29 May, 2012
Moon
Lost in the ruined forest,
surrounded by danger.
Nobody to help you,
nobody to be with,
nobody to guide you.
The sky is covered in a cloud of smoke
from the recent fire.
When will someone find you?
You look up into the sky,
and the smoke is pulled apart
by the rays of the moon.
Not all hope is lost.
She lightens your way
and helps you through
the path of darkness.
When you need someone
to help and guide you,
remember, the celestial body
is always watching over you.
09 May, 2012
Draft
Self-Notes
3rd person, only knowing the thoughts of Ara. Limited omniscient, I think?
Wrote the first part of the prologue in my notebook/journal, transferred onto here. I prefer typing.
Anything in between <> is a different language.
Anything in between <> is a different language.
-----
Plans
3000 C.E.
***
The messenger hurried through the dim lit hallways, trying to find the one door to the General's headquarters. He reached the end of the last hallway. There was a single, well furnished door. He recklessly pushed it open, and it slammed into the wall. Awaiting the messenger was a wide lounge, filled with other bored looking, high ranking men sitting around, sleeping or playing card games. The sudden noise made them look up to see who was interrupting their fun. The many pairs of eyes intimidated the messenger, and he backed away to get some breathing space. He gulped."What do you want," a voice murmured from the back of the room. His voice was loud enough to echo. A sweat drop slid down the messenger's cheek.
"The Professor..." he stammered.
"What about him? How is his project going, hmm? Is he almost done?"
"No, sir..."
"Hah! What could be POSSIBLY be doing then? Taking his sweet time? Building something else? Well, I have time to spe-"
"Yes sir, he is."
The General turned around in his chair.
"Why did you just interrupt me?" he asked coldly. The intimidation in his eyes made the messenger shudder.
"He's b-building something to overthrow you," he said. "N-No, that's not the right word. He's trying to make sure you don't get into power..."
The General snickered, and stood up from his seat. The back of the room was elevated, so everyone had to look up to him. He was the most powerful being in the third dimension, after all.
"I'm already in power! What in the hell is he thinking?"
"HE'S BUILDING A TIME MACHINE."
The room grew silent. Even the General stopped his laughing. The messenger scratched the back of his head and shrunk back to the door. What would the General do to him for yelling? The General jumped down from his podium and placed a pair of gloves on his hands. The other men stirred, placed their playing cards back down on the table neatly so they could get back to their games later, and stared at their boss for orders.
"Gather your men. The Professor is going to receive a visit today," the General murmured. They pushed the lowly messenger aside and stormed out of the room.
-
"Aaaaaaaaaand that's the last piece! Voila!"
The Professor placed the screwdriver back down on the floor and wiped his head. In front of him was a strikingly large contraption, his time machine.
"Well, well, there's no time to wait! Let's get this thingy started," he muttered to himself. This would be his first time giving it a test ride. He grabbed a first aid machine kit and threw it into the machine, then hopped in himself. "What time would be best to go back to, huh? Well, the guy got in power around 50 years ago. So let's do fifty years before that!" He punched in the numbers 2900. "Perfect, perfec-"
The door burst open, and the Professor turned his attention to the entrance of his small labratory. Hundreds of men stood outside, with the very General himself in the front. The Professor gave a little wave.
"Well hello there, my wonderful friends! Isn't it a great day? It'snotthatsunnycauseofthepollutionb-"
"You know why we're here, Timmy," the General grunted. Professor Timothy laughed and waved his dirty hands. He glanced down at the control panel, looking for the right buttons to press when the time came. The men behind him grabbed their arms and loaded their guns. "Get out of that machine and we'll spare you. You can continue living a happy life."
"Happy? Heh. You ruined this world, nobody's happy. Hell, YOU'RE not really happy," Timothy retorted. "I'm going to change that, by messing with the dimension we can call Time. Think you're the most powerful man? Well, you don't have control of this!" He pressed the button, and the machine started glowing from the outside. The General hastily ordered his men to fire. They did so, and Timothy ducked down in his machine to avoid the spray. After a few rounds, they realized bullets wouldn't do, so the men charged in and tried to kick the machine down. Timothy fell onto the control panel, but he warped out of the labratory just in time.
***
Warp
1900 B.C.E.
-
Ara was wondering why he smelled a bit of smoke. Was the village head holding a ritual? He rubbed his eyes and stared out the window, and he could barely see a cloud of smoke in the darkness of the night. It was thick enough to hide the moon. Ara stood up and shook the girl next to him awake. She groaned and tried to push him away.
"<What?>" she mumbled.
"<Rizalie, warn the village. There's smoke coming from somewhere, I'm gonna check it out,>" Ara replied. He grabbed his bow and slung his quiver across his back. Rizalie sat up and grinned.
"<Can I come?>"
"<No, you have something else to do.>"
"<Awwww, come on!>"
Ara ignored her and pushed the door open, leaving her behind. It wasn't like him to depend on anyone, but he hoped she would listen to him for once. The rest of the village was quiet and asleep, and she would make the perfect wake up call. Hopefully he could find the source of the smoke soon. It didn't seem like there was a fire though, he thought. He stumbled through the roots and foliage while making his way through the trees. The smoke couldn't be seen through the towering branches, but the smell helped him find his way through. Just a few minutes later, Ara found his way through the trees into an open cliff... He looked below and saw a breathtaking sight.There was a single tree growing in the sea of grass below, and smoke was creeping out of it... Ara squinted. No, it wasn't the tree, he thought. There was something next to the tree... It was a large THING. He didn't know what else to call it, because he's never seen it before. Ara carefully slid down the cliff and slowly moved closer to the frightening object. Something inside it moved, and out of instinct, he pulled out his bow and fired.
