different from any drawings she — at ten — had done,

closer to real art, implying what the mind fills in.

For her mother she made a flower fragile on its stem;

for me, a lion, calm, contained, but not a handsome one.

She drew a lion for me once before, on a get-well card,

and wrote I must be brave even when it’s hard.

 

Such love is healing — as you know, my friend,

especially when it comes unbidden from our children

despite the flaws they see so vividly in us.

Who can love you as your child does?

Your son so ill, the brutal chemo, his looming loss

owning you now — yet you would be this generous

to think of my child. With the pens you sent

she has made I hope a healing instrument.

-Michael Ryan

 

Poetry Out Loud Reflection

I learned throughout the poetry out loud project, that it is much more than just the memorization of the poem. All we see in just the presentation is the memorization, or the lack of it, but it doesn’t show our analysis of the poem, or how we feel getting up in front of everyone and presenting. One key trait I further developed was my ability to speak in front of crowds.  Though it was only 30 people in my head it felt like a million eyes were on me. But I did it, with only a couple mistakes, and I feel as if this developed me.

 

In the poem, "A Thank You Note" by Michael Ryan, the author claims that even a note can help in hard times because a note represents much more than a piece of paper  What I mean by representation is that it is more than a piece of paper, and the author describes the notes  as. "Line drawings that suggest the things they represent. These notes, drawn by a 10 year old girl, puts on paper, what her mind fills in."  For example, the author states "for her mother, she drew a flower, fragile on its stem."  The other part of the claim, is the appreciation of the note.  A stated by the author towards the end of the poem, "yet you would be this generous to think of my child."  Through all of the terrible events, and a man's son going through chemotherapy he sent a note to the father, whose daughter was writing the notes.