Final

1) My favorite writing pieces this semester were
Dan in Real Life questions. I liked those types of blog posts because there were so many options that you can really pick what you want to write about. And it was an opinion piece so you get to show a lot of yourself through that writing.
Also I like the questions about Maya Angelou because of the same reason.
I also liked my writing inspired by Edward Hopper, because I got to write about my childhood a bit and things I remember from my past.
I also really loved writing about food because I have such a passion for food and everything about it and I think that really shows through my writing.

2) This quarter we wrote about Food and Photographs. Writing about food was easy for me because I really love culinary but writing about photographs was difficult for me because it is hard for me to make up a story about someone I don't know. I guess you could say its difficult for me to write fiction stories.
This quarter I read the book Me And Earl And The Dying Girl. I loved every minute of it. No, it wasnt as romantic as I hoped but it was a hilarious read. At times it was highly inappropriate, but that only made me laugh more. I would definitely recommend this book to any high school student. I laughed out loud while reading this book, but if you're looking for a story like The Fault in Our Stars, you will be disappointed by this book but it's still a wonderful read.

3) I love the way my blog looks, and I had a lot of fun setting it up. I like that it is a free space for us to write about whatever we want, that is nice. I like that it's a new way of connecting with a class, like online instead of everything in the classroom. I had a hard time coming up with the name for my blog so I just looked up blog names online. I don't think I will be using this blogger account in the future only because I have my own personal blog on Tumblr that I am attached to.

4) My journal has a lot of rants and fantasies writen in it. This is not the first time I've ever had a journal, I actually journal a lot in my free time. My journal is a placer that I go when I'm lost in my thoughts or stuck inky head. I used to over think everything I wrote down in my journal but I've learned to stop thinking and just start writing. So now I write down anything and everything I can.

5) "I think that I write the best when I am in deep emotion. Like something is bothering me or when I'm upset. I like pretty, decorative fancy notebooks, and I like to a very specific, black ink pin. I often like to write while I'm in the bath tub, I feel most relaxed and by myself in that environment. Sometimes I don't use notebooks for my writing at all. I use a few of them for newspaper clippings and pictures in magazines, I like to use crafts and pretty things to "dress up" the more darker emotions I have."

6) The caged bird stays
in one place

The caged bird with clipped wings
that keep him from soaring into the blue,
keeps him from touching the clouds

The caged bird that sings beautifully
only to be heard by the four walls
and metal bars surrounding him

The caged bird that only feels
sunlight on his feathers
at certain times of the day
when the sun shines through
the blinds of a window

The caged bird that longs
to spread his wings
and feel wind beneath them

The caged bird that imagines
escaping the bars and
exploring the world.

7) Yes, I will continue to write creatively in the future. It is a really great stress reliever for me. I get most of my emotions out from writing and being creative with my words. Creative writing gives me a sense of relief and relaxation. Other types of writing, like writing a paper for and English class just stresses me out and at times, gives me writer's block. 

8) I am so happy I met the people in this class. I absolutely loved getting to know Taylor, Jacob, M'Kenna, Jesse, Jordan, and last but most certainly not least, Glenda. I think they brought out a lot of emotions and humor in me through out this course. I think they are all great writers in their own ways. We each definitely have our strengths and weaknesses but I think we all work the best in a group. 

I think Jacob has such a sweet side to him even though he doesn't like to show it much and I think it comes out through this writing. I hope he goes to an amazing college for football, and I hope his future is as bright as he is. 

I think M'Kenna is such a kind soul. She truly is a sweetheart and I love the way she writes, and expresses herself through her writing. I think she is seriously great in so many ways. 

I love Taylor's writing for so many reasons I can't even list them all. She is just a raw writer and she leaves nothing off the table. She really puts so much emotion and hard work into her stories. 

Photo Essay

Out of all the pictures, this one spoke to me the most. The caption read "U.S, Navy Hospital Corpsman HM1 Richard Barnett, assigned to the 1st Marine Division, holds a child after she was separated from her family during a firefight,". To me this was very powerful and spoke volumes. I have no idea what it feels like to be a mother, but I would like to think that if something ever happened to my child, that I would feel better if every human was like this man, and took care of my child when I couldn't. I do know that if anything ever happened to my niece and someone did this to her, and made sure she was safe so that she could come home to my family, I would be eternally thankful to that person.
I think we often times forget that people are good. We get caught up in all the bad people in the world that do bad things, that we forget that the world and people can be good. One of my favorite quotes is "We are all just walking each other home at night". I think this picture has a lot to do with that quote, i think things like this go hand in hand. I like to live my life by this quote because it basically means "everyone needs to look out for each other" and I love that because I would want people to look out for me if I was ever in need. It is nice to know that people care and that you are being watched over.

