Nostalgic Memories in 'Facing It'Just as farmers brand their livestock to claim them as their own, humans do the same when it comes to important events. There are certain moments in life when an incident is so powerful, emotionally or physically, that it leaves a mark on the person forever. The remaining brand symbol could be positive or negative, but there is no doubt that it has sparked an all-encompassing wave of feelings. And although when we look at the past most of our memories tend to be seen with a black and white perception, these events are rare where a certain event can be so distinct that it is like reliving it all over again. This experience that was once lived with the body and mind is now lived forever in the heart and soul. Nostalgic memories are not always seen as the positive memories one desires. However, sometimes these are the only ones you can remember. Yusef Komunyakaa's poem "Facing It," written on the wave of vibrant flashbacks of war when a veteran visits the site of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, is a poem that fully incorporates an underlying theme of nostalgia. Similarly, in “Ghost of a Ghost,” written by Brad Leithauser, a man is upset that, despite the memory of his accident, his family has completely forgotten him and moved on. These poems, which seemingly address both issues of death and remembrance, describe a sense of nostalgic value as one character wants to return to what he once knew, while the other desperately tries to escape from any memory of his past experience. Reciprocally, the poems “Facing It” and “Ghost of a Ghost,” respectively, deal with the reflection of the past as well as… middle of the paper… thing about his wife snoring those random nights he longs for. After a while it was even comforting to him. The father longs for the comfort of happiness he received from his family. Using Yusef Komunyakaa's poem "Facing It" and "Ghost of a Ghost", Brad Leithauser's can see that there are certain moments in life when an incident is so powerful, emotionally or physically. Some of these moments when we look back tend to be seen in a black and white perception. In Komunyakaa's poem "Facing It", this sense of nostalgia is shown through traumatizing war flashbacks when visiting the site of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. In "Ghost of a Ghost," a man is upset that his family has moved on after his death. In these poems, one character wishes he could return to the days he once knew and the other wants to leave behind every memory of his past experience..