An ocean may just seem like a large body of water, but truthfully, it's an evolution of life. Life is connected in every which way to an ocean. There's life beneath, within, and surrounded by it. Cupping a handful of that salty water entitles you to be a beholder of life.  Deep down inside you, you can find that "ocean" in your soul.  Find the spark of yourself that never matures or ages. Imagine your waves of innocence and purity that are limitless and infinite  like indeed the sapphire waves of the Atlantic.  Use them to innovate part of yourself. Let the waves carry your spirit to the blue, blue sky and far beyond where nobody and nothing can defy you.  

Only A Human-Reprise

Her smile is taken as the moment proceeds.- metaphor because a smile can't literally be taken 

Crashing down, comes her world.-metaphor because it’s an unrealistic statement without a like or as to make it a simile.

                                    The words her friends speak build her up, strong and steady- hyperbole because it's an exaggeration 

                                    

 While inside she's breaking, quick and easy-metaphor because she isn’t physically breaking.

 cause there is repetition of this phrase 

                                     She goes on.-start of anaphora be

                                 

                                     If only people knew.

                                   How would they react?

                                   With empathy? Sympathy?

                                   

A world of secrets is held back while she faces the public.-hyperbole because she has many secrets but this statement exaggerates it by saying “a world”

                                     She goes on- Anaphora because it’s a repetitive phrase

                                 Dark, painful day. 

                                 Life threw its strongest curve-ball--metaphor because it’s a statement

                                 But she was not ready to bat. 

                                 More horrible moments are to come.

                                      She goes on.- Anaphora because it’s a repetitive phrase

                                  One can only stay so strong before they have to be human.

                                  When will her time be?

Her shoulders get heavier. And heavier. And heavier.- Hyperbole because it is an exaggeration statement.

                                  Heavy enough to  fail.

                                 Will she go on?- end of anaphora

Letters of Annoyance

Author's Note: I wrote this about my scoliosis. It's been on my mind lately and is distracting me and I thought this piece was the perfect way to express that. 

                                                                 

                        

                                                   S

                                                    C                 

                                                 O

                                                    L

                                                 I

                                                  O

                                                S

                                                  I

                                               S

  Dear Curve,

   Why do you have to exist? What is your excuse? You know, you really do cause a lot of problems for people. I am distracted by you. Every day, 90 percent of the time you are a lingering thought in my mind. The dumb curvature you are, sparking questions, I ask myself “What if I need surgery like poor Isabelle?”  or “Are those  uncomfortable sharp pains I experience caused by you?” . Other times I even ask “Can something be neurologically wrong with me?”.  I will get of rid of you. You’ll be leaving my back in no time. Hopefully. Until my doctor’s appointment,  please don’t cause me pain. You’re just another bump in the road. Literally.

                                                          Sincerely,

                                 Very annoyed  teenager

  

Dear "Very Annoyed Teenager",

I’m sorry I am complicating things. An arced spine can’t be that bad. Right? Just hang on. Your Doctor will find a way to rid me off. Unfortunately for me, doctors  always do. As much as I like being scoliosis, I know we must part ways. For your well being, I will leave. Your doctor will make you get x-rays for a few more years just to make sure I am gone. I will try to leave, but nothing is promised or guaranteed.

                                                Sincerely,

                                Your Agitating Curve

Only a Human

Author's Note: I didn't write this poem about me. I wrote it about other girls who I've encountered before.  As I kept writing it, I found it got easier and easier to create the poetic story of a girl who tries to stay strong for so long, but she can only hold so much. 


                                    Her smile is taken as the moment proceeds.

                                   Crashing down, comes her world. 

                                   The words her friends speak build her up, strong and steady,

                                   While inside she's breaking, quick and easy

                                                She goes on. 

                                   If only people knew.

                                   How would they react?

                                   With empathy? Sympathy?

                                   A world of secrets is held back as she faces the public.

                                                She goes on.

                                 Dark, painful day. 

                                 Life threw its strongest curve-ball,

                                 But she was not ready to bat. 

                                 More horrible moments are to come.

                                            She goes on. 

                                  One can only stay so strong before they have to be human.

                                  When will her time be?

                                  Her shoulders get heavier. And heavier. And heavier.

                                  Heavy enough to fail.

                                         Will she go on?