Food Food Food

To say that food is my life would be a large understatement. My father is a chef, my grandmother a baker, my brother a pastry chef, and my mother a food critic. It is kind of in blood.
I love food, and not just eating it. I love cooking it, baking it, preparing it. I think the "trend" these days is to brag about how much you looove food and how much food you can eat. But do you really love food? I mean love it, everything about it. Do you love the way it smells, the way it prepares? Do you love cooking it and learning new recipes? I do.
I think I love to cook because it really brings my family together and it is also a stress reliever for me. I think it is calming, it is a self act. It is a way to show affection and emotion. You can truly show so many emotions through cooking, or even just one dish.
Food is one of the simple pleasures in life. It brings people together, and it brings happiness, at least to me. I think about my next meal all the time. I probably get TOO excited to eat at times. I will try any food at least one time in my life, and if I don't like it, then that's fine because at least I tried something new. I was never that kid growing up that my parents had to bribe me to try something new, I was happy to do it.

Finding my Future... or Maybe Not

Jim Odom was a very helpful guest speaker for me. He taught me a lot more then I originally thought he would. I learned a very big lesson from him being that you don't have to have your life figured out before you graduate high school, even though that concept is shoved down your throat from the beginning of your senior and even junior year of high school. He is living proof that you don't always know what you're good at, and you don't have to find your calling early on in life. Which really spoke to me personally, because I feel like I haven't found what I'm supposed to do or who I am supposed to be. I don't know what my calling is or what I was made to do. And that's okay.

I also learned from him that when it comes to other people's opinions on your work, take it or leave it. Learn from it, take it as constructive criticism, or don't. Joining a writing critique group, can help you a lot with you're writing. Getting a second opinion on your work can actually help improve it more then it can hurt it, and the best part is, you don't have to take their advice if you choose not to. 

He also told us not to be afraid to write what we are really thinking. Even if it is embarrassing. Chances are that little embarrassing moment in your book, will make it more interesting and entertaining.  

I was so inspired by Mr. Odom, because I felt like him coming to talk to us really helped me with my writing technique. I love being in a creative writing class and it has helped me just as much but it was really great being able to hear real stories about writing from a published author. 

I asked Mr. Odom multiple questions because I was just so curious about the writing critiques and everything else he was talking about. I got all of my questions answered and that was very helpful. All in all, I would say I learned a lot about writing from Mr. Odom and I am very excited to use the news things he taught me in my writing. 

The Presence

I walked at an even, light pace. I was in no hurry. The wind was like ice to my skin and made my lungs feel like fire. ‘I should have worn a bigger jacket’ I thought to myself. The street light above me flickered once just as I walked under it. I looked up at it noticing the dozen gross bugs flying all around it, touching the light and bouncing off, touching the light and bouncing off. I heard a rustle behind me, startling me, and turned to look rather abruptly. What I saw when I turned around was only a few leaves blowing in the wind, leaving me to wonder where the noise came from. I picked up my pace now, wishing I was closer to home. I let my mind wonder onto Nick, that football player in my English class that asked me to help him with his essay tonight. That same football player that has lived a block away from me since we were seven. That same football player that has never noticed me before now. That same football player that couldn’t take his dreamy eyes away from mine tonight. I wondered if he would call.

I was so deep in a day dream about the boy that at first I didn’t notice the shadow on the side walk to the left of mine. Two shadows I said in my head. Then it hit me. I stopped dead in my tracks. Just then I felt pressure on my shoulder, like someone had placed their hand there. I squeezed my eyes closed and started walking faster and faster. I could feel a presence hanging over me. Like someone was following me, watching me. “I’m almost home” I thought to myself as I half walked, half jogged down the street. I swooped around the corner quickly and I was there. Home. I hurried down the brick path that lead to the front door. I opened the door immediately and slammed it behind me. I let out a quick breath. “I made it.” I said out loud.

 Lying awake in bed late that night, I felt a presence around me that let me know I wasn’t alone. It felt like eyes staring at me when I was in my empty room, that same feeling I got walking home earlier that night. It felt like something or someone was breathing down my neck.

The phone rang, and I thought to myself “It’s too late at night for Nick to be calling” but I let myself get excited anyway, hoping it was him. I shot up in my bed and reached over to my bed side table and grabbed my cell phone, it was from an unknown caller. I answered it and said ‘Hello’. The person on the other end of the line didn’t respond but I could hear their breathing, I knew someone was there. I said “Hello” again. Nothing, again. The breathing frightened me so I hung up the phone and sat very still in my bed for a few seconds. Just then there was a tap on my window. 

Halloween Questions

The best Halloween costume I ever wore was…

A trash can. I know what you’re thinking, ‘why would you want to dress up like a trash can?’ but let me tell you, it was a lot of fun. My best friend at the time, and I made our Halloween costumes that year. I’m not sure why we decided to be a trash can, but we just did. We cut out the bottom on plastic black trash cans for our legs to fit in and we wore suspenders around our shoulders that were attached to the top of the trash can to hold it up. We wore all black clothing underneath so it looked like we blended into the trash can. We saved some of our boxes and bottles instead of throwing them away and we stuffed our trash cans to make it really look like trash cans. Everyone we saw on Halloween night seemed to really get a kick out of it and we did too. We had so much fun that year, not only be “trashy” but also making the costumes.

