Gone

Author's Note- Since this weekend was Memorial Day Weekend I thought a lot about the past wars. Everyone always remembers the soldiers for their bravery, which is how it should be. And thinking about them got me to think about their families and what would happen if everyone in a family died, leaving only a child left.

Different and strange,

Broken and sad,

His family all gone,

He's everything but mad.

The war took its toll,

And now he's alone.

The bombs hit,

When it was snowy and cold.

Now in the city

He was born and raised,

Nothing he wants more

For his life to be erased.

What did I do to have this happen to me?

He cried to the heavens

He shouted to the seas.

With one picture of the past,

And his fathers gun,

He wants to end his life at last.

But then appears his sister,

And she cries for him to stop,

I want you to live your life, please don’t make it stop.

Away he puts the gun,

He starts to run,

Towards the city,

To begin his new life,

For his sister.

A Different Mind

Author's Note- a response to the novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon

A boy full of love,

Full of happiness,

Of love.

He is different from you and I,

But smart like all the rest.

He sees things different,

In a whole new light.

He understands logic,

And knows right from wrong.

But what people see,

Is different from what he sees.

Why is it thought of to be bad

To be different.

In our world,

Aren't we all just that,

Different?

His mind,

A beautiful thing,

Shows him pictures,

Like our minds,

But he sees everything different,

With a different mind.

Decisions

Author's Note- This poem is something every girl goes through, but no matter what, you are never alone.



Everything is changing,
And I have no idea why.
He sometimes makes me happy,
And sometimes makes me cry.

When he's nice and light and free
He's everything I want to be.
And when I have a terrible dream,
I want him to be there with me.

Laughter fades from his face,
And other girls are at his place.
He says that's fine and that he can,
"There just my friends" is all he says.

I want the boy that's light and free,
I want him to be next to me.
I want no girls at his place.
I want more laughter on his face.

Half say yes and half say no.
I have no idea which to go.
I want don't want to wonder why,
I dont want him to make me cry.


Decision time is drawing near,
This really is no time for fear.
Either way a heart will break,
But a choice is what I have to make.

The Irony of a Jail Cell

Author's Note: a reponse to the jail scene in the novel The Power and the Glory.

In the novel, The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene, the "whiskey" priest is thrown inside a dingy, dirty and horrific place. It is dark and the living conditions are almost unbearable, and it is used to hold criminals. The reason the jail in this novel is so nauseating, is to show that villains do not deserve a good wholesome place to be held. When a character by the name of mestizo is introduced, he acts as though the jail is a hotel and as if he is just staying their to pass his time. He is a disgusting individual who has no real reason for anything. Inside the mestizo holding cell, he is standing next to a pile a vomit as though nothing is wrong living like that. In reality, the mere thought of being trapped in a cage with such a fowl substance would make anyone flee. In jail, you live like an animal, and mestizo is a prime example.

The mestizo portrays an animal with only the canine teeth also symbolizing a lack of power, but the idea from the novel Life of Pi by Yann Martel that animals should feel secure and have a sense of safety in a zoo should have the same effect on him. Since the mestizo is locked inside a jail cell he is isolated from everything else, which makes he feel comfort. Jail should be a punishment, it should be dreaded and feared, but in the case of the mestizo, it's a dream. This is ironic because humans should be interactive, not closed up and alone. When a person is left without normal human interaction, they begin to lose the feeling of what you are, which is a living, breathing person.

Sister Husband

In the novel Where the Heart Is, by Billie Letts, within the early chapters you are introduced to a very different kind of character. Sister Husband, an old christen women, always has knowledgeable advice, even when you least expect it. Most would write her off as a crazy women, losing her mind, but the phrase "don't judge a book by its cover" seems to fit here. The way she speaks, with such a old voice full of wisdom, is enough to prove this. When Novalee, the main character, is given a bible Sister Husband tells her to only read small parts at a time to get the full impact. With advice like such, this is just one example of her wisdom.

Where Did He Go?

Author's Note-When 17 year old Novalee Nation, in the novel Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts, is abandoned by her boyfriend, Willy Jack Pickens, in an unfamiliar town, she is faced with a sense of pain and sadness. You can only imagine the horror you would feel being left by someone you believed loved you.

Where did he go?

Why did he leave me here,

Without anything or anyone?

Willy Jack Pickens,

Where did you go?

I'm surrounded by people,

But I've never felt so alone,

The crowds of people,

All with places to go,

But where do I go?

I am so alone.

My belly aches,

My baby is kicking,

I wish the pain would stop.

All the pain,

Not just the physical pain.

Pain is everywhere,

In everything I do.

Pain is cruel,

It makes everything worse.

Pain is what makes life feel real,

Without it what would I feel?

A Letter To Him

What did I say to make you act like this? Did I scare you off when I told you how I felt? I've realized now that you can't expect all people to feel the way you want them to. No matter how hard you try you can't be in control of other people and their emotions. I know I'm not like her, but you can't expect me to change for one person, no matter how much they mean to me...now. What happens when I don't care as much for you? I will never be able to change back to the person I once was, I would forever be changed. I don’t understand why I’m not good enough for you, we both love a good laugh. If the only reason that you don’t care about me is because I can’t do what she does for you, then I will forget about you and the feeling of swelling happiness I get whenever I hear your name, or the pain I feel when it is another girl mentioning it. When two people are together, the reason should be nothing other than because you enjoy each other’s company, and if one person does not feel the same way, there is no point. Just promise me one thing, when I forget you and move on, please, don’t make this any harder for me. I just don’t think I could handle having to stare into your eyes and act like everything is okay, when in reality, it’s not. I’m sure that the hurt in my eyes will give me away when you see me next, but know that the hurt will probably be visible on my entire face. Although you will never read this letter, my love for you will always have a burning spot in my wounded heart.