"Holy mackerel!" the voice squeaked. "Stop! Please!" The unknown figure held his hands out in front of him, shaking. Ara lowered his bow when he heard the cries of help. It sounded just like his parents'.. He threw his bow to the ground so the stranger knew that he was safe, and extended an arm. The man took it and was helped out of the thing. He sighed, "Thank the gods you missed that shot. I would have been DEAD!" Then he took a look around the area, and sunk onto his knees. "Oh god, oh god, this isn't 2900.. Oh, NOOOOOO!"
Ara had no idea what the stranger was saying. While the man cried, Ara took the time to examine him. He looked a lot different from the other villagers. He was a lot shorter than him, and his hair color was the color of the sun itself. He was also speaking an entirely different language, and he has something to do with the thing behind him. Who is he, and are there other people like him out there?
He heard the trees rustle, and quickly pulled the man away from the scene. He knew that the other villagers had come to look for the smoke as well, but he also knew that they would be too scared to approach it. His assumptions were right, and the villagers ran back into the trees. It grew quiet. The man pulled away from Ara and took a look.
"Hi!" he yelled. Ara shook his head. The man brought his hand to his chin. After a short moment, he waved. Ara recognized this signal, and waved back. It was a signal between friends to greet each other, and this man seemed to be friendly enough. He pointed at himself and said, "Tim."
"Tim..." Ara replied. His name? "Ara."
"Hi, Ara!" he laughed. He held out his hand, and Ara felt himself taking it. Tim shook vigorously.
The two new found men traveled back to the thing that Tim called a machine. With both of their strengths, they got it to stand back up. It looked much better standing, but it was still quite the wreck. Tim took a step inside of the machine, while Ara decided to go look for some good sized branches to make a fire and keep him warm. The smoke wasn't going to last forever, and he didn't think his white coat was thick enough to withstand the breeze.
Ara also tried finding food for Tim, but he missed every attempt at killing an animal. He soon gave up and started gathering berries instead. Why could the other villagers hunt, and not him? Ara didn't believe it was bad luck or some godly figure that cursed him; he didn't believe in any of that. He needed to try harder, that was it. He slid the berries into his sack and grabbed the best of his branches, then headed back to the machine.
Other little things lay around the machine. Ara figured it was also some kind of thing that Tim owned. He left him alone to his work while rubbing the branches together to form a small campfire. He hoped the smoke wouldn't travel too far. The wind's direction changed anyway, so it moved in the opposite direction. He didn't want anyone else to find out about Tim. He wouldn't know how they would react, because this was the first person outside of his village he's ever met, and he doubted anyone before him knew someone outside of the community either. He handed Tim a berry, and he gladly took it.
"Ohh lord, I haven't had the taste of this in a long time!" he sighed. "You know, back at my place, everything's gone. There's no vegetation, no greens, noth- Oh dear me, I'm sorry, you don't understand a word I'm saying, do you?" He gave up and turned back. Ara wished he could understand the man, but it wasn't possible. Maybe he could learn his language? He knew one word so far, didn't he? He sat and watched Tim as he threw objects aside in an attempt to stop the smoke from erupting out of his contraption until the sun crept above the horizon. Ara knew he had to leave the place and get back to his village, but how could he tell Tim? He tapped the tired man on his shoulders and pointed towards the direction he first came from.
"Tim," Ara started. But he didn't know what else to say.
"I understand you, just come back at night time," Tim replied. He pointed at the sun, moved his arm across the sky, then pointed at the ground. Come back after the day passes, Ara thought. He nodded and waved.
"Hi," he replied.
"No, no! You say 'bye,'" Tim giggled. Ara didn't understand what he meant, so he just turned around and started running back to his village.
-
Nobody questioned where Ara went every night. They all knew he was nocturnal and hated company, so they left him alone. He was quite relieved at that; it would be easier to keep his acquaintance with Tim a secret. Every night, after the sun was no longer visible, Ara would sneak out of his living quarters and venture through the trees to find Tim again. He would try to hunt before he came, because he didn't want Tim to go hungry. Some days, he had a few successes, and other days he was forced to forage for fruits. He was happy to see Tim either way. He never complained when there was meat or not.
"Ya know, I guess I kinda like berries better, since I never get to eat them anymore," Tim rambled. Despite not understanding what he says, Ara liked to sit around and listen to him as he ate and worked. He offered Tim some rat meat, and he refused it. "I-I'd rather not eat that, sorry to offend you."
Sometimes, Tim wouldn't work on his machine. He would instead follow Ara into the forest and examine him hunt. One night, he watched him closely as he saw Ara miss every arrow he fired. He caused enough of a ruckus in the forest that the animals stopped venturing the grounds and hid in their shelter. Frustrated, Ara placed his bow on his back and turned around to see Tim watching.
"Hrm," Tim mumbled. He took off the pair of glasses he had and placed them on Ara. Ara was quite alarmed at this movement, but then he blinked. Tim was no longer a fuzzy fellow; he was clear as day. He looked around the area, and it was an entirely different sight to him. He whipped out his bow, spotted a lone and unlucky rat, then aimed and fired. The arrow struck the poor creature right in its side, and it lost its life.
"Wh-Wha.." Ara breathed. He heard that word from Tim repeatedly when he was confused.
"Glasses," Tim replied. "Your sight gets better with them. Haha, that's been your problem the whole time! You're a great hunter! You just couldn't see what you were aiming at correctly! You can have that pair during the night time, okay? Just don't destroy it; I only have one backup. I'm a wreck without them, you se-"
"Thank you," Ara interrupted. The words he used whenever he gave Tim his daily nutrients.
"Oh... Oh, you're quite welcome, of course," Tim sighed.
