Best-Worse

My favorite poem was probably "The Fish" simple because the way that the author used descriptive words to describe something that would have otherwise been dull. The poem I least liked was "Sex Without Love". Besides being extremely awkward, I didn't want to read about people having sex.
My favorite short story that I read was "The Things they Carried" because I had read it when I was in high school and book that talk about or are set in WW2 or Vietnam are usually pretty good. The story I didn't enjoy was probably none of them. The only thing that I thought was hard was the amount of them. Thought they are called short stories some are extremely long for the time we had to read them
I did like watching Bartleby and the Death of a Salesman simply because they made the reading much easier to understand and draw writings into something more physical, easier for people to understand.
My favorite task in class was probably the comic strip we did, the drawing was fun and brought the story to a new view point. My least favorite task was the large groups we had for the poetry. Most if not all of the poems were hard to understand and having just one person answer all the questions was hard and pushed not only myself but others from answering your questions.
And no, I do not miss the small group presentations. There was enough work and I felt that would have just complicated things. And no, small group discussions were where I felt most comfortable for sharing ideas and thoughts.
The blogs were ok but I feel that most if not all of them weren't so much about the reading and terminology to help us through the tests as they were about our simple creativity. But even if they were changed they added an unneeded element that I felt could just have easily been left out and covered in class.

Grandpa Willy

(Biff being the father; sitting on the couch with two kids, a girl, 7 and a boy 5)

                “Come on Dad, tell us a story about Grandpa!”

                “YA! Come on Dad!”

Nodding my head I bundled them on my lap as I thought back about my father Willy.

               

                  “You see when I was growing Grandpa Willy was the hardest worker I’ve ever seen in my entire life. He would drive his red shinny care all over the United States to sell the next best thing. He was practically a celebrity when he came into town! As I got older and was in college Grandpa Willy had worked so much that the company didn’t know what to do with him!”

The white lie covering the story of my Father went unnoticed to the kids but it stuck in my throat as I continued,

                “So after years of work Grandpa Willy had just run out. But the one thing that Grandpa Willy never did was lie down and take defeat. Grandpa Willy worked and worked and worked to get the things that he knew would make me and you’re Uncle Hap the happiest kids around. Of course nobody’s perfect but my father didn’t settle for just anything. Grandpa Willy kept on his life dream of being a salesman and kids, he died a salesman. If you ever want to look up to someone who worked until his deathbed, you’re Grandpa Willy was a hell of a man, and a father.”

The kids looked up at me with a smile as my father’s face grew in my mind. That part was true, my father was a salesman and he died a salesman.

Linda's Diary Entry

May 5^th 1928

-          Willy has made another trip home, a smile on his face and the boys running up to meet him. It so good to see Willy doing well at work. He brought in at least 112 dollars! I wish to get a new refrigerator in the kitchen, hopefully Hap and Biff will be willing to help carry it up the steps in front of the house. Oh, seeing the Willy and the boys brings a smile to my face, Biff’s doing splendid in his classes while Hap is with his jobs. What a lucky girl I am.

August 20^th 1935

-          It’s been hard. The payments on things seem to creep up on you without any warning and without Willy bringing in the money he used to… I do love to see Willy come home but time and time again he just walks in, not even looking at me. I ask him time and time again how he did but he just waves me off, telling me he talks to much, jokes to much anymore. Lately he’s been up late talking to himself, about better times, when things were better. With Biff, home its only gotten worse. I hate to see them fight but it’s the only interaction they have anymore. I just don’t know how much longer we… I have to keep up with this. It’s only looking worse. 

The Lottery

The lottery by Shirley Jackson

Man’s ability (and need) to rationalize generally unacceptable actions

The first thing that I find that directs my thought of the Lottery is the fact that the town hasn’t quit the lottery. On page 294 Mrs. Adams says “Some places have already quit lotteries” while Old Man Warner responds, “Nothing but trouble in that – Pack of young fools”. This evidence demonstrates the mentality that the town does these stoning but for the good of the town. Old Man Warner is a great example of people who will justify the horrible things that they are doing thinking that the other towns who have stopped are condemning themselves or are “fools”. The whole town I believe feels this same way with the way that they act nonchalantly about the whole thing, simply wanting to hurry up so they can go back to their normal day. Old Man Warner is really the only person who speaks out and goes to tell and demonstrate to the reader that the town feels it’s a necessity to continue. The whole situation really reminds me of the sacrificial killings that people found that were happening in the Maya culture. They didn’t go about stoning the sacrificial person but instead went in a harsher route just straight cutting out the person’s heart and letting the blood just spill everywhere. Another example that I think of was a documentary, don’t remember the name since I was flipping through the channels and didn’t clearly recognize the channel, but they were talking about how camels, all different breeds of them, were used in different cultures. The main point that really connects with the story was the fact that every year they would have a celebration for the lama (cousin to the camel) they bred and with the celebration they would sacrifice one of the lama’s cutting its throat and letting the blood soak into the ground believing that their God was taking the blood back into the earth and taking it as a good luck and prosperity sign. The fact that both the lottery, the Maya’s and the rural community with the lamas both believed that the sacrifices that they were doing were essential for the community to have luck or prosperity shows that people mask their actions with the idea that if they don’t do it something will go wrong. 

Facebook Charlotte Gilman

Charlotte Gilman - Married to John -


- Just moved into the summer house! Should be a fun three months!

- The house is great, but my room could really use a little TLC.

- Don't feel to hot today, but John is doing his best in making me feel better, I sure hope I start feeling better again.

- Happy Fourth of July! It was so good hang out with Mom and Nellie and the kids!

-HEY! Being still sick and all I found this awesome website on Bedroom Decorating! You guys should check it out! http://www.hgtv.com/topics/bedroom/index.html

- OMG, cannot sleep, the light from outside is creeping me out on these stupid yellow walls! #creepedout #seriousneedofnewdecor

-Hey, somebody shoot me a text, John is out of town on a case for one of  his patients and I'm bored! :)

- Thanks for all the get well cards everybody is sending me! But got to get some sleep, doctors orders!

- Like if you use to look at your walls as a kid and pretend to make different shapes on the walls! LIKE! LOL

- Got a new roommate living with us at the house! I didn't even notice her when we moved in but she's just so nice! Going to hang out with her tonight! Can't Wait!

"Girl" Imitation

Son

Remember to sit up straight and remember what the teacher tells you. Play fair and don’t get into fights. Don’t ever get into an argument with a girl, she’s going to win either way. Eat with your mouth closed and don’t hunch over your food with your elbows on the table. When coming home try and remember to grab the mail as you walk home. Take your shoes off and say ‘hello’ when coming in, don’t just go running off to your room. Do your homework. Do the chores around the house and don’t complain about it. At practice do as the coaches say and don’t hesitate when they put you on the spot. Do something wrong, don’t whine about it. Get hurt, don’t cry about it. Told to run laps, just do it. When a coach asks you if you have bruises, don’t show em’ you’ll only get punched. Not the best on the team, earn your way up. When your beat don’t be a poor sport, when you win remember how it feels to be beat. Don’t be the cocky boy nobody likes. When talking to a girl don’t be loud. Be polite and try not to interrupt. Even when you don’t like her, try and be nice. And Always Remember, never hurt a girl, even if she’s trying to fight you. Be respectful to adults and the elderly, especially the elderly. When you see a