Wednesday, May 26, 2010 E-learning task 1
Poem chosen = Children in the darkness by Henry M Bechtold The following is the author's introduction of the poem, "I was in Vietnam in 1967 - 68 and again in 1969. I go back often because my soul lives in Vietnam and I go back to visit it from time to time. I was sitting in my hotel room in Saigon just before Christmas 2009 and I was trying to write a poem about the girls who work in the park and how badly men treat them. I was angry but unable to write anything that did not sound trite or weak. I looked at the TV and the news was on. I did not know what the news reader was saying but in the background was a photo of a small boy with a helmet and an automatic rifle. This poem flowed out. The words just came to me and I typed as fast as I could to get it all down. "
The author got the inspiration from looking looking at the television, showing the news where a small boy was wearing a helmet and holding an automatic rifle. This poem is talking about the children born in the middle of a war and and their plight.