Ara was now able to hunt better. He could bring back enough food for the village hunter to eat a small morning meal. Nobody asked him how he improved in a single night, and he was grateful for that. He was also learning a few words of the English language. He barely understood the words like "wrench," "future," and "dictator," but he learned words he could relate to and that he could use every day. They were able to fully communicate with each other in a few months. Ara loved his company more than the company of his other peoples, because Tim actually didn't bring him down; he helped him back up with words of encouragement.
"When are you leaving?" Ara asked one night. He knew this arrangement couldn't last forever. If Tim came here from somewhere, he would have to go back soon. The machine looked like it would work again soon.
"Well, that doesn't matter, does it? I'll bring you with me! Together we will travel through time and train you to adjust to the future. We'll have an adventure, won't we?" Tim ranted. Ara didn't comprehend many of those words, but the raised voice made him know that it was something good.
"When are you leaving?" Ara asked one night. He knew this arrangement couldn't last forever. If Tim came here from somewhere, he would have to go back soon. The machine looked like it would work again soon.
"Well, that doesn't matter, does it? I'll bring you with me! Together we will travel through time and train you to adjust to the future. We'll have an adventure, won't we?" Tim ranted. Ara didn't comprehend many of those words, but the raised voice made him know that it was something good.
-
Ara was about to sneak out again tonight, but someone stopped him in his tracks before he could make his way to the trees. He turned around and faced the short little girl. Rizalie.
"<Where are you going? I want to come with you!>" she whined.
"<Hunting big, scary animals that can kill you in one bite,>" Ara lied.
"<You treat me like a little girl! I'm not that anymore.>"
"<Then stop acting like one and listen to me.>"
Ara knew he couldn't leave until he got her to go back too. He gave her many excuses to stay back and leave him alone, but she was stubborn and wouldn't listen to him. He gave up and decided that he couldn't venture out to meet Tim today. He'll be okay, he thought.
"Fine, tonight," he sighed.
"<What did you say?>" she asked. He didn't reply. Stop using Tim's language here, he told himself. He placed his hand on Rizalie's head and pulled her back into the village with him. Tomorrow, he would depart the village before he could be caught by his friend.
Once again, the day passed and dusk fell. Ara double checked to make sure that nobody was following him. He could hear Rizalie's cries of trying to escape the arms of her mother. Good. She's much safer there than anywhere else in this place. He turned around and found his way to Tim once again. Tim was already waiting for him; he knew that because he saw him staring right where he came out of.
"Where were you yesterday? I was quite lonely without the company. Hey, I did try to find my own food though! You gotta teach me how to do that one day, Ara, my friend," Tim greeted. Ara slid down the cliff and sat next to him, then they started practicing talking together. If Ara was going to travel, he'll have to learn to communicate with his partner, wouldn't he? They started communicating with each other. He knew when he was making mistakes, because Tim would burst out laughing. It didn't discourage him, though. They were interrupted by a cry out in the forest, and Ara quickly stood up and grabbed his bow. He heard the cries of a young girl.
"Rizalie..!" he cried. He asked him for his glasses and ran off to find her. She couldn't have gone too far. Ara found her in the arms of a beast, one that he had never seen before. Aim for the head, aim for the head, he thought. It was hard for him to concentrate. He fired an arrow at the monster, and it whizzed right into his head. The wicked animal fell and lay dead. Rizalie fell out of his arms and onto the ground. She was whimpering and crying from fear. "<I told you not to come out here.>"
"<I-I'm so sorry, I just wanted to find you..>" she replied. Ara let her cry until the tears eventually stopped. Tim entered the scene. Rizalie stared at him, wide-eyed. "<Ara, who is h-he?>"
"<You are NOT to tell anyone who he is, Rizalie. I'll never forgive you if you do.>"
Tim kneeled over next to Rizalie. Ara found it amusing that they were the same height, even if she was shorter than average compared to her people. He grabbed her hand and shook it.
"Is this your friend, Ara? She seems mighty kind to come out here, worried for you and such. Don't scold her too much, would you?" Tim asked. Ara bit his lip. As troublesome as she was, he knew she meant well. They escorted her back to Tim's little camp and let her regain her breath. Ara told her that Tim wasn't a dangerous person and he could be trusted. She nodded. Rizalie and Tim soon got along well. Tim started teaching her hand games from his time that Ara has never seen before. He enjoyed watching them both play the rhythmic game.
The time to leave was nearing, and the two villagers stood up to go back to their home. Rizalie waved good bye to her new companion, and he waved back happily.
"<Say 'bye' to him, that's how you greet him,>" Ara mumbled.
"B-bye," Rizalie yelled. Tim smiled at the two growing villagers. Ara followed behind Rizalie as they made their way back through the trees. She was cheerful again, and Ara thought that she wouldn't mind if a monster came by at the moment and seized her. Her parents were already waiting for her by the time she got back, and they rushed over to grab her in their arms.
"<What did you do to her!?>" they yelled angrily at Ara. He flinched.
"<He saved me, mother. I would have been dead if he didn't find me, I'm sorry,>" Rizalie snapped. Her parents looked up at her savior, and their eyes blinked. Tears started to form.
"<We're sorry for accusing you. Thank you,>" they sighed. Rizalie was free, and she went back to his side. They headed back to his room. There, Ara told her about why he was gone every night, who Tim was, what other language he was speaking, and anything else he could think of at the time, making sure that nobody was watching them. He knew that Rizalie wouldn't be able to comprehend each word at the moment.
"<I'll take you out every night to see him, but you have to promise me that you won't tell anyone here about him,>" Ara whispered. She made the promise, and held out her pinky. It was the pinky swear that Tim taught them. He held his own pinky out, and they swore. Every night from then on, they disappeared from the village. Rumors spread about what they were doing, but the only thing they did was meet up with the man from the future and learned from him. If only this would last forever.
