A Letter From Brooklyn by Derek Walcott

An old lady writes me in a spidery style,
Each character trembling, and I see a veined hand
Pellucid as paper, travelling on a skein
Of such frail thoughts its thread is often broken;
Or else the filament from which a phrase is hung
Dims to my sense, but caught, it shines like steel,
As touch a line and the whole web will feel.
She describes my father, yet I forget her face
More easily than my father's yearly dying;
Of her I remember small, buttoned boots and the place
She kept in our wooden church on those Sundays
Whenever her strength allowed;
Grey-haired, thin-voiced, perpetually bowed.

"I am Mable Rawlins," she writes, "and know both your parents";
He is dead, Miss Rawlins, but God bless your tense:
"Your father was a dutiful, honest,
Faithful, and useful person."
For such plain praise what fame is recompense?
"A horn-painter, he painted delicately on horn,
He used to sit around the table and paint pictures."
The peace of God needs nothing to adorn
It, nor glory nor ambition.
"He is twenty-eight years buried," she writes, "he was called home,
And is, I am sure, doing greater work."

The strength of one frail hand in a dim room
Somewhere in Brooklyn, patient and assured,
Restores my sacred duty to the Word.
"Home, home," she can write, with such short time to live,
Alone as she spins the blessings of her years;
Not withered of beauty if she can bring such tears,
Nor withdrawn from the world that breaks its lovers so;
Heaven is to her the place where painters go,
All who bring beauty on frail shell or horn,
There was all made, thence their lux-mundi drawn,
Drawn, drawn, till the thread is resilient steel,
Lost though it seems in darkening periods,
And there they return to do work that is God's.

So this old lady writes, and again I believe.
I believe it all, and for no man's death I grieve.



All Legendary Obstacles by John Montague

All legendary obstacles lay between
Us, the long imaginary plain,
The monstrous ruck of mountains
And, swinging across the night,
Flooding the Sacramento, San Joaquin,
The hissing drift of winter rain.

All day I waited, shifting
Nervously from station to bar
As I saw another train sail
By, the San Francisco Chief or
Golden Gate, water dripping
From great flanged wheels.

At midnight you came, pale
Above the negro porter's lamp.
I was too blind with rain
And doubt to speak, but
Reached from the platform
Until our chilled hands met.

You had been traveling for days
With an old lady, who marked
A neat circle on the glass
With her glove, to watch us
Move into the wet darkness
Kissing, still unable to speak.

Cinderella;
[ ] One of your parents is dead
[ ] You are expected to do a lot of chores
[x] You love to dress up
[x] You love animals
[ ] You are waiting patiently for your Prince Charming
[ ] Your mom is really strict
[ ] You have sisters who seem kind of jealous of you
[x] You're afraid to speak your mind sometimes
[x] You have left your shoes at a friend's house before
[ ] You have blonde hair
TOTAL: 4

Belle;
[ ] You've fallen in love with someone your friends didn't like
[ ] You've been lost in the forest
[x] You love to read
[ ] You are not shy at all, and not afraid to speak your mind
[x] One of your family members is a bit wierd
[x] You have done volunteer work
[x] You have a wild imagination
[x] You love to take care of people in need
[x] You've had guys like you only because they think you're pretty
[x] You've rejected at least one person when they've asked you out
TOTAL: 7

Jasmine;
[ ] Your dad is very rich/important
[ ] You are very clever
[x] You've fallen in love with someone way different from you
[x] You're unique and different from everyone else
[x] You'd never marry someone just because they were rich
[x] You have set a lot of goals for yourself
[ ] You don't have a lot of friends (I have enough to keep me happy anyway ^^)
[x] You're independant
[x] You have a very nice house (its small but quite nice...)
[ ] Your parents try to control your life
TOTAL: 6

Ariel;
[x] Your parents expect a lot from you
[x] You really try to follow the rules, but it's hard for you
[x] You're a bit of a trouble maker
[x] You're the youngest in your family
[ ] You have a lot of sisters
[ ] You collect something
[ ] You have long, red hair
[ ] You have a pet fish
[x] You're extremely curious
[x] You believe everything people tell you/you're a bit gullible
TOTAL: 6

Snow White
[x] You know that you're beautiful
[ ] Sometimes it seems like your mom is jealous of you
[ ] You've almost been killed
[x] You have at least seven good friends
[x] You've had food poisoning
[ ] You have short brown hair
[ ] You get along with everyone
[x] All of your friends are different
[x] You love to have a good time
[x] You're happier when you're out of the house than in
TOTAL:6

Mulan;
[x] You're a tomboy (sometimes, when im with the lads and Im just like... go crazy! lol)
[ ] Everyone wishes you could be a bit more girly
[x] You've pretended to be someone you're not (A long time ago....)
[x] You've had a physical fight with someone
[ ] You have/have considered running away from home
[ ] Your parents try to plan your life out
[ ] Most of your friends are boys
[x] You sometimes find yourself in bad situations
[x] You love your family so much that you'd do anything to protect them
[x] You are proud that you're different
TOTAL: 6

Aurora (Sleeping Beauty);
[ ] You live with someone other than your parents
[ ] You were almost killed at a very young age
[x] You are gentle, loving, and/or thoughtful
[x] You have a beautiful voice (Im not being vain it's just what Iv been told)
[x] You like to sleep in late on the weekends
[x] You spend most of your time outside
[ ] You're adopted
[x] You have long hair
[x] You're very romantic
[ ] Pink is one of your favorite colors
TOTAL: 5

Pocahontas;
[x] You love to walk around and explore your city
[x] You are more spiritual than religious
[ ] You've been in an interracial relationship
[ ] One of your siblings is dead
[x] Your parents are very protective of you
[ ] Someone you know has been in war
[x] You love nature
[ ] You have black hair
[x] You would love to move somewhere exotic and beautiful
[x] You're very adventurous
TOTAL:6

I'm Belle aww! Yay she rocks

1.WATS UR NAME?
2.R WE CLOSE?
3.WAT DO U THINK OF ME?
4.DO U AVE A CRUSH ON ME?
5.WUD U KISS ME?
6.WUD U FUCK ME?
7.DESCRIBE ME IN 3 WORDS?
8.IF U HAD 30 MINS WIT ME WAT WUD U DO?
9.FIRST IMPRESSION OF ME?
10.STILL THINK DA SAME?
11.WHAT REMINDS U OF ME?
12.IF U CUD GIVE ME ANYTHING WAT WUD IT B?
13.HOW WELL DO U KNOW ME?
14.WHAT DO U LIKE BEST BOUT ME?
15.EVER WANTED TO TELL ME SOMETHING BUT COULDN'T?
16.CUD U EVER LOVE ME?
17.GIV ME A NICKNAME AND EXPLAIN?
18.R YA GONNA PUT THIS ON UR BLOG AND C WAT I SAY BOUT YA?
19.ANYTHIN TO SAY B4 U GO?