My favorite Halloween was the time…

 My friends and I drove a few towns over to a town that I think remember the name of. You see, this was actually the night before Halloween, the 31^st, because the town decided that all of the children would go trick-or-treating the night before Halloween because this particular year, Halloween was on a Sunday and the town wanted to honor God’s Day. My two best friends and I were so excited about Halloween this year because we all had matching costumes. We were even more excited when we learned that we would have two full nights of trick-or-treating, which meant DOUBLE THE CANDY!!! I remember us picking out which pillow case we all wanted to carry. We decided to carry pillow cases with us this year because that meant we could carry more candy with a bigger bag to hold it all. We laughed and played and skipped and had all sorts of fun. I think that was the last childhood Halloween I had with my two best friends in the world and I miss it so much.

The Halloween costumes I’ve had in past years…

I remember one year my mother stayed up all night to make me a costume that I was convinced that I just HAD to wear. It was an Egyptian Princess, because at the time I was going through a huge Egyptian phrase where I just adored everything that had to do with Egypt. My mother used card board and she cut out shapes and strung them together with string and painted very detailed designed on it with bright colored paint and it looked amazing, it wasn’t very comfortable I remember, but it was pretty. I wish I still had that costume, I think I would appreciate it now, and appreciate how much hard work my mother put into it, a lot more than I did at the time.  

Dan in Real Life Questions

Number 3) I would write for a newspaper, which was actually what I wanted to do for a long time. I write for a newspaper now. It is my dream to be a travel journalist and write a column for a newspaper about the places I see, and the people I meet, and the experiences I have. I would travel all of the world and stay in one place for a week at a time and get to know the culture of that particular place and get to know the people that live there and their everyday lives. Then at the end of the week I would write about all that I learned and how it made me feel. I think it would be really interesting and it would help me grow as a person and I would become more cultured and well-traveled. I have always wanted to travel the world and I can’t think of a better way to make a living, then get paid to travel  the world and gain once in a life time experiences, but most importantly do what I love; write.

Number 16) I don’t think I have found my talent. My mom was a writer and reporter for a newspaper and a news station when she was younger and she always tells me that I was made to be a writer. That ever since I was little I have been writing and that it seems to be my calling, but I’m not sure. I love to write but I don’t think I am exceptionally good at it. I often get writer block or simply don’t know what to write about. I don’t get inspired easily, and I certainly don’t read enough. I’m not good at writing at nonfiction stories, or being really creative. I try to be descriptive but it doesn’t always sound the way I want it to. I think I am way too hard on myself to be a good writer, I think exceptional writers write from the heart and soul. They write about things they are passionate about, good or bad. At this time in my life, I’m not too passionate about many things. I can be passionate about the idea of things. You know what they say, you are your own worst critic and I fully believe in that.

Number 22) I’ve been going back and forth on this question. I think that we as humans tend to focus more on things that disappoint us, then the things that make us happy. It is just easier to focus on the negative more than the positive. I think that if you are a “glass half empty person” then it can seem like life is full of disappointment, whether that may be true or not. Sure, bad things happen to every person and we all get disappointed from time to time, whether we are disappoint in another person, about a situation, or even at ourselves, but that doesn’t mean everything is bad. Even I have days when it seems like everything is going wrong and nothing is going right for me, but I know that it’s just a bad day, not a bad life. It is easy to feel like there is a storm cloud hanging over our heads and sometimes it’s easier to feel bad for yourself rather then put on a fake smile to seem like you’re okay when you’re not and I completely understand that. I think what you get out of life is what you put into it. Life is full of things, and it is just how you choose to look at the life you were handed, and if you don’t like how something is playing out in your life, change it. You have the power to change your life at any moment

. 

Inspired by Edward Hopper

I chose this painting because I feel like I somehow have a personal connection to it. This paining by Edward Hopper reminds me a lot of a painting that my mom had hung up in our dining room when I was younger. I’m not even really sure how I remember the painting, or what happened to it. I think that I must have looked at it so many times because it hung on the wall for so long and I was always fascinated by it. I remember having so many questions about it that nobody in my family could answer.

The painting that I am referring to might always be a mystery because I don’t even know what artist painted it or what the title of the piece was, but I remember it pretty clearly. The painting was of a women behind a bar of a restaurant, I’m assuming she was the bar tender. She had a very tired and worn expression on her face. The women in the painting was wearing old style clothes, if I remember correctly and she had pale skin. I always thought that her face resembled one of a dog, and I’m not sure why I thought that, wild imagination I guess.

I think that my parents liked the painting so much because we have owned multiple restaurants of our own and I think they could relate to the exhaustion in the painting. Or maybe I’m making something up, maybe they had just been trying to fill space on a wall. But even so, it was on the same wall for way too long for them to not like it. I don’t think I noticed it missing for quite some time after it was gone, I think eventually I got tired of looking at it and wondering about it with unanswered questions. I think I studied it all that I could with the years it was up there, on that wall.

