Where I'm From

Where I'm From
By Tahlia Gobius

I am from the engine room,
from snowy gums and leaking tanks.
I am from the prickling of burrs in the soft wool.
(creaking ropes on the playground swings)
I am from the motorbikes in the distance,
from rusty iron
and floating dust sitting above the road

I'm from lemon syrup and the green room,
from bridges over creeks
From the scones and jam,
and the anzac biscuits
From the sweets after Sunday morning Mass

I'm from the daisy chains in the back paddock,
the clang of the ladder of the silo.
From the apples thrown to the possum
who took up residence in the broken canoe,
the sticks and bark constructed into huts with soft sawdust floors.

I am from the colourful bruises of a wombat hole,
from smashed windows,
in the car junk yard.
I'm from the broken axe with a splintered handle.
And the damp, limp body,
of the poisoned dog.

The snake once carved
and a pair of muddy shoes,
a bouncyball found at the back of a prickly bush;
sit in the bottom draw and await return.
I am from those moments--
such a very long time ago it seems--
and now I can't wait to experience it all again,
someday.

Fragments

Delicate and intricate;

Intricate and fragile;

Fragile and smooth.

Great Strength;

Strong forces;

Forced memories.

Dreams shattered;

Shattered shards;

Shard splinters.

Broken smile;

Heart-broken;

Fragments.

Parables and Connections

Reflections on…

“The Pearl”

-by John Steinbeck

The novella “The Pearl” begins with a thought-provoking quote. “If this story is a parable, everyone takes his own meaning from it, and reads his own life into it…” Personally, I interpret this to mean that the story that the author is just about to tell has more significance than the simple action that takes place in the storyline. Being alluded to as a parable, I set out reading this story with my eyes open wide for messages and morals that I hoped would come apparent as I read along.

First of all, the author quickly conveyed to me that this was to be no story of happiness. This really set the tone and mood for me. Reflecting on it, I read this book with an apprehensive and pessimistic attitude towards the outcome of the story, which I believe influenced what I got out of the story. The atmosphere of the story that I created myself even before finishing the very first chapter made a big difference to how I would have interpreted the story otherwise.

The idea that this story is a parable seems to fit in keenly with my interpretation and expectations for the story. I immediately recognized the subject matter of the story, about the value of wealth. Because of my background, my values and my system of beliefs, I automatically defined this subject as an evil. This automatic response was then verified throughout the course of the story. I identified with Juana most whenever she began her outbursts of “This pearl brings nothing but evil to us”, and so on and so forth. I admire her love, for her husband and for her son, and the fact that this love was more important to her than any pearl, or wealth. The fact that she stood up against her husband when trying to get rid of the pearl showed just how much she loved him and cared about the outcome of his life. This act, for me demonstrated her bravery and sense of justice.

The doctor in the story, though portrayed as an evil, enemy figure struck me as an accurate replica of us, privileged human beings. We often ignore the problems of those who are in need, but have nothing to offer us. The author used tone and mood to persuade us to feel sympathy for Kino, and oppose the doctor. In a way, I feel sorrier for the doctor, sorry that he was born into a position of privileged and obligation, yet he was not able to fulfill his place in society because he was so riddled with greed, selfishness and wealth.

I believe that the other, less privileged village folk had less physical wealth, but more of an unseen, internal wealth. That is, at least until the pearl came around. The doctor was riddled with evil and selfish desire, and was one day going to have to stand up the judgment against him, while the others lived generally simple, dedicated lives. It seems that they also lived in relative peace, until the pearl came around; where as the richer inhabitants of La Paz would have had to struggle with the baggage that being wealthy brings.

I believe that this story, as a parable, has much to offer to people, rich or poor. It struck a chord in my own life and provoked me to think about the consequences of my actions, and what I should do with the privileges I have been entrusted with.

Guess the Tone

Lauren glanced timidly around the cafeteria, clutching her sweating food tray. In one corner sat a bunch of girls with their heads in their books, surfing their laptops or engaged in deep conversation about some serious looking hot-topic. At this table, she could pick out a couple of girls she knew, and she actually quite enjoyed reading herself.

On the other hand, there was the another table, with a group of girls and boys laughing wildly and enjoying themselves. In her mind, she weighed her possibilities. One remained. She could take the only free table and eat by herself. Rocking back and forth on her toes, she studied each of the groups three times over. It was the same routine, everyday. She took a step forward, wandering towards one option, then turning and heading towards another. Hmm...

Guess The Mood

You creep through the house, peering around corners and tiptoeing across creaking floor boards until you come to the scene of the crime. You step inside the bathroom door and see the liquid soap, carefully arranged in loopy designs all over the floor. A broken tube of your mum's best lipstick lies on the bench, and a deep, red word is written smack bang in the middle of the mirror. 'Becca'

"Becca!" You call out to your 4 year old sister who is playing in her bedroom. No movement. You walk into her bedroom to see her plunge a Barbie into a suicidal diveoff the edge of her bunk bed. "Becca, were you playing in the bathroom?" you ask, as the Barbie hits the floor with a thud.

"Nope!" she replies, and with an innocent smile, she reaches onto her bookshelf, pulls out a picture book and flops back on her pillow. "Read to me?" she sweetly asks. You shake your head and turn to walk out of the room. As you step away from the bed, a flash of crimson catches your eye. Her hands are stained with an almost blood red smear of colour which is rubbing of on the precious pages of the book. You frown...

