Grief Calls Us to the Things of This World

“Grief Calls Us to the Things of This World” by Sherman Alexie

Gese RochaMrs. HodsonEnglish PreAP6 February 2013

Grief Calls Us to the Things of This World By: Sherman Alexie

The eyes open to a blue telephoneIn the bathroom of this five-star hotel.

I wonder whom I should call? A plumber, Proctologist, urologist, or priest?

Who is most among us and most deservesThe first call? I choose my father because

He's astounded by bathroom telephones.I dial home. My mother answers. "Hey, Ma,

I say, "Can I talk to Poppa?" She gasps, And then I remember that my father

Has been dead for nearly a year. "Shit, Mom," I say. "I forgot he’s dead. I’m sorry—

How did I forget?" "It’s okay," she says."I made him a cup of instant coffee

This morning and left it on the table—Like I have for, what, twenty-seven years—

And I didn't realize my mistake Until this afternoon." My mother laughs

At the angels who wait for us to pauseDuring the most ordinary of days

And sing our praise to forgetfulnessBefore they slap our souls with their cold wings.

Those angels burden and unbalance us.Those fucking angels ride us piggyback.

Those angels, forever falling, snare usAnd haul us, prey and praying, into dust.(“Wilbur, Richard”)

The eyes open to a blue telephone

Bell, Alexander Graham “was born on March 3, 1847, in Edinburgh, Scotland”(Brodsky). Alexander was responsible for inventing the first telephone. “Bell, Alexander Graham was 27 years old when he worked out the principal of transmitting speech Electrically(Brodsky). It was not until he was 29 that he invented the basic telephone in. Bell was the first person to accomplish sending human speech by wire1876 (Brodsky).

Sherman Alexie

Sherman Joseph Alexie, Jr. is a modern poem writer. “Sherman was born in Oct. 7, 1966, on the Spokane Indian Reservation in the state of Washington”(Marshall). He received a B.A degree from Washington State University in 1991 and began his literacy career with 2 collection poems. One of Sherman’s greatest accomplishments is co-writing the screen play for smoking signal a 1998 motion picture (Marshall).

At the angels who wait for us to

pauseDuring the most ordinary of days

And sing our praise to

forgetfulnessBefore they slap our souls with

their cold wings.

This is a very good figurative language. The meaning of the figurative language is that sometimes we forget that the dead are not with us anymore. Our minds play tricks on, we are used to have that person for a long time that the day there not with us we already have a habit and forget that there not with us anymore.

How did I forget?" "It’s okay," she says."I made him a cup of instant coffee

“The united stated ranks as the largest consumer of coffee”(Lazarte). Americans drink 400 million cups of coffee every day. Each year the United States consumes about 2 ¾ billion pounds of coffee, that equals to about one sixth of all the coffee grown in the world. “Brazil produces about one third of the worlds crop”(Lazarte).

I wonder whom I should call? A plumber, Proctologist, urologist, or priest?

“Priest in many religions is the title of a certain member of clergy”(Ellwood). The priest primarily performs religious ceremonies and gives religious advises. “In ancient times, Judaism had a class of priests, led by a high priest,” but today Judaism has no priesthood(Ellwood). In other religions dreams or sings are use to select the priest but in most cases a person must study to enter priesthood.

Those angels, forever falling, snare usAnd haul us, prey and praying, into dust.

In many religions an angel is a spiritual being created by God. “The word Angel comes from the Greek word meaning messenger or one who is sent”(Charlesworth). According to religions angels live in heaven as God’s messengers between God and human beings. Angels are traditionally imagined as a human body with wings. “Many religions have teachings of angels or similar beings”(Charlesworth).

Works Cited“Angels.” Photo. Angel Institute 2010 6 February 2013. <http://angelinstitute.co.za/>

Alfred, Randy. “Alexander Graham Bell.” Photo. Wired 10 March 2008 6 February 2013. <http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2008/03/dayintech_0310>

Brodsky, Arthur R. "Bell, Alexander Graham." World Book Student. World Book, 2013. Web. 7 Feb. 2013.

Charlesworth, J. H. "Angel." World Book Student. World Book, 2013. Web. 7 Feb. 2013.

Ellwood, Robert S. , Jr. "Priest." World Book Student. World Book, 2013. Web. 7 Feb. 2013.

Gwinn, Mary. “Sherman Alexie.” Photo. The Seattle Times 15 November 2007 5 February 2013. <http://seattletimes.com/html/books/2004015035_alexie15.html>

Konigsberg, Eric. “Sherman Alexie.” Photo. Nytimes 20 October 2009 30 January 2013. <http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/21/books/21alexie.html?_r=0>

Lovelace, Sean. “Sherman Alexie.” Photo. HTMLGIANT 5 January 2010 5 February 2013. <http://htmlgiant.com/tag/sherman-alexie/>

Lazarte, Jaime E. "Coffee." World Book Student. World Book, 2013. Web. 7 Feb. 2013.

Levitt, Judith. “Priest.” Photo. Nytimes 29 September 2012 6 February 2013. <http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/30/opinion/sunday/women-as-priests.html>

Marshall, Donald G. "Alexie, Sherman." World Book Student. World Book, 2013. Web. 7 Feb. 2013.

Parker, Tara. “Coffee.” Photo. Well 16 May 2012 6 February 2013. < http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/16/coffee-drinkers-may-live-longer/>

“Sherman Alexie” Photo. Los Angeles Times 27 March 2009 8 February 2013. <atimesblogs.latimes.com/jacketcopy/2009/03/index.html>

“Sherman Alexie.” Photo. Nytimes 21 November 2012 6 February 2013. <http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/25/books/review/blasphemy-by-sherman-

alexie.html?_r=0>

Wilbur, Richard. “Grief Calls Us to the Things of This World.” From Face by Sherman Alexie. 2009. Poets.org. 30 Jan 2013.