I used to imagine being her. I used to think about how that women in the painting, lived. I would make up stories in my head and imagine that I was all grown up to be her age and I worked in that same restaurant too. Of course I never actually knew what it meant to have a job or work in a restaurant but now that I do, I can honestly say, that I was way off from my imaginations. 

Disclaimer to Mrs.Fraser: I think that I missed the mark on this assignment. After writing this piece, I went back and reread the directions in your original post for this assignment I realized that I had the wrong idea of what this post was supposed to be about. If you would like for me to redo this assignment, I would be happy to. 

6 Word Memoir

"Love plus Laughter: Happily Ever After"

6 Word Memoir

"Thank you for breaking my heart"

Comments

Katie


I think Katie writes very descriptively, especially about things she is interested in.
I commented: "You definitely described this passage as beautifully as it was written. I think that if Fitzgerald were to read your thoughts on this passage, that he would think you got everything from it that you were supposed to. You really understood the meaning behind it, you captured the importance. Very nice work!" On her Gatsby piece. I think it was beautifully written and well described. I think she is very passionate about this book and it shows through her writing. I can tell that she has really thought about this book, the characters, the plot, and how Fitzgerald wrote it. I think she did a truly wonderful job on her Memorable Passage story.


I really like Katie's Inspirational Quote that says "If you judge people, you have no chance to love them" by Mother Theresa. I think this quote is important and I think that I could really learn from it. I know that I can be quick to judge by first impressions and by appearances. It is definitely one of my many flaws that I need to work on, in order to better myself. Seeing as how I am judgmental at times, I have never thought about judging people in this way, and it has completely changed my perspective. I commented "Hi Katie! I loves the quote by Mother Theresa, about judging people. I think that if everyone thought like this then the world would be a better place with nicer people in it. I like to think that maybe manners and complements will be the next new trend. Fingers crossed. Thank you for sharing." on this piece.

I really liked the idea of enough food in the world for everyone to eat, I agree. I also would agree with you about not having grief anymore. But also I think that without it, we wouldn't appreciate people and things as much as we should. Lastly, I think people feeling safe and free is a very nice idea as well. It is very easy to feel trapped in a p;ace or time or even a life. It is also easy to feel unsafe in situations or in the world in general. I would definitely vote for you for president :)




Taylor M (I accidentally thought she was in my group, instead of Taylor D)
'Breaker of Chains'
"I enjoyed every second of reading this piece. I too sometimes feel this way about certain people and things. I think you put a lot of emotion into this piece and it shows. I agree with Mrs. Fraser about the idea of outgrowing a life, very powerful. I think this was very beautifully written, Taylor."
And I forgot to add in my comment that I also really enjoyed her picture that she attached. I think it really captured the essence of the poem. I often get the feeling like I am outgrowing a time in my life or people. I think everything in your life passes through, even the good things and the bad things. I think people are only put into your life for certain periods of time and then you outgrow them, and I think that is what Taylor was trying to capture in this piece. I really loved it.


Mariah
Next, I commented "Hi Mariah! I really enjoyed your haiku about the monsters hiding with fear and evil, because when I think of monsters I think they do very similar things. Thank you so much for sharing!" On Mariah's haiku. I like that Mariah writes about darker elements, that most people avoid, like monsters and creatures. I am excited to read more of her work.

Favorite Quotes

   
 
 
     

Last Line

"He heard the rind of the steel against steel as a far door clanged shut." This quote is the last line to the novel Native Son. This novel was written by Richard Wright.
Wright was born on September 4th, 1908 and he died on November 26th, 1960. Much of his literature was focused on African Americans during the late 19th to mid 20th centuries.
Wright was married twice and had two daughters.

Native Son is about a boy named Bigger who killers two girls throughout the novel. One of the girls being the daughter of a very well known family. The other girl was Bigger's current girlfriend who he ran away with, then raped her, then killed her. Eventually the police caught Bigger while he was on the run and the grand drury found him guilty for murder, sentencing him to death. Towards the end of the novel Bigger comes to terms with what he has done and accepts his fate.

I found the story some what interesting but I wouldn't read it on my own. I think that this book would bother me because of all the misfortune and death, much like my views on "The Good Soldier". I think that Bigger didn't mean to kill the first girl, it was an accident. But I also think that Bigger felt like he had to kill his girlfriend, like he had no choice.

First Line

My first line is "This is the saddest story I have ever heard."
This line is the opening line to The Good Soldier: A Tale of Passion. It is a 1915 novel by English novelist Ford Madox Ford.
Ford Madox Ford lived from December 17, 1873 to June 26, 1939.
"The Good Soldier" is about multiple betrayals, affairs and misfortunes. In this story two people commit suicide due to loss of loved ones, one person goes crazy and cannot marry due to her extreme mental illness, and the last person dies as well. The story is told in a series of flashbacks in a non chronological order. I would not personally like this story because it seems very dark and depressing. It involves almost every character resulting in death by suicide, if not every character being very unhappy. This book also has a main focus of affair and adultery, to which I don't agree with.

