Priceless

She cries alone
Hoping that no one will see
And hoping that someone will.
She closes her eyes tight
Shutting out the world, the light.
Shutting out the sight of her ripped jeans
Her holey sneakers.
He sees her
He has nowhere else to go
Nowhere to pretend to run to.
He sits down on the concrete path
Hidden by trees, hidden by time.
He sits beside her, simply touchers her hand
Simply touches her soul.
And he doesn't even know.
Her tears stop running
Rampant, wild.
She smiles at him
Like a child.
One tiny touch
Lifted hate off her back
Lifted hard-pressing sorrow from her neck
Swept away worry
Chased away pain
Brought back control
She couldn't regain
On her own.
Just some compassion, kindness, and thought
Sometimes does more good
Than anything bought.

The Hero

In every story, there is a protagonist, usually known as the “hero” or “good guy.”  The good guy usually displays certain characteristics, and is usually somewhat self-sacrificing. In John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men” the strong, heroic, and caring protagonistic personality is displayed in the lead character, George Milton.  George remains responsible even though he would rather be free of the burden of taking care of Lennie so that he could live a more simplistic life.

            Despite George’s dreams of a life without Lennie, he is a very caring person.  George was considerate of Candy’s circumstances, and was willing to let Candy
”wash dishes” in the house that George and Lennie were going to buy, since they would “can [him] purty soon.”  George was very thoughtful to let Candy come live with them.  He knew things would probably be easier without Lennie and Candy, but his compassion makes him think of what’s best for them as a whole.  George showed compassion not only for Candy, but for Lennie as well, since he took him along from job to job, even though Lennie was “a lot of trouble.”  Lennie was a burden and a nuisance, and George’s life would have been so much simpler without Lennie.  George put aside his own wants because of his extreme kind and caring personality.

            George is not only kind, but he is heroic.  In the end of the book, George “pulled the trigger” and killed Lennie to save him from Curley’s “fury.”  Killing his closest friend must have been hard for George, but he sacrificed his own wants for what was safest for Lennie.  George would be free of Lennie, but it was one of the hardest things he probably ever did.  That shows how George again puts others above what he wants. George not only displays heroism in the end of Lennie’s life but also when they “scrammed outta” Weed when Lennie got in trouble.  George got both of them out of trouble, even though it would have been easier to leave Lennie behind.  He is a great hero, even when it means endangering himself.

            Though beaten and broken, George remains strong through his hardships.  In the minutes before George killed Lennie, he filled Lennie’s head with thoughts about how they would “live on the fatta the lan’” and how Lennie would get to “tend the rabbits.”  George remained strong for Lennie as he told him things that would never come true for them.  Killing Lennie would probably complicate George’s life even more, and cause more grief and worry, but he gave up his own want for a simple life.  He was still a rock for Lennie in Lennie’s final minutes.  George shows strength before George’s death, when he smoothly pretends he has nothing to do with the “dead girl.”  George kept himself from loosing control while he calmly made his plan to kill Lennie.  George didn’t want to deal with things like this.  He took responsibility though, and did what he had to while remaining cool and collected.

            George Milton is the classic protagonist.  He is brave, smart, strong, caring, and heroic.  He sacrifices his own wants for others who need his help.  George’s actions teach us how sometimes putting others first is what is best for everybody.  George wanted a simple life with no problems, but he gave it all up for the people he cared about.

The River

Photo courtesy of Google Images

            I walk down to the waters edge, my feet sinking into the soft tan sand.  The moment my toes touch the water, I feel at peace, at home.  The river is cleansing, refreshing, renewing.  I remember coming here with my cousins and sister a long time ago.  I remember driving down the gravel roads in the countryside to get here, remember riding in a red truck down to the river.  I remember going fishing with my dad when I was a little kid.  Now, as a teenager, I breath in the fresh scent of the rolling waters, the cool, clean air, the trees all around.  I’m surrounded by beauty, by sunlight, by memories so clear I can almost reach out and touch them.  This is home.

            I sometimes wish that everyone could feel this way.  I wish that everyone could come bury their problems under the hills of velvety sand, could wash their troubles away in the icy waters.  I wish that everyone could find a place like this, could feel their memories and dreams flow around them.  This place is so simple, yet so majestic, so peaceful, so magic. 

What Were They Thinking?

               The 9/11 terrorists were told to end their lives while praying.  Were prayers really what were filling their minds right before their death?  Osama bin Laden told the terrorists to be praying almost constantly, and to make their last words, “There is no God but God, Muhammad is His messenger.”  The knowledge that I was about to die would certainly be a great distraction from whatever task I was performing.  I don’t think I could “smile and be calm” while I boarded a plane that I knew was bound for destruction.   I don’t think I could “remember God constantly” in a positive, worry free way when I was that close to death.  Even though these terrorists were extremely dedicated Muslims, I don’t think their last moments were as peaceful and God filled as they were intended to be.  The terrorists weren’t in a passive situation.  They were the ones ending their own lives.  The “serious time was upon them.”  They were to know the plan well and expect a “response” from the enemy.  I think all the stress of carrying out such a complicated plan probably tore some of the focus away from the purpose of the plan, and the thoughts that were supposed to be occupying the minds of the terrorists.