"Rizalie..!" he cried. He asked him for his glasses and ran off to find her. She couldn't have gone too far. Ara found her in the arms of a beast, one that he had never seen before. Aim for the head, aim for the head, he thought. It was hard for him to concentrate. He fired an arrow at the monster, and it whizzed right into his head. The wicked animal fell and lay dead. Rizalie fell out of his arms and onto the ground. She was whimpering and crying from fear. "<I told you not to come out here.>"
"<I-I'm so sorry, I just wanted to find you..>" she replied. Ara let her cry until the tears eventually stopped. Tim entered the scene. Rizalie stared at him, wide-eyed. "<Ara, who is h-he?>"
"<You are NOT to tell anyone who he is, Rizalie. I'll never forgive you if you do.>"
Tim kneeled over next to Rizalie. Ara found it amusing that they were the same height, even if she was shorter than average compared to her people. He grabbed her hand and shook it.
"Is this your friend, Ara? She seems mighty kind to come out here, worried for you and such. Don't scold her too much, would you?" Tim asked. Ara bit his lip. As troublesome as she was, he knew she meant well. They escorted her back to Tim's little camp and let her regain her breath. Ara told her that Tim wasn't a dangerous person and he could be trusted. She nodded. Rizalie and Tim soon got along well. Tim started teaching her hand games from his time that Ara has never seen before. He enjoyed watching them both play the rhythmic game.
The time to leave was nearing, and the two villagers stood up to go back to their home. Rizalie waved good bye to her new companion, and he waved back happily.
"<Say 'bye' to him, that's how you greet him,>" Ara mumbled.
"B-bye," Rizalie yelled. Tim smiled at the two growing villagers. Ara followed behind Rizalie as they made their way back through the trees. She was cheerful again, and Ara thought that she wouldn't mind if a monster came by at the moment and seized her. Her parents were already waiting for her by the time she got back, and they rushed over to grab her in their arms.
"<What did you do to her!?>" they yelled angrily at Ara. He flinched.
"<He saved me, mother. I would have been dead if he didn't find me, I'm sorry,>" Rizalie snapped. Her parents looked up at her savior, and their eyes blinked. Tears started to form.
"<We're sorry for accusing you. Thank you,>" they sighed. Rizalie was free, and she went back to his side. They headed back to his room. There, Ara told her about why he was gone every night, who Tim was, what other language he was speaking, and anything else he could think of at the time, making sure that nobody was watching them. He knew that Rizalie wouldn't be able to comprehend each word at the moment.
"<I'll take you out every night to see him, but you have to promise me that you won't tell anyone here about him,>" Ara whispered. She made the promise, and held out her pinky. It was the pinky swear that Tim taught them. He held his own pinky out, and they swore. Every night from then on, they disappeared from the village. Rumors spread about what they were doing, but the only thing they did was meet up with the man from the future and learned from him. If only this would last forever.
08 February, 2012
05 February, 2012
Edited Poem- Tree
Death bringing life.
A tree falls
to its death
and rots slowly.
Its soul, refusing to die,
escapes into the soil,
enriching it with nutrients,
giving birth
to new Life.
-
Death bringing Life.
A tree falls to its Death
and rots slowly, losing breath.
Its soul, refusing to die,
escapes into the soil so dry,
enriching it with nourishments,
healing its detriments.
Again, the soul thrives
and brings new Lives.
Death bringing Life.
A tree falls
to its death
and rots slowly.
Its soul, refusing to die,
escapes into the soil,
enriching it with nutrients,
giving birth
to new Life.
-
Death bringing Life.
A tree falls to its Death
and rots slowly, losing breath.
Its soul, refusing to die,
escapes into the soil so dry,
enriching it with nourishments,
healing its detriments.
Again, the soul thrives
and brings new Lives.
Death bringing Life.
01 February, 2012
The Balloon Girl
Will edit. Need critique and stuff, thanks.
Short story. Really short.
-
"Thank ya, miss!"
She finished the last tie of the balloon, and handed her creation, a short sword, to the little boy. It was a plain creation, but it made him overjoyed. The mother of the boy insisted that she paid, but the balloon girl rejected it. Finally, the mother gave up and gave many thanks to the girl. she waved goodbye, and laughed as the boy swung his new sword happily.
"Hey, I want you to make me something too," I yelled. I ran over to the balloon girl. "A dog?"
"Sure thing, sir!" she exclaimed. She took an unblown balloon and started to pump air inside. I sat down on a bench nearby her cart and examined her.
"How come you do this?" I asked her.
"Because it's fun! It's logical to do things you enjoy doing, right?" she replied. I nodded. Sadly, not many people do that these days. She twisted the now blown up balloon to form a head. she started to sing a song. It was a song that I remembered singing in elementary school many years ago.
"Why do you do this for free?" I asked.
"The smiles on my customers' faces are all I want and need," she answered. She made one last tie and handed her newest creation to me. I examined the beautiful craft. It was clear that she was a natural.
"...Thank you," I murmured. I managed a smile for her. She smiled back and waved goodbye. As I walked, I started playing around with the dog, wondering why I asked her to make me one in the first place. I looked up when I heard someone crying. It was the same boy that received the balloon sword earlier. It had popped. The boy's mom tried to hush him.
"It's all right... She'll give you another one. I'm sure," she sighed.
People are going to take advantage of such delicate people, I thought. Finding my dog useless and no longer interesting, I threw it in the trash and left.
Short story. Really short.
-
"Thank ya, miss!"