Memorable Passages

1)      “I felt her absence. It was like waking up one day with no teeth in your mouth. You wouldn't need to run to the mirror to know they were gone.” ― James Dashner, The Scorch Trials

I think this quote is very powerful. It puts a lot of emotion into very few words. It is also very true, when you lose something or someone, you can feel them/that missing. You can feel that it is gone without proof of it leaving.

2)      “The betrayal meant he couldn't trust her anymore, and his heart told him he couldn't forgive her.” ― James Dashner, The Scorch Trials

This quote is significant because it symbolizes how although you can love someone, it doesn’t mean they won’t hurt you, and it doesn’t mean you can always trust them. In this passage Thomas is realizing that Theresa had betrayed him, and that no matter how much he loved her, he knew in his heart that he couldn’t forgive her for what she had done to him, despite his feelings for her.  

3)      “Stop it!“ Newt yelled. “Stop it now!“
Thomas has been frozen in place, crouching as he waited for an opportunity to jump in and help Minho. But he twisted around to see that Newt was holding his Launcher in shooting position, his eyes wild with fury.
“Stop or I’ll start shooting and not give a buggin’ piece of klunk who gets hit.”
….. Thomas couldn’t believe the sudden turn of events. He looked at Newt with wide eyes, glad he’d done what he had, and happy he hadn’t aimed the Launcher at him or Minho.
“I told him to stop,” Newt half whispered. Then he aimed the weapon at Minho, but it was shaking because his arms were. “Now you guys leave. No more discussion. I’m sorry.“
Minho held up his hands. “You’re going to shoot me? Old pal?”
“Go,” Newt said. „I asked nicely. Now I’m telling. This is hard enough. Go.“
„Newt, let’s go outside..“
„Go!“ Newt stepped closer and aimed more fiercely. „Get out of here!“
Thomas hated what he was seeing – the complete wilderness that had taken over Newt. His whole body trembled and his eyes had lost any hint of sanity. He was losing it, completely.
“Let’s go,” Thomas said, one of the saddest things he’d ever heard himself say. „Come on.”
Minho’s gaze snapped to Thomas, and he looked like his heart had been shattered. “You can’t be serious.”
Thomas could only nod.
Minho’s shoulders slumped, and his eyes fell to the floor. “How did the world get so shucked?” The words barely came out, low and full of pain.
“I’m sorry,” Newt said, and there were tears streaming down his face. “I’m .. I’m going to shoot if you don’t go. Now.” 

With time to think, the full reality of what had happened hit Thomas like a falling boulder. Ever since Thomas had entered the Maze, Newt had been there for him. Thomas hadn’t realized just how much of a friend he’d become until now. His heart hurt.
He tried to remind himself that Newt wasn’t dead. But in some ways this was worse. In most ways. He’d fallen down the slope of insanity, and he was surrounded by bloodthirsty Cranks. And the prospect of never seeing him again was almost unbearable. [...]
He pulled the envelope out of his pocket and ripped it open, then took out the slip of paper. The soft lights that ringed the mirror lit up the message in a warm glow. It was two short sentences: Kill me. If you’ve ever been my friend, kill me.
Thomas read it over and over, wishing the words would change. To think that his friend had been so scared that he’d had the foresight to write those words made him sick to his stomach. And he remembered how angry Newt had been at Thomas specifically when they’d found him in the bowling alley. He’d just wanted to avoid the inevitable fate of becoming a Crank.
And Thomas had failed him.
Newt suddenly twisted around and grabbed Thomas by the hand holding the gun. He yanked it toward himself, forcing it up until the end of the pistol was pressed against his own forehead. “Now make amends! Kill me before I become one of those cannibal monsters! Kill me! I trusted you with the note! No one else. Now do it!”
Thomas tried to pull his hand away, but Newt was too strong. “I can’t, Newt, I can’t.”
“Make amends! Repent for what you did!” The words tore out of him, his whole body trembling. Then his voice dropped to an urgent, harsh whisper. “Kill me, you shuck coward. Prove you can do the right thing. Put me out of my misery.”
The words horrified Thomas. “Newt, maybe we can—”
“Shut up! Just shut up! I trusted you! Now do it!”
“I can’t.”
“Do it!”
“I can’t!” How could Newt ask him to do something like this? How could he possibly kill one of his best friends?
“Kill me or I’ll kill you. Kill me! Do it!”
“Newt …”
“Do it before I become one of them!”
“I …”
“KILL ME!” And then Newt’s eyes cleared, as if he’d gained one last trembling gasp of sanity, and his voice softened. “Please, Tommy. Please.”
With his heart falling into a black abyss, Thomas pulled the trigger.” 
― James Dashner, The Death Cure

So obviously this passage is lengthy, but I felt that a reader needed to read it all instead of little pieces of it. Having it all together really forces you to feel all of the emotion and power behind it. For those of you who have read any of the Maze Runner series, I’m sure you blubbered like a baby during this chapter, much like I did. The significance behind this passage is yet another example of how Thomas loses most everyone in his life, mainly the people closest to him. This part of the story stood out to me because it was devastating and shocking. If you are emotionally involved in the story and you have read the previous two books before this one, you’d know that this part of the story has major significance throughout the rest of the series.

