“tattoo”
by gregg shapiro

my father won’t talk about the numbers
3-7-8-2-5 between the wrist and elbow
blue as blood on his left forearm
instead, he spreads himself over me
spilling his protection, like acid, until it burns
i wear him like a cloak, sweat under the weight

there were stories in the lines on his face
the nervous blue flash in his eyes
his bone-crushing hugs
i am drowning in his silence
trying to stay afloat on curiosity
questions choke me and i swallow hard

we don’t breathe the same air
speak the same language
live in the same universe
we are continents, worlds apart
i am sorry my life has remained unscathed
his scars still bleed, his bruises don’t fade

if i could trade places with him
i would pad the rest of his days
wrap him in gauze and velvet
absorb the shocks and treat his wounds
i would scrub the numbers from his flesh
extinguish the fire and give him back his life

analyze how the free-verse structure in the poem “tattoo” by gregg shapiro reveals shapiro’s message.

Read this passage: i think of you daily, my darling, especially when it’s dark and the other men in the foxhole become silent. i like to pretend that the gunfire is a fireworks display and that you are here with me to enjoy it. who is the intended audience for this passage? a. the writers girlfriend at home b. the writers fellow soldiers c. the writers mother and father d. the writers commanding officer

Discuss the theme of outcasts in these chapters in at least two hundred words. what does it mean that the church takes in people that the clan rejects? how is nwoye an outcast? how does the clan treat the missionaries as outcasts?

()activityconstruct an argument about a topic, theme, or idea that you read about in william shakespeare's romeo and juliet, act ii or act iii. make sure you create a central claim for your argument that is debatable. provide textual evidence from the play to support your argument.my analysis juliet shows maturity by putting their needs before hers. after juliet has arranged her 'death' with friar lawrence, she is an emotionally awoken woman who will do anything to be with the one she loves. "and i will do it without fear or doubt, to live an unstained wife to my sweet love". juliet faces her fears and trusts in god and friar lawrence. she is forced to use trickery in order to stay true to dear romeo. this showed remarkable courage. before she takes the potion she uses a soliloquy that confronts all her fears. she speaks in blank verse showing the seriousness of the situation. when juliet awakes to see a lifeless romeo lying beside her, juliet's maturity and loyalty takes over and she takes the decision to choose eternity over the present. the quotation "then i'll be brief. o happy dagger! this is my sheath; there rust, and let me die." shows the quickness and determination of juliet's death. during the period of a few days juliet matures into a committed and reliable woman and wife, capable of taking decisions without the of others. shakespeare shows this by clearly stating the different stages that happen and by making everything occur in a short period of time.part cwrite a 300-word essay arguing the thesis of your analysis.