Recently in English Class

  Nervous conditions is going well, although it can be a bit confusing at times, I am starting to enjoy it more and understand it.  I am also finally starting to remember the different characters names which i really struggled with when we first began reading the book.  So far, we have learned about Nahmo, the narraters brother, and his different situations and attitudes.  We have learned about the process Tambu, the narrater has had to go through in order to go to school and how she got there.  We have also learned about Tambu's family such as her father mother, brother, aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents.  We have learned a lot in only 4 chapters so far!  I am really enjoying this book and I look forward to seeing what happens with Tambu and her education and with her relationship with her brother.

  Today, in class, we had some guests come and visit our class and talk to us about poetry.  They even performed some of their own work.  In that small hour I learned so much and it actually made me sort of like poetry.  We talked about a lot of different pieces and read them aloud.  By the end of the class period, the instructors told us to write a poem on something we felt we had a deep connection with, such as our global issue.  At first I had no idea what I could possibly write about because I didn't really want to write about what I had written my research paper on, but then we brainstormed some ideas.  After we finished I decided I would write my poem on gun possession (specifically by a minor), so here is what I wrote. (ps: its not very good!)

guns can be of use.
but also of danger.
sometimes they are
kept within, possession
of bad strangers.

We hear everyday,
the problems of the
world; but never
take action to
prevent such things.

My friend is only
fourteen when shot near the
heart.  How can this be?
He is much too young.

The cause was only
an accident, but it
could have been prevented
had we had a system of limits.

Another young man, only
sixteen years old, a close
friend of mine was shot as well.
He suffered the pain no
boy should suffer.

The cause may have been
an accident, but it could have
been prevented had we had
a system of limits.

I chose to write about this because the first boy that I wrote about was actually someone that I met over Christmas break in drivers ed and the second was a very close family friend so it really hit close to home.


Reading Log: Nervous Conditions. 42 pages-150 minutes