4)      “Minho looked at Thomas, a serious expression on his face. "If I don't see you on the other side," he said in a sappy voice, "remember that I love you.” ― James Dashner, The Death Cure

This quote of The Death Cure book really shows how much the Gladers meant to each other, even though they never expressed it. In this moment two best friends are forced to split ways for the good of the group, not knowing if they would ever see each other again. This happens often times throughout the entire series but this never before happened between Minho and Thomas. This quote really shows the bond between the two boys and how hard it was for them to say goodbye to each other for possibly, forever. 

If I Were In Charge Of The World

If I were in charge of the world,

I’d cancel standardized test scores,

The ACT,

College loan depts.,

And also hallway sweeps.

If I were in charge of the world

There’d be free gas.

Free education and,

Mental health for teens would be taken more seriously.  

If I were in charge of the world,

You wouldn’t have to be 18 to work at most retail stores.

You wouldn’t have to watch what you eat.

You wouldn’t have bad hair days.

Or “That’s gay”.

You wouldn’t even have class at 7:50 AM.

If I were in charge of the world,

A Take 5 candy bar would be a vegetable.

All clothes would be free.

A person who sometimes forgot about homework

And sometimes forgot to do chores

Would still be allowed to be

In charge of the world. 

Pillow Talk

There is no greater feeling in the world then fresh sheets, and clean blankets. Climbing into tightly fitted sheets that smell of fresh linen, is a sign that you are loved. That someone in the world wants you to sleep well and comfortably.

Lying in bed is my favorite pass time. Surrounded by fuzzy, soft blankets, and a dozen pillows. Whether I’m watching my favorite movie for the eighty-seventh time, or curled up with my favorite book, if I’m in my warm bed I’m happy.

Waking up early in the morning is so difficult when your bed is hugging you tightly and you never want to let go. Stepping out of bed and into reality is the hardest part. Floating in a sea of blankets and pillows, like dreaming on a cloud. The only thing keeping you from being lost at sea, is the responsibilities you can’t leave on the shore.

Your bed can make minutes feel like seconds, and hours feel like moments. You lose track of the world when you’re in your bed. Like there’s no reality, no time, no worries. Just you and your thoughts, wonders, dreams. Your bed is your very own, a place to lose yourself or find yourself. A place to feel vulnerable and insecure, and nobody has to know about it. A place to cry, laugh, smile, scream. A place to get away from the world.

"The Caged Bird" Inspired by Maya Angelou

The caged bird stays
in one place

The caged bird with clipped wings
that keep him from soaring into the blue,
keeps him from touching the clouds

The caged bird that sings beautifully
only to be heard by the four walls
and metal bars surrounding him

The caged bird that only feels
sunlight on his feathers
at certain times of the day
when the sun shines through
the blinds of a window

The caged bird that longs
to spread his wings
and feel wind beneath them

The caged bird that imagines
escaping the bars and
exploring the world.

"You day I'm a dreamer" My Dream Day Schedule

If I had a day that I was completely free, if I could have everything I ever wanted, if I got to forget about my responsibilities, I would use every second of it to my full advantage. I wouldn’t waste any time by sleeping, I would wake up bright and early. I would take a very fast plane to The Mall of America and start my day by shopping. I would buy anything that caught my eye. I could finally afford the style of clothing I have always wanted. I would step outside of my comfort zone and try new clothes I wouldn’t normally wear, because, why not?

After I got all of the shopping out of my system, I would shop some more, but this time for makeup. I would go to Sephora and Ulta and buy all of the most expensive brushes, palettes, and skin care and hair care items. I would buy all of the bold lipsticks and contour kits I have been hesitant to try.  I would buy it all, maybe even the whole store.

Then I would fly to Italy for lunch. I would order all of my favorite foods. I would try everything. I would eat until my stomach hurt, until I couldn’t possibly take another bite. I would take my time eating lunch, I would saver every bite I took so I could remember how amazing it was.

After lunch I would buy my dream car; a Mercedes G-Wagon. It would be matte black with matte black wheels and tires, and an all-black enterer. Then I would buy my boyfriend his dream car as well and let him customize it. After making the best purchase of my life, I would make the next best purchase. I would buy the Nike Company, that way I could keep making money, and be set for the rest of my life financially.

I would also buy my parents everything they deserve. I would buy them a vacation home and winery in Sicily. I would let them design their dream house in their dream location, and hire building to build it for them. I would buy them new cars, and a boat. I would pay off any of their depts. and do’s. I would make sure they didn’t have to work so hard anymore, they have done that enough. I would make sure they were taken care of for life.

