by Joy Harjo

Joy Harjo poem "Perhaps the World Ends Here" is written in free verse and enrich with a lot of metaphors that relates to living, home life, and relationships in this poem.

"The world begins at a kitchen table"
Here in this line I learned that the kitchen is the focuses point and stand for life, everyone gathers around here, and everything takes place around the table life lessons, rise children into adults, arguments, discussions, etc.......We see this through out the poem from these lines:

 

"It is here that children are given instructions on what it means to be human. We make men at it, we make women.

At this table we gossip, recall enemies and the ghosts of lovers.

Our dreams drink coffee with us as they put their arms around our children. They laugh with us at our poor falling-down selves and as we put ourselves back together once again at the table.

This table has been a house in the rain, an umbrella in the sun.

Wars have begun and ended at this table. It is a place to hide in the shadow of terror. A place to celebrate the terrible victory"

 

Finally, I see the kitchen table as true life as everyone gathers around and see why "Perhaps the World Ends Here" because everything takes place here and ends there whether good or bad as the result. To conclude what you take away from the table and apply to life lessons in today's world you truely see life begins and ends here.