She finished the last tie of the balloon, and handed her creation, a short sword, to the little boy. It was a plain creation, but it made him overjoyed. The mother of the boy insisted that she paid, but the balloon girl rejected it. Finally, the mother gave up and gave many thanks to the girl. she waved goodbye, and laughed as the boy swung his new sword happily.
"Hey, I want you to make me something too," I yelled. I ran over to the balloon girl. "A dog?"
"Sure thing, sir!" she exclaimed. She took an unblown balloon and started to pump air inside. I sat down on a bench nearby her cart and examined her.
"How come you do this?" I asked her.
"Because it's fun! It's logical to do things you enjoy doing, right?" she replied. I nodded. Sadly, not many people do that these days. She twisted the now blown up balloon to form a head. she started to sing a song. It was a song that I remembered singing in elementary school many years ago.
"Why do you do this for free?" I asked.
"The smiles on my customers' faces are all I want and need," she answered. She made one last tie and handed her newest creation to me. I examined the beautiful craft. It was clear that she was a natural.
"...Thank you," I murmured. I managed a smile for her. She smiled back and waved goodbye. As I walked, I started playing around with the dog, wondering why I asked her to make me one in the first place. I looked up when I heard someone crying. It was the same boy that received the balloon sword earlier. It had popped. The boy's mom tried to hush him.
"It's all right... She'll give you another one. I'm sure," she sighed.
People are going to take advantage of such delicate people, I thought. Finding my dog useless and no longer interesting, I threw it in the trash and left.
17 January, 2012
Poems
Throughout the process of writing these poems, I have found out that poetry is an easy and effective way to get many points across. As shown in most of my poems, I want people to know that I'm the type of person who can't very easily hold in anger, and that I don't want to let go of the things I have, but I will have to someday, or they will be taken away from me. I am also willing to work together, which is what I did with Riya to write our A Midsummer Night's Dream poems.
______
Prose
"Nightmares"
-
Light flooded in
from the open blinds of the windows.
I took a look outside.
The full moon shined
brightly.
I grabbed my teddy, brought it close,
and wrapped myself under the covers.
Silence. Darkness.
I closed my eyes,
then opened them again.
Arms grabbed at me,
trying to pull me
Away.
I screamed, then I woke again.
What a bad dream.
It seemed darker than usual.
The full moon, gone.
My teddy, gone.
I heard a few steps come closer,
and the nightmare happened again.
I had a story idea about a dream in a dream, and the protagonist being taken away by his own thoughts and mind. People cannot control their own thoughts sometimes.
_____
Mutt
"I Too Am America"
-
I HEAR America singing,
I, too, sing America.
The carpenter, the mason, the boatman,
the shoemaker, the hatter, the wood-cutter.
I am the darker brother.
They send me to eat in the kitchen
When company comes,
But I laugh,
I, too, sing America.
At night, the party of young fellows,
They'll see how beautiful I am.
Nobody'll dare
Say to me,
"Eat in the kitchen,"
Then.
I, too, am America.
I am trying to convey that all men have an equal status (listing the jobs), except for the speaker, but later in the poem he is optimistic and is ready to prove his status among the other people.
_____
Literature Poem
"Changed by Man"
-
An old worn-out chestnut,
the forelegs unsteady.
How changed!
The beautifully arched and glossy neck,
now straight and lank and fallen in.
The face, once full of spirit and life
was now full of suffering.
"And so at last, I was bought by a man.
When they found out my weakness, they said I was not worth,
and that I just be used up.
Men are strongest,
and if they are cruel and have no feeling,
there is nothing that we can do."
A short time after, a cart with a dead horse passed.
It was a chestnut horse with a long, thin neck.
I believe it was Ginger; I hoped it was,
for then her troubles would be over.
Oh!
If men were more merciful
they would shoot us before we came to such misery.
The text used was Black Beauty by Anna Sewell, a story told from a horse's point of view about the abuse of horses before and during the 19th century. This passage made me cry the first time I read it, and I want others to know about it so they will not mistreat their horses or any other living creature.
_____
Memory
"Tree"
-
Death bringing life.
A tree falls
to its death
and rots slowly.
Its soul, refusing to die,
escapes into the soil,
enriching it with nutrients,
giving birth
to new Life.
This is a paradox because people do not normally think that Death would be something to bring new Life, but it does in fact happen.
_____
Occasional
"Flying"
-
I imagine a pair of wings,
lifting me into the sky,
giving me freedom.
They disappear, and I fall.
I had flown too high,
and I was scared.
Was this the consequence
of going too far?
I close my eyes and apologize
for making my mistake.
Suddenly, I was forgiven,
and my wings grow back.
Joyfully, I propel up,
making sure to not make my mistake again.
I compared wings to freedom, because I imagine that having wings will enable to let you go anywhere with no limits, but if someone abuses their freedom, they will be punished for it and have it taken away from them.
_____
Five Finger Pattern
"Anger"
-
Anger, a dark,
reddening face
letting it all out.
Scream,
brightly shouting out your frustration.
Red, the colour of blood,
and your fists
as they ball up together
and lose temper.
You can't hold it in.
Flames burst out
all at once.
Leave a scar.
Blood boils, burning bruised brothers.
Anger is the cause of misery,
It's anger that brings much pain.
But holding anger in hurts more,
So let your anger out sometimes.
Others will feel your anger too,
But don't hold in your anger.
I used the emotion of anger and related it with the color red. Again, it is not good to hold your anger in, because if you store too much it'll burst out all at once and hurt you and other people much more then it normally should have.
_____
Sonnet
"Bottom"
-
For you to love me, you have little mind,
For reason and love do not work as one.
To get them to work is achieved by none
The two are unable to be intertwined.
If I had wit, I wouldn't be so blind,
Straight out of this deep forest, I would run.