I would start a saving account for my niece and nephew so that they will have a college fund. I would pay off my sister’s dept. so that she wouldn’t be so stressed anymore. I would set her up in a nice home in a nice area for my niece to start kindergarten. I would send my brother off the his favorite botanical garden in Europe so that he could make it his own. I would pay off his student loans and college tuition, and I would buy him a cat.

I would hire a chauffeur for my Memaw so she wouldn’t have to ride the bus to the grocery store when she needed milk and eggs. I would make sure she was happy, and had everything she ever needed or wanted. She deserves the world and I wish I could give that to her.

Then I would return home and try on all of my new clothes until I found the perfect outfit. I would mess around with my new makeup until I felt flawless. Then I would drive my new car to meet up with Beyoncé and have dinner. We would laugh and drink champagne and make jokes and take a million selfies together. Then Beyoncé and I would drive our matching cars to her concert. I would get to watch the concert from back stage and dance and sing all night. After the show we would fly back to Missouri and when I got home, every item I have saved on my Wanelo would be waiting for me there in dozens of UPS packages. Then Beyoncé would tuck me into bed and sing to me until I fell asleep.  

That would by far, be the most perfect day.   

Maya Angelou Questions

Question 10) I think that writing is harder at times. You are your own worst critic, especially when you are producing something that comes strictly from within you. I have a problem with thinking that everything I write isn’t worth reading. I have a hard time with being creative with my words and painting a picture through my words. I want to be able to write something that just perplexes people, and fascinates them. I want to write things that are deep and mysterious and make people wonder how I even thought that up. I feel like my writing is very straight forward and bland and I wish I could change that. Or I guess I wish I knew how I could change that. I also tend to have writers block when it comes to happy topics. I feel like I write the best when I’m going through rougher patches of my life, I think it brings out a lot of raw emotion. I think it brings out emotions that you don’t feel every day and it makes for very true, pure writing. Like you aren’t leaving anything out. I find that the easiest writing for me.

Question 5) I feel like I could learn more by talking less and listening more. I have difficulty listening to people without thinking of what I’m going to say next, and actually hearing what they are saying. I don’t do it because I’m inconsiderate, or because I don’t care about what the other person is saying, I just see it as I’m trying to relate to them and agree with them. I also think that by pay attention to what other people are telling me, I would be better at taking advice. I think that if I was always listening to other people, it would teach me to be a better person because I would be learning from other people’s mistakes, I think that would also come from watching people as well as listening to them.

Question 11) I think that you continue to learn every single day, no matter what age you are. What about surgeons? Doctors and surgeons are in medical school and internship years until they are in their middle twenties. I would hope that they continue to learn even after the age of twenty five. I think you can always learn new material, it may not be as easy to pick it up quickly, but I do think you can always learn new things. As well as lessons, I think you learn lessons about yourself and your life constantly. I think you learn from mistakes too. Life can test you on so many things and so many levels and you can only learn from them. Also, new people come into your life constantly and they can help you grow intellectually and emotionally. They can also walk out of your life and that teaches you something entirely different, but it will still teach you and you still learn a lesson from it.

Question 3) I think you can choose what has power over you. I do think that paying too much attention to bad things does have an effect on you and it can consume you if you think about it too much, thus giving it more power than it should have. It’s like if someone is saying things about you that aren’t true and you react to it, then it gives that person power over you. It lets that person know that it bothers you, and you’re thinking about it, which is exactly what that person wants, and that’s only giving them more power. But if you ignore that person and what they are saying, then it doesn’t matter, because you’re not letting it have the power to have an effect on you. If you know what they are saying is not true, then let it go. Who cares if other people believe what they are saying, you know you, you know the truth and that’s all that matters.

 

7 Line Poem

Very soft lilac

Like a pink honest rose

That grew only on mountain top

Like a new highland, I suppose

The rock rose is the name of this majestic flower 

Sweet like a precious violet

But harsh like the deepest wine

Color Haiku Two

Misty Summer Day

Sprinkler blasting,

Kids playing and laughing

In a summer haze.  

Color Haiku One

Tropical Coral

In the bright, hot, sun

Sand shining in the light,

Stuck between my toes.

Paint Color Acrostic

Coffee with cream that races through my veins, doesn’t seem to help my sleepy eyes,

On the early morning skies.

Faint light streaming in through cracks in the blinds,

Forgetting to start the day, and wake up my mind.

Everything seems better after my

Everyday coffee.

White, tiny, little snowflakes clinging to my windshield

In my bones I know

That winter

Has finally arrived.

Cringing to the cold blast of wind that seems to

Rattle my bones and

Eat away

At the warmth that was once in

My body. 