Ignorance

Kasey Chamber's "Ignorance"

Don't wanna read the paper
I don't like bad news
Last night a man got shot
Outside the house of blues
I'd like to ignore it
I'd like to just pretend
That the reason for it
Is something I can comprehend

I don't listen to the radio
Last time it made me cry
Two boys went crazy
Fifteen kids died
And I don't know their families
I don't ask 'em how they're going
They're on the other side of the world
But it's way too close to home

I've got something to say
And I thought it might be worth a
mention
If you're not annoyed at the world
Then you're just not paying attention
And you can turn off the TV
And go about your day
But just 'cos you don't see it
It don't mean its gone away hey

We don't talk to our neighbours
They've got funny coloured skin
We see 'em out on the sidewalk
But we don't invite 'em in
We only eat when we're hungry
And we throw the rest away
While babies in Cambodia
Are starving everyday

We risk our lives
We hit our wives
We act like everything is funny
We hide our pain
While we go insane
We sell our souls for money
We curse our mums
We build our bombs
We make our children cry
We watch the band
While Vietnam
Just watch their children die

I think that this artist has a strong feeling of inequality in the distribution of happiness and contentment in the world.

The Wombat's "Let's Dance to Joy Division"

I'm back in Liverpool,
And everything seems the same,
But I worked something out last night,
That changed this little boys brain,
A small piece of advice,
That took twenty-two years in the make,
And I will break it for you now,
Please learn from my mistakes,
Please learn from my mistakes.

Let's dance to joy division,
And celebrate the irony,
Everything is going wrong,
But we're so happy,
Let's dance to joy division,
And raise our glass to the ceiling,
'Cos this could all go so wrong,
But we're so happy,
Yeah we're so happy.

So if you're ever feeling down,
Grab your purse and take a taxi,
To the darker side of town,
That's where we'll be,
And we will wait for you and lead you through the dancefloor,
Up to the DJ booth,
You know what to ask for,
You know what to ask for.

Go ask for Joy Division,
And celebrate the irony,
Everything is going wrong,
But we're so happy,
Go ask for Joy Division,
And raise your glass to the ceiling,
'Cos this could all go so wrong,
But we're so happy,
So happy.

So let the love tear us apart,
I've found the cure for a broken heart,
Find More lyrics at www.sweetslyrics.com
Let it tear us apart,
let the love tear us apart,
I've found the cure for a broken heart,
Let it tear us apart,
(Let it tear us apart)
So let the love tear us apart,
I've found the cure for a broken heart,
Let it tear us apart,
(Let it tear us apart)
So let the love tear us apart,
I've found the cure for a broken heart,
Let it tear us apart,
Let it tear us apart,
Let it tear us apart.

Let's dance to joy division,
And celebrate the irony,
Everything is going wrong,
But were so happy,
Let's dance to joy division,
And raise our glass to the ceiling,
'Cos this could all go so wrong,
But we're so happy,
Yeah we're so happy,
So happy,
Yeah we're so happy,
So happy,
Yeah we're so happy.

This song shows a different perspective on the meaning and actions related to 'happiness'.

Julie Andrew's "Spoon Full of Sugar"

Mary Poppins:
[Spoken]
In ev'ry job that must be done
There is an element of fun
You find the fun and snap!
The job's a game

[Sung]
And ev'ry task you undertake
Becomes a piece of cake
A lark! A spree! It's very clear to see that

A Spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down
The medicine go down-wown
The medicine go down
Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down
In a most delightful way

A robin feathering his nest
Has very little time to rest
While gathering his bits of twine and twig
Though quite intent in his pursuit
He has a merry tune to toot
He knows a song will move the job along - for

A Spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down
The medicine go down-wown
The medicine go down
Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down
In a most delightful way

[Interlude]

The honey bee that fetch the nectar
From the flowers to the comb
Never tire of ever buzzing to and fro
Because they take a little nip
From ev'ry flower that they sip
And hence (And hence),
They find (They find)
Their task is not a grind.

Ah-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h ah!

A Spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down
The medicine go down-wown
The medicine go down
Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down
In a most delightful way

This song shows how your attitude can be a very influential factor in your happiness and your internal "wealth"

CONGRATULATIONS^^

I have JUST won $259,000,000

• How do you feel?

I assume I would be very, incredibly shocked at the very idea, and it would take a long to actually sink in! I would be overwhelmed, in a state of disbelief, as this is a sum that I have trouble comprehending! Once the initial wave of shock is over, I think I would start to get excited. However, this kind of money would be constantly a weight on my heart. I would feel in such a position of responsibility to make the right decisions concerning the money that I would most likely be more depressed about the whole thing than excited or ecstatic!

• What's going through your mind

The weight of the responsibility would be definitely resonating in my mind. I believe that with privileged comes great responsibility and I would hope that I would be looking towards my Maker for guidance to how to respond and what to do about the whole situation.

• What will you do with the money?

That kind of money could make a tremendous impact for someone less fortunate then me. Right now, I would hope that I could keep none of it myself, only giving it away.

• Do you think you'll change?

I believe that this would be a great test for me, and I would hope that I would change to a more humble, giving person. However it came out, I know that that kind of money and responsibility would definitely change me, for the better or the worse.