For me, staying here isn't any fun,
But I shall stay with you, for you are kind.
They will do anything for me, you say?
Peaseblossom, Cobweb, Moth, Mustardseed, come.
Do scratch my hair, fetch me a honey sac,
Play the tong and bones, fetch me good sweet hay.
I fall asleep, wake again, my head numb,
Bottom's Dream, I shall tell when I get back.
This is a poem that corresponds to Riya's poem Titania. Her poem tells the story of the fairy queen from A Midsummer Night's Dream who falls in love with a man with an ass head because of a "love juice." In the first quatrain, Bottom explains how love and reason cannot work together. In the second, he explains that he is not smart enough to leave the forest, and he might as well stay with her. In the sestet he commands the fairies to do as he pleases, then wakes up from his "dream."
_____
Villanelle
"Life Moves On"
-
Life continues to move fast,
sometimes you have to let go.
Move on, forget the past.
Time passes in a blast
And things shall quickly grow
Life continues to move fast
That event has already passed
It's hard to let go, you know
Move on, forget the past
The world you live in is vast
you are unallowed to live life slow
Life continues to move fast
You will not outlast,
move on with the flow.
Move on forget the past
Not everything shall last
And they'll be remembered as long ago
Life continues to move fast
Move on, forget the past
I always feel like I'm lagging behind everyone else, because I cling onto the past a lot. I realize that, but I don't take any steps to fix my mistakes.
______
Prose
"Nightmares"
-
Light flooded in
from the open blinds of the windows.
I took a look outside.
The full moon shined
brightly.
I grabbed my teddy, brought it close,
and wrapped myself under the covers.
Silence. Darkness.
I closed my eyes,
then opened them again.
Arms grabbed at me,
trying to pull me
Away.
I screamed, then I woke again.
What a bad dream.
It seemed darker than usual.
The full moon, gone.
My teddy, gone.
I heard a few steps come closer,
and the nightmare happened again.
I had a story idea about a dream in a dream, and the protagonist being taken away by his own thoughts and mind. People cannot control their own thoughts sometimes.
_____
Mutt
"I Too Am America"
-
I HEAR America singing,
I, too, sing America.
The carpenter, the mason, the boatman,
the shoemaker, the hatter, the wood-cutter.
I am the darker brother.
They send me to eat in the kitchen
When company comes,
But I laugh,
I, too, sing America.
At night, the party of young fellows,
They'll see how beautiful I am.
Nobody'll dare
Say to me,
"Eat in the kitchen,"
Then.
I, too, am America.
I am trying to convey that all men have an equal status (listing the jobs), except for the speaker, but later in the poem he is optimistic and is ready to prove his status among the other people.
_____
Literature Poem
"Changed by Man"
-
An old worn-out chestnut,
the forelegs unsteady.
How changed!
The beautifully arched and glossy neck,
now straight and lank and fallen in.
The face, once full of spirit and life
was now full of suffering.
"And so at last, I was bought by a man.
When they found out my weakness, they said I was not worth,
and that I just be used up.
Men are strongest,
and if they are cruel and have no feeling,
there is nothing that we can do."
A short time after, a cart with a dead horse passed.
It was a chestnut horse with a long, thin neck.
I believe it was Ginger; I hoped it was,
for then her troubles would be over.
Oh!
If men were more merciful
they would shoot us before we came to such misery.
The text used was Black Beauty by Anna Sewell, a story told from a horse's point of view about the abuse of horses before and during the 19th century. This passage made me cry the first time I read it, and I want others to know about it so they will not mistreat their horses or any other living creature.
_____
Memory
"Tree"
-
Death bringing life.
A tree falls
to its death
and rots slowly.
Its soul, refusing to die,
escapes into the soil,
enriching it with nutrients,
giving birth
to new Life.
This is a paradox because people do not normally think that Death would be something to bring new Life, but it does in fact happen.
_____
Occasional
"Flying"
-
I imagine a pair of wings,
lifting me into the sky,
giving me freedom.
They disappear, and I fall.
I had flown too high,
and I was scared.
Was this the consequence
of going too far?
I close my eyes and apologize
for making my mistake.
Suddenly, I was forgiven,
and my wings grow back.
Joyfully, I propel up,
making sure to not make my mistake again.
I compared wings to freedom, because I imagine that having wings will enable to let you go anywhere with no limits, but if someone abuses their freedom, they will be punished for it and have it taken away from them.
_____
Five Finger Pattern
"Anger"
-
Anger, a dark,
reddening face
letting it all out.
Scream,
brightly shouting out your frustration.
Red, the colour of blood,
and your fists
as they ball up together
and lose temper.
You can't hold it in.
Flames burst out
all at once.
Leave a scar.
Blood boils, burning bruised brothers.
Anger is the cause of misery,
It's anger that brings much pain.
But holding anger in hurts more,
So let your anger out sometimes.
Others will feel your anger too,
But don't hold in your anger.
I used the emotion of anger and related it with the color red. Again, it is not good to hold your anger in, because if you store too much it'll burst out all at once and hurt you and other people much more then it normally should have.
_____
Sonnet
"Bottom"
-
For you to love me, you have little mind,
For reason and love do not work as one.
To get them to work is achieved by none
The two are unable to be intertwined.
If I had wit, I wouldn't be so blind,
Straight out of this deep forest, I would run.
For me, staying here isn't any fun,
But I shall stay with you, for you are kind.
They will do anything for me, you say?
Peaseblossom, Cobweb, Moth, Mustardseed, come.
Do scratch my hair, fetch me a honey sac,
Play the tong and bones, fetch me good sweet hay.
I fall asleep, wake again, my head numb,
Bottom's Dream, I shall tell when I get back.