"I am" poem

I am creative and musical
I wonder what my life will be like in twenty years
I hear the brassy ring of a thousand trumpets singing
I see the golden sunset
I want to be loved and accepted
I am creative and musical

I pretend to be from another time
I feel the magic of life surround me
I touch the hand of my savior
I worry that I will never find someone to start a life with
I cry for those that I cannot help
I am creative and musical

I understand that life is short
I say that there is a place to go after life
I dream that one day I will be going home to that place
I try to enjoy the days I have
I hope I can change the lives of others
I am creative and musical

Life Lessons from Jane Eyre

            Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte is one of the most famous classics of all time.  It can teach us many lessons about our own lives by showing us the troubled life of the main character, Jane.  The book combines the simple idea of a man and a woman meeting and falling in love with the more complicated fact that they are nearly twenty years different in age.  The strange and unusual relationship between the two heroes of the book draws the reader in, creating in the reader a twisted acceptance of the deep feelings the two very opposite parties have for each other.  The contrast between Jane and her beloved Mr. Rochester shows us that details like wealth, connection, and even age don’t matter as much as we often try to make them when it comes to love.  Sometimes people should look past things that don’t matter so that they can focus on the things that do.

            Although the story of the poor little orphan girl named Jane begins in a rather gray atmosphere, it brightens when Jane, at the age of eighteen years, decides that she is master of her life, and that she is about to change her gloomy life situation.  The book, although primarily focused on the relationship that develops between Jane and the rich Mr. Rochester (the owner of the manor where Jane becomes governess), the story contains a very modern underlying theme: the individual has the ability to control their life circumstances.  Jane could have gone with the “flow” her life naturally developed.  She could have lived out her days as a modest, polite, and proper teacher at Lowood Academy, perusing its few dull volumes for enjoyment.  Jane took control of her life though, and ended up marrying the man she came to love, enjoying all the comforts life at the time could offer.  Jane teaches us that our deepest dreams aren’t necessarily as far out of reach as we think.  We simply have to try to reach them.

Tears and Raindrops

            Some songs are happy.  Some are sad.  Some convey a deep message, while some simply give a surface story.  The song “Crying in the Rain” speaks to me because it expresses some of the feelings that I often have.  It is easy to understand, but it uses an interesting comparison.  The line that says, “I’ll do my crying in the rain,” means that a person in pain or sorrow does not want everyone to see that pain.  If one cries in the rain, the tears will be taken for raindrops.  Sometimes it is hard to tell other people about our problems, or to let people see our weaknesses.  Sometimes we do not like to let others see that we care because we are afraid that those people will not return the feeling.  The song shows these thoughts through the idea of crying in a place where your tears will be hidden.  The song is talking specifically about a love interest, but I think it could be applied to any relationship in a person’s life.  

The song as a whole is about hiding your pain until you can get past it.  I like the line in the song that says, “Someday, when my crying’s done, I’m gonna wear a smile, and walk in the sun.”  This line provides encouragement and the hope that there is a way to keep going on, and to get past the pain caused by others.  Sometimes the conversion of a thought or feeling into a poem put to music can give a person so much strength.  People may not always be able to express their feelings by words alone, but a song can turn these thoughts into a beautiful combination of words and notes, creating a masterpiece out of a message.

Let My People Live

              To many people that live in our modern world, an abortion is an "easy" way out of an unwanted or troubled pregnancy.  An abortion is the magic answer to a life that they did not want, or that they weren't ready for.  The people that support abortion either do not realize or do not adress the fact that their choices affect the lives of other people.  And yes, I do consider a fetus, in whatever stage of development, a person.  A mother may think that her circumstances give reason for her to make a decision to end the life of a human being.  That mother may be in control of the fetus, but she has no right to end that small person's life when it has no say in the matter.  Many people give reasons for abortions like these: medical problems, difficult family lives, and emotional problems.  These problems do not change the fact that that little person's life is being taken away.  Supporting reasons for abortion are given here at Public Agenda.  One reason this article gives to support abortion is that, "Women have an inalienable right to determine the circumstances of their lives", yet the supporters are not considering the fact that the fetus is being denied the same right.  The article also talks about how unfair it is to "ban abortion when pregnancy results from rape or incest."  The woman's personal privacies and freedoms were abused during rape or incest.  So why does that give her a right to choose the freedoms of the baby that she was to abort?
               Imagine every good and wonderful moment in the life of a normal person.  Every milestone, every life change, every moment of joy in the life of a human  is being denied  the fetus who's mother thought it better to abort that child than to let it have a chance at life.  What if you or I had been the fetus whose mother had considered abortion?  Would you still think it a good idea to allow and push for the development of abortion programs that make it so easy to "erase" a messed up pregnancy?  Would you want to have been considered a burden to your mother and nothing more than an object in her belly?  So many people take this view on abortion, and I believe that providing the option so easily is a mistake. 

Annotated Photo

Pre-AP English 10 Annotated Photo

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