   Once upon a time, a princess named Elle prepared to be wed. On this day, Princess Elle wore a glow upon her face that nobody had seen before, she blushed pink and smiled from ear to ear. She held a bouquet of beautifully pink peonies, and soft white Angel’s Breath. She wore a lace, white, ball gown style dress with a very grand train trailing behind her. Her vail had lace flowers around the edges, and wore long down her back. She arranged for the whole castle to be dressed with pink flowers of all kinds; Hydrangeas, Peonies, Dahlias, and Carnations. She had only the most luxury and finest dining wear for her guests, and they feasted on the most divine meal the whole kingdom had ever eaten. Everyone in the entire town knew that Princess Elle’s wedding would be unforgettable.

But no amount of detail mattered to Princess Elle like she cared about her Prince. Just thinking about Prince Henry made Elle’s face blush red, her heart beat faster, and butterflies stir in her stomach. They adored each other, it wasn’t hard to see. You see, Princess Elle knew that Prince Henry would be her husband since she was a little girl and she’d dreamt about this day for quite some time. Finally it was here.

The Necklace

I think it was a Sunday, or maybe a Saturday. We were shopping at the local mall looking for nothing, finding everything. Telling stories, talking gossip. We decided, MaCayla, my best friend and I, that we would go into a store we normally don’t shop at, and why we decided to stop in, I’m still unsure but I’m sure glad we did.

After looking around for a minute or two, MaCayla found an eyeshadow palette in which she wanted to purchase. Standing next to the checkout counter, something caught my eye. Charms, and I mean dozens of them. As I began to look through them, the clerk noticed what I was looking at. She said to me “You can pick as many charms as you’d like and put them onto a necklace chain; Make your very own necklace.” She smiled. I was sold.

As I stood there trying to think of what I could possibly put together on this necklace, I thought of multiple things; just a simple letter “S” to represent the last name of my significant other but that didn’t feel right. My name, but not that either. My nieces name, but that felt too cliché. I started to look through the symbols, instead of the letters. I noticed an ‘&’in a rose gold metal with little fake diamonds in the center. Suddenly I knew.

I walked out of that store five minutes later with a necklace around my neck that read “M&M”. And yeah, I know, cliché right? But I didn’t care. But I never really liked my name until it stood next to his. The necklace had a rose gold tint in it with little silver diamonds surrounding the center of each letter and I loved how pretty it looked, and how pretty it made me feel.

Over the next few days I received numerous compliments on the necklace, and most people didn’t even know what it stood for, or what it represented, or how much it meant to me. Imagine if they had known that to me, it meant a partnership, it held promises, and it owned a piece of my heart, just like he does.

Over time the necklace began to lose its beauty. It started to rust and wear and the little diamonds began to fall out. I wore that thing until it was on its leg, I wore it every day, where ever I went, I never wanted to take it off and I didn’t.

Eventually the necklace was too dull to wear, so sadly I had to stop wearing it. But that doesn’t mean I don’t admire it every day. For now the necklace hangs on the rear view mirror of my car and sometimes it swings in the air and taps my windshield. It still means a lot to me even though the beauty isn’t all there, it is still just as valuable to me and it will continue to be.

I am...

I am…

A fuzzy blanket, warm sweatpants, comfy socks, and my favorite movie on a rainy day.

My mom’s homemade hot tomato soup and grilled cheese when my throat hurts and I can’t breathe.

A girlfriend, a best pal, and a biggest fan to Morgan, a man who has the sweetest heart and loves me even though I’m stubborn and at times hard to please, who knows my favorites and my hates and handles my ups and my downs, a man who has taught me so much and only wants the very best for me.

Stubborn beyond belief, hard headed, and passionate.

I am...

A creamy green bean casserole, a mound of mashed potatoes and hot brown gravy, a golden caramelized ham, and delicious turkey flavored stuffing.

A cold root beer on a hot day at the stadium, a pitcher on the mound, my dad and I sitting side by side in the bleachers, the smack of a ball hitting the palm of a glove, the dirt on the side of the players pants from sliding into home, the game of baseball.

Crafts and love letters, journals, and scrapbooks.

Blogging and reblogging, and blogging again.

A camera, a journal, a pen, a story, a quote, a name, a source, a publisher, an ad coordinator, a salesmen, a reporter, a story teller.

I am…

A 17 year old who has no idea where she is going, what she is doing, or how she’s going to get there.

A best pal to MaCayla, who listens to me even when I am complaining too much, who handles me when I laugh too loud or cry for no reason, a supporter who always has my back and my best interest at heart, a friend when I feel alone, who makes me laugh when I need it or even when I don’t, who I can call every time I get hungry because I know she is too, who I loved dearly.

Spending money on things I don’t need with money I don’t have, always getting tired of the clothes in my closet and always wanting more,more, more.

Fettuccine Alfredo, garlic bread, toasted ravioli, Stromboli, pasta salad, and lasagna.

Painted faces, bandanas of all colors, standing on the bleachers with my friends, yelling my heart out at the refs, glitter in my hair, chant after chant, Friday night under the stadium lights, football season.

Vanilla Dr. Pepper with extra vanilla.

Simply me.