This is a poem that corresponds to Riya's poem Titania. Her poem tells the story of the fairy queen from A Midsummer Night's Dream who falls in love with a man with an ass head because of a "love juice." In the first quatrain, Bottom explains how love and reason cannot work together. In the second, he explains that he is not smart enough to leave the forest, and he might as well stay with her. In the sestet he commands the fairies to do as he pleases, then wakes up from his "dream."
_____
Villanelle
"Life Moves On"
-
Life continues to move fast,
sometimes you have to let go.
Move on, forget the past.
Time passes in a blast
And things shall quickly grow
Life continues to move fast
That event has already passed
It's hard to let go, you know
Move on, forget the past
The world you live in is vast
you are unallowed to live life slow
Life continues to move fast
You will not outlast,
move on with the flow.
Move on forget the past
Not everything shall last
And they'll be remembered as long ago
Life continues to move fast
Move on, forget the past
I always feel like I'm lagging behind everyone else, because I cling onto the past a lot. I realize that, but I don't take any steps to fix my mistakes.
14 November, 2011
Escape
"Don't make any mischief out there, Suni!" Old Man called out to me.
"I won't do anything bad, Old Man," I replied. I placed my dark grey hood over my head and walked outside. Old Man's place is such a beautiful area compared to what's surrounding it. There used to be a whole forest around here, but it was now replaced by dirty humans and their polluted slums. I sighed. What barbarians! They’re stupid, but powerful enough to take away my home. I walked onto the streets that led to the marketplace.
"Out of the way, useless girl!" a voice yelled from behind me. I found myself being pushed down onto the ground. I stared up at them with disgust, and my ears twitched. I wanted to rip them apart, but I'd risk being found out. I acted weak, staying on the ground and listening to their laughs. If only I was strong enough to do something! After they got bored, they walked away. I stood back up and brushed the dust off my cloak.
"Such harmful creatures..." I spat in disgust. I hated being a human, but they'd take me away if they found out who I was.
The Marketplace was the only placed I really liked in this area, other than Old Man's home. There was a large variety of smells from the goods that vendors had to sell. I walked up to a nearby peddler and threw him two coins. He caught them, and held up two cod for me to take. It should be enough for me and Old Man... I was about to grab them, but he suddenly dropped them from his hand. They landed onto the ground.
"A-Ah..!" he stammered. I turned around to see what caught his attention. A hooded man was quickly sidestepping pedestrians, as a pack of guards were chasing after him. The man accidentally tripped over a stray person's foot, and he crashed into the dirt. I jumped near to take a peek at the victim. A pair of bright red ears was hidden under the hood that he kept on so tightly. I silently gasped. He was another one of my kind. The man shuddered and slid back as a guard held a spear to his throat. Even if it was going to risk my life, I had to save him.
Slowly, I changed into my true form and hopped onto the back of the guard who had his spear, and bit his shoulder. He cried and dropped the spear, then threw me off. The rest of the guards backed up slowly as I growled at them. Everyone in the Marketplace had already evacuated, scared to face the violence.
The leader ordered, "Let's go!" The rest of the guards dispersed. I stepped over to the man and grabbed his shirt collar. He gasped for breath as I pulled him over to an alley. I transformed back into a human and placed the hood over my head.
"W-What just happened!?" he mumbled. He sat up and hooded himself again, then looked at me. The clumsy guy nodded his head in thanks. "Name?"
"Suni," I replied shortly. "You must come and stay with me." I placed the hood back on his head, and we stumbled back to Old Man's home together. I could feel him tremble in fear, every step of the way. As we entered Old Man’s area, I already saw him waiting at the front door. It looked like the news had already reached him.
“Oh no…” he murmured. He took the man into his arms and tried to soothe him, but it barely worked. We walked inside together, and Old Man poured out some tea. “Calm down a little bit, and then we can talk, alright?”
“Yes sir,” the man replied. He consumed the tea, and took a deep breath. I couldn’t help but stare at him and watch if he was okay. He looked very timid. “My name is Erwin. I’m just like Suni, I guess.”
He continued to explain his background. Like I, he was dedicated to finding another hybrid to live with. I was excited to find out that I finally found someone else, but now we were both in danger. Old Man heard rumors that the guards would check every single inch of the village to find us. Erwin explained that we had to escape as quickly as possible.
“What if they found us here before we could leave, though!?” I yelled. “Surely, they’ll punish Old Man for keeping us safe!”
“Don’t worry about me,” Old Man sighed. I shook my head. He’s kept me with him for years. I couldn’t just leave him to be killed. Tears started to fall from my eyes as I realized that I had to leave him someday. There was no avoiding it.
“I have a plan to save everyone, you don’t need to cry,” Erwin stated. We looked at him, wondering what he had in his mind. He smiled, and then lowered our heads as he whispered his idea. Old Man smiled after he finished explaining. I hoped it would work out as smoothly as he claimed it would…
The next day, the wooden door that guarded the only way into Old Man’s house was kicked down violently. Another pack of guards, bigger than yesterday’s, marched in. Erwin and Old Man hid in a room at the very end of the house, while I stayed hidden under his bed. I watched as feet marched past me. My heart beat faster each second. For the first time, I felt scared of humans.
I heard a sharp wail from the back of the house. They found Erwin and Old Man. I slowly snuck out from under the bed and rushed over to the commotion. Erwin was pretending to injure Old Man. The guards hesitated as he growled at them. I yipped, and jumped up onto the head of a guard. They continuously tried to attack us, but we were fast enough to dodge their jabs. I clawed the face of a guard, and he stepped back and retreated. Erwin glanced at me. He was tired, and he couldn’t take anymore fighting. They managed to impale his ear… I pointed to a nearby window. Without hesitation, he jumped outside. I glanced at Old Man one last time. He looked back at me sadly. I turned my head back and climbed up and out the window.
