Conversation by Ai

Conversation

We smile at each other
and I lean back against the wicker couch.
How does it feel to be dead? I say.
You touch my knees with your blue fingers.
And when you open your mouth,
a ball of yellow light falls to the floor
and burns a hole through it.
Don't tell me, I say. I don't want to hear.
Did you ever, you start,
wear a certain kind of dress
and just by accident,
so inconsequential you barely notice it,
your fingers graze that dress
and you hear the sound of a knife cutting paper,
you see it too
and you realize how that image
is simply the extension of another image,
that your own life
is a chain of words
that one day will snap.
Words, you say, young girls in a circle, holding hands,
and beginning to rise heavenward
in their confirmation dresses,
like white helium balloons,
the wreathes of flowers on their heads spinning,
and above all that,
that's where I'm floating,
and that's what it's like
only ten times clearer,
ten times more horrible.
Could anyone alive survive it?
This poem is obviously talking about death. The speaker is not afraid, but at the same time does not want to know the answers about death. This poem is very easy to relate to because I believe death is a common event that every one often wonders about. The begining of the poem is saying how death is right there, the speaker can touch it but he/she is not ready to fully comprehend what death is all about. This interpretation really hit home with me because I know i often wonder about things you can only learn about through experience but if i ever had the chance to finally know I would be to scared to take that risk. Death is a big deal, its not something that can be undone and that's why people are so hesitant and curious about it. Later on in the poem it becomes noticeable that not only can the speaker almost touch death but there are almost in a way battling with it, they are in that place between life and death where you know your time is coming. They are about to find out all the answers, some already answered but believe it to be "ten times more horrible." My personal favorite line from this poem is "that your own life is just a chain of words that one day will snap" because that is so true. We all live like nothing bad will ever happen to us, we do things, and say things that maybe aren't so great but we dont think about their consequences. In an instant we could be gone and all those words will just be memories, all the conversations we've shared with people will now be remembered but nothing else of us will be left. For me, that's a very scary thought. Once were gone, we are gone forever and everything we do or said or even touched. This poem is very relatable to pretty much anyone who has ever experinced fear of dying. It uses elaborate imagery as well as extended metaphors to further explain the speakers "conversation" with death.

"Good Vibes"

Good vibes
We’re bringing only good vibes
People walking around talking down on others
You can't know yourself without knowing about the other
And I know
That aint the right way to go

I've got a hunch that we don’t want to diss
Let’s move away from hate and prejudice
The racist man yeah he's full of it
Let’s learn about the culture opposite
Don't judge a book by the cover
People take a look at the world and discover
That beauty is the word that I think of when I see the different colors of skin
And I'll rejoice and sing for them

The hatred keeps building up
The tension keeps on building up
The hatred keeps building up
The racism is killing us

When we come around
Try to keep compassion on the ground
Feel a sense of freedom with crowd
Connecting people with the sound

Well it’s a choice to be grateful
People focus on the enemy that's hateful
The daily news has got a picture of a man, they say I'm supposed to hate
So great, just another stereotype to make

Too many times that I've seen the wrong signs
Back up with your hatred in life
Cuz we’re bringing only good vibes
Bringing only good vibes
Too many times that I've seen the wrong signs
Empty out the hatred in life
We're bringing only good vibes

 

This song entitled "Good Vibes" is in the style of reggae. Reggae music is known for its social criticism and often talks about love and socializing as well as anti racism/ anti prejudice. This song particularly is commenting on all the hate and stereotypes we are faced with in today's society. The first lines talk about how people are constantly talking down on others in order to know who they are as an individual which is not right. The next few lines are encouraging words stating for people to go out and look at the different ways people live, although it might be cliche, you really cant "judge a book by its cover" because you never know what the other person may be going through. This song, as well as Reggae in general often uses cliches like this in songs to further prove a point that listeners can more easily understand and relate to. Because of this use of cliche, Reggae can in a way be similar to Carpe Diem poems, which also often talk about love, using cliches to do so. Rebelution (band of the song) is becoming an increasingly popular group with high schoolers, which i believe is appropriate because they talk about things such as prejudice and stereotypes which is something every high schooler has to deal with. Personally, i have never felt like i was a victim of prejudice or stereotype but i see it happen way to often in school and it gets to be very unsettling. The things kids say to one another is just vulgar and rude. And i think Rebeltion brings up a very good point that people feel the need to talk down on each other in order to figure out their own identity. Its sad but true, and this song is commenting on that exactly. Our minds have been wired to think certain things about certain groups of people because of what we see happening in the news and media and we, without thinking about it, apply these thoughts to everyday life. "Good Vibes" is encouraging us to see past these awful stereotypes and learn to appreciate one another, see life through the others eyes and understand what they might be going through. Many of these encouragements are ones we hear over and over again, but they are important and often forgotten. As a teenager in this generation i believe commentary like what is said in this song is very important to pay attention to and learn from, because we really never know what another person may be going through.