Caramelo:

I found easy to visualize the photo she was speaking of. The small and simple details made it more vivid and better to picture. Also her using Spanish words over English words in some parts brings into her culture more and highlights which words don’t translate as well from Spanish to English.

Paradise Valley II:

It’s easy o see her sentiment of artifacts and relics taking us back to simpler and easier times. Time is so finite and she mentions that when she says that in a blink of an eye, thirty years had passed. The line that struck me most was how she looks back in order to look forward, that idea of reflecting on the past on those memories on order to influence how we move forward. It’s easier to focus on the past than it is to focus on the unknown of the future.

Manila, Philippines:

She speaks about the magic of photography which really struck me most. This medium and this technology is able to freeze time and capture a moment forever. One still image that can everything. We really go into the mind of a photographer as she looks for that one perfect shot that she eventually gets and how good art can come from anywhere.

Rice Krispies:

Much like photos and old items, food also has an amazing power to bring back memories. These foods are able to be escapism for this family and all their horrible, dark stories. The author here sets us up for a fun story as that is what we associate with Rice Krispie treats, but completely flips that on its head by juxtaposing the recipe with those intense family stories.

Baudelaire Street:

Continuing with the theme of nostalgia, the author this time uses a bike ride and certain locations in order to look back. Thinking about that ride was her escapism as she says she rode past adulthood and straight to her childhood. The details here are vivid and exquisite however I cannot figure out the meaning behind the opening and closing line of the poem.

Heart as a Torn Muscle:

This cheeky piece is about emotion but phrasing them in a technical way for humor. She’s saying that love is a disease with symptoms and how to take care of it. She goes through all the things the race in your mind when you see someone you look,but phrases it in such a comedic way.