We didn’t stop running until we reached the borders of the village. The sun was setting, and there was nobody in sight. I nudged him to walk a little farther, but he collapsed. I had to drag him deeper. I never knew that there was a forest out here. Memories flooded back into my head. Once again, I was in a world of beauty.
“I hope they don’t destroy this place, either,” Erwin whispered. I nodded. After a rest, he was able to stand again. We continued to walk through the forest, never turning back to look at the horrible place behind us.
"I won't do anything bad, Old Man," I replied. I placed my dark grey hood over my head and walked outside. Old Man's place is such a beautiful area compared to what's surrounding it. There used to be a whole forest around here, but it was now replaced by dirty humans and their polluted slums. I sighed. What barbarians! They’re stupid, but powerful enough to take away my home. I walked onto the streets that led to the marketplace.
"Out of the way, useless girl!" a voice yelled from behind me. I found myself being pushed down onto the ground. I stared up at them with disgust, and my ears twitched. I wanted to rip them apart, but I'd risk being found out. I acted weak, staying on the ground and listening to their laughs. If only I was strong enough to do something! After they got bored, they walked away. I stood back up and brushed the dust off my cloak.
"Such harmful creatures..." I spat in disgust. I hated being a human, but they'd take me away if they found out who I was.
The Marketplace was the only placed I really liked in this area, other than Old Man's home. There was a large variety of smells from the goods that vendors had to sell. I walked up to a nearby peddler and threw him two coins. He caught them, and held up two cod for me to take. It should be enough for me and Old Man... I was about to grab them, but he suddenly dropped them from his hand. They landed onto the ground.
"A-Ah..!" he stammered. I turned around to see what caught his attention. A hooded man was quickly sidestepping pedestrians, as a pack of guards were chasing after him. The man accidentally tripped over a stray person's foot, and he crashed into the dirt. I jumped near to take a peek at the victim. A pair of bright red ears was hidden under the hood that he kept on so tightly. I silently gasped. He was another one of my kind. The man shuddered and slid back as a guard held a spear to his throat. Even if it was going to risk my life, I had to save him.
Slowly, I changed into my true form and hopped onto the back of the guard who had his spear, and bit his shoulder. He cried and dropped the spear, then threw me off. The rest of the guards backed up slowly as I growled at them. Everyone in the Marketplace had already evacuated, scared to face the violence.
The leader ordered, "Let's go!" The rest of the guards dispersed. I stepped over to the man and grabbed his shirt collar. He gasped for breath as I pulled him over to an alley. I transformed back into a human and placed the hood over my head.
"W-What just happened!?" he mumbled. He sat up and hooded himself again, then looked at me. The clumsy guy nodded his head in thanks. "Name?"
"Suni," I replied shortly. "You must come and stay with me." I placed the hood back on his head, and we stumbled back to Old Man's home together. I could feel him tremble in fear, every step of the way. As we entered Old Man’s area, I already saw him waiting at the front door. It looked like the news had already reached him.
“Oh no…” he murmured. He took the man into his arms and tried to soothe him, but it barely worked. We walked inside together, and Old Man poured out some tea. “Calm down a little bit, and then we can talk, alright?”
“Yes sir,” the man replied. He consumed the tea, and took a deep breath. I couldn’t help but stare at him and watch if he was okay. He looked very timid. “My name is Erwin. I’m just like Suni, I guess.”
He continued to explain his background. Like I, he was dedicated to finding another hybrid to live with. I was excited to find out that I finally found someone else, but now we were both in danger. Old Man heard rumors that the guards would check every single inch of the village to find us. Erwin explained that we had to escape as quickly as possible.
“What if they found us here before we could leave, though!?” I yelled. “Surely, they’ll punish Old Man for keeping us safe!”
“Don’t worry about me,” Old Man sighed. I shook my head. He’s kept me with him for years. I couldn’t just leave him to be killed. Tears started to fall from my eyes as I realized that I had to leave him someday. There was no avoiding it.
“I have a plan to save everyone, you don’t need to cry,” Erwin stated. We looked at him, wondering what he had in his mind. He smiled, and then lowered our heads as he whispered his idea. Old Man smiled after he finished explaining. I hoped it would work out as smoothly as he claimed it would…
The next day, the wooden door that guarded the only way into Old Man’s house was kicked down violently. Another pack of guards, bigger than yesterday’s, marched in. Erwin and Old Man hid in a room at the very end of the house, while I stayed hidden under his bed. I watched as feet marched past me. My heart beat faster each second. For the first time, I felt scared of humans.
I heard a sharp wail from the back of the house. They found Erwin and Old Man. I slowly snuck out from under the bed and rushed over to the commotion. Erwin was pretending to injure Old Man. The guards hesitated as he growled at them. I yipped, and jumped up onto the head of a guard. They continuously tried to attack us, but we were fast enough to dodge their jabs. I clawed the face of a guard, and he stepped back and retreated. Erwin glanced at me. He was tired, and he couldn’t take anymore fighting. They managed to impale his ear… I pointed to a nearby window. Without hesitation, he jumped outside. I glanced at Old Man one last time. He looked back at me sadly. I turned my head back and climbed up and out the window.
We didn’t stop running until we reached the borders of the village. The sun was setting, and there was nobody in sight. I nudged him to walk a little farther, but he collapsed. I had to drag him deeper. I never knew that there was a forest out here. Memories flooded back into my head. Once again, I was in a world of beauty.
“I hope they don’t destroy this place, either,” Erwin whispered. I nodded. After a rest, he was able to stand again. We continued to walk through the forest, never turning back to look at the horrible place behind us.
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