Abandonment

Author's Note: I wrote this point of view piece on the book My SIster's Keeper. I focused on the character of the older brother Jesse because nobody ever seems so pay attention to him and it's sad. 

In My Sister's Keeper, Kate is always getting sympathy from someone because she has AML. It's a rare form of leukemia. You could only imagine what her parents and siblings are going through. Kate's 13 year old sister, Anna, is her donor and has been a donor for her whole life. Kate and Anna are both frequently in and out of the hospital. Their parents have no time for the older brother Jesse because they're lives temporarily revolve around Kate and Anna. How do you think Jesse feels that absolutely  nobody pays the slightest bit of attention to him?

The book is mostly out of Anna and her parents point of view. They talk about how tough it is to have a daughter with cancer.Or, when told in  Anna's perspective, how unfair it is for her to sacrifice things about her own body and her own life to undergo another invasive surgery. Jesse however, has very few parts in the book and he is always left in the dirt to fend for himself. Nobody ever asks him simple questions like "hey, how was your day?" or " how are you?". He is left alone to figure and sort things out himself. The readers of this book always feel sympathetic towards the parents and the sisters, rightfully so, but the readers  never think about how it affects Jesse. People think " wow, that lucky older brother just gets to live his life". If the whole entire book was told from Jesse's point of view, the story would be completely different . 

Interpreting the story correctly is key. You can't judge or criticize other characters if you don't have a lot of information. Sure you can make predictions or inferences, but can you really make a factual statement about them? No, you can't because just like Jesse in this book, characters are often perceived differently to many people. 


 I recreated a scene from the book where it was originally told in the mothers point of view, but I typed it in Jesse's point of view. 

Does anybody know I exist? Can anybody see me? I stand directly in front of them and appear translucent. So what if I drink? So what if I smoke? So what if I do marijuana? Nobody cares what I'm up to anyways.  I'm out of sight out of mind. Kate's their prized possession who takes up 90% of their time. The other 10% goes to Anna who is their fragile doll. They spend their time with her explaining the next procedure she will be having. God forbid anything happen to Anna. That would mean no stem cell transplant. That would mean no bone marrow transplant.That would mean no existence of Kate. I however, am like a little piece of dust to my parents. Pointless and unacknowledged. 

I beat  up some kid in school today. Nothing serious, just a black eye and a bloody nose. The principal lectured me in his office for a good hour about the famous " treating people the way you want to be treated" crap. Every agitating word that came out of that  mans  mouth sounded like a foreign language. All I could think about was wanting to smoke. My dad lectures me about the whole "you'll get emphysema" thing about once every four months. I don't care. Nobody will miss me if I die. I rolled my eyes at  the principal while he called dad and told him Islammed that kid. I don't think Dad will care because Kate relapsed again and is having another lymphocyte infusion today from Anna. Pretty big  procedure if I may say so myself. Leukemia seems like a downer. Poor Kate. Oh well, not my problem.

Mom's on her way to get me, surprisingly. She's probably going to yell at me or something stupid like that. 

 I love Kate. And I love Anna too. They're my sisters. Kate having cancer is the worst. I don't get involved with any of it though. Nobody needs to know I care. Nobody. 

Skeeter vs. Lily

               Skeeter                                              
  Middle class, average family              
 Lives in Mississippi (Story takes place in MS)



             Both
 Brought up to discriminate blacks
Black maids who have strong influences on them
 Not racist  
  


            Lily 
Bad home environment 
Lives in South  Carolina( Story takes place in SC)

Lurkers of The Dark

Author's Note: The idea for this creative piece came about while I was reflecting on previous holidays. I was longing for the spontaneity,excitement, and suspense of Halloween while staring at the melting snow on the first day back from the holiday break. 

Bloodcurdling masks rest upon the most innocent as halos hover above the darkest.

     

Citizens of all ages spontaneously ringing doorbells like none other. Three effortless words roll off their tongues like a bowling ball rolling down its aisle. Little kids eat candies that crumble on their festive outfits allowing it to messily smother.

 Teenagers quest to find a spine chilling haunted house. Friends squeal while neighbors glorify a baby disguised as a mouse.

Even after hearing the harmless "trick-or-treat", you  shall not be deceived by those who saunter on all Hallows Eve.