Sunday, March 30, 2008

White space.

so here's something cool I did:
Took a random sheet of paper out of me bag whilst on the train this thursday.
The random sheet of paper was the last page of a whole bunch of notes that my psych professor had emailed me to help in studying for the exam she was giving.
The words were in a typewriter font; they formed a pretty shape on the page; a sweet square on this white eight-and-a-half by eleven.
I folded the empty white space on the bottom to equalize the margins.
These are the words I was looking at:

SECOND AND THIRD TRIMESTERS- HIGHER THAN normal death rate in the first weeks of life

-continued to climb until age 3 months

-lower rates of resistence- succumbed to local infections

-if they survived to one year, risk was over.

AGE 19- all boys called to draft. Measurements taken

Height showed usual SES factors- re family size and diet

-manual workers an inch shorter than sons of wealthier men

- chldrn from large families shorter

-later born shorter than first borns

EG kids with <>

But at age 19, postnatal nutrition was > important than prenatal nutrition in those up for the draft

Tests of mental function followed SES lines and not those related to prenatal nutrition

(but remember testing only survivors and those competent for draft)

Those who didn't make it to the draft -]

Fetus starved in the first trimester

-2X > likely to have spinal bifida -spine fails to close properly) and hydrocephalus

- lack of folic acid

Female Babies who were starved in the famine tended to have lighter BW babies themselves

(first trimester starvation) These starved babies were born normal BW yet had lighter babies

Those starved in 3rd trimester were lighter BW yet had normal BW babies

The effect on first trimester carries over to next generation

Choice made by nature

-early starvation takes from the mother rather than the child

-as starvation continues, mother and child share the brunt of starvation

-prolonged starvation acts to sacrifice the child because if mother dies, so will child

I challenged myself kacha: Write a poem using whichever of these arbitrary words I choose, sticking to the order in which they appear on the page. The poem has to have a consistent mood and be somewhat meaningful.
T'was cool. Try it if ya want. Try it with these words so I can see. with my eyes. show me. tx. :')
Here's what I wrote.

Second, third- higher!
Death in the first weeks of life.
Continue to climb, lower resistance,
Succumb, survive.

Risk takers, manual workers
Short sons of men-
Test of manual function follow those,
Those, who didn't make it over.

Choice, starvation
Mother and child share the brunt of sacrifice,
Because,
if mother dies, so will child.

2 comments:

Avi said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

So this is my attempt. I think this is so cool because it is talking about the incredible process of birth. Also, it's a neat challenge. Peace..

Manual workers of wealthier children
Families born shorter than.
Access important
Test of mental function
Remember those competent,
Who didn't make it..

Choice made by nature
Share the brunt of starvation.

Act to sacrifice.

Will.