The Advocate Intro

 Intro 

As I sit here in the ICU by my mother’s side, I wanted to type up my story to share my mother’s journey during COVID. I am just going to write it like I talk, little rough around the edges and no filter. I also spell mom M-O-M-A and my Moma always said that is ok, so do not judge me. I am a Moma’s boy for sure. I am no means a writer or an English professor so do not judge my grammar. I hold various titles and credentials in healthcare. I have worked in healthcare since I was 17 years old and have been exposed to it all my life. I have worked in various settings such as EMS, Acute Care Vent Unit, Urgent Care, and Outpatient Care. I have dealt with COVID outside of the hospital during the whole pandemic. I have always heard healthcare is different now, COVID is a monster, understaffed, bad patient ratios, and burnout but I have not seen it firsthand in the hospital system until now. It has been a difficult experience since I worked in healthcare and my mother raised me in healthcare. I remember at the age of nine I knew how to do vitals because my mother would have me at work with her when she ran a free clinic in Statesville. What nine-year-old knows how to do vitals and run a UA on a patient? I tried to type three days in so bear with me if I am out of order with some items.  

“Solomon’s Song of Songs”

“Solomon’s Song of Songs”  

            The Song of Songs was probably written by King Solomon around the tenth century B.C. The speaker is a young woman referred to as Beloved.  Editorial material in the New International Version Study Bible (1995) describes this chapter as part of what is known as wisdom literature.  It is a poem that describes an amorous relationship between a man and a woman.  The poem intimates that this kind of love is a gift from God and is a normal, expected part of married life.

            As a Christian I enjoyed this poem and believe that others will also.  God means for us to be happy.  Some of the imagery used is hot!  Examples include his fruit is sweet to my taste and you two breasts are like fawns.  So anyone who has a stereotypical view of Christian life as boring should read this beautiful poem.  It describes not only a sensual physical relationship but also a powerful emotional bond.

Works Cited

Barker, Kenneth, ed. The New International Study Bible.

Grand Rapids: Zondervan 1995.

“March” Wyatt Prunty p 875

 “March”        Wyatt Prunty        p 875

I love this poem because it reflects on the energy of the season we are currently experiencing. I also like the observation the poet makes about nature. The changes of nature will continue to occur in a certain rhythm regardless of what we as humans do. I think these two things, the energy and the reflection on nature make the poem worthwhile for all of us to read .

The author uses alliteration to give the words movement and make the poem enjoyable to read. For example the poet uses a W in Where, We, Who, Were, and What at the end of the poem. This creates a flow that ends the poem with us thinking about how nature smoothly goes on without us. The poem is also written as one sentence. This creates movement and flow of the words just as seasonal changes also flow.

“The Fish” Marianne Moore pp 745-746

“The Fish”           Marianne Moore       pp 745-746

I like the poem because of the stanzas look like a fish! This visual image alone is a good enough reason for everyone to read and enjoy this poem. I also like the rhyming words and how each line ends at the beginning of the following stanza. This creates a continuity that reminds me of waves coming onto the beach. The author uses descriptive adjectives to paint a vivid picture. Examples include turquoise sea and crabs like green lilies. Moore is truly an artist.

“A Blessing” James Wright pp 717-718

“A Blessing”          James Wright            pp 717-718

I like this poem because I am a horse person. The poet paints a vivid picture of how the ponies act and look. I can imagine being in this scene. My own horses have come up to me the same way late in the evening when I go to check on them. Reading the poem gives me the warm comfortable feeling that I get at those times. I would like for everyone to know about the therapeutic benefit of horses; I want others to read this poem and perhaps gain some insight into this phenomenon.

“Bonny George Campbell” Anonymous pp 687-688

“Bonny George Campbell”         Anonymous      pp 687-688

The reason I chose to read this poem is that my mother’s family is of Scottish decent. I like it because of the speaker describes the sadness of the wife and mother. The poem makes you feel the sadness with the words used (wringing her hair). Everyone should read this poem because it does make strong emotions even though they are sad emotions. The stranger that tells what Bonny George left behind (corn unshorn… babe is unborn) sounds like a great beginning for a ghost story.

“Neighbors”

Rather than describing Bill and Arlen’s sexual encounters in great detail, Carver simply writes that “grabbed for her awkwardly” and “unfastens his belt”

When Arlene says “I found some pictures” no description is given of the photos. The very brief dialogue between Bill and Arlene let the reader know exactly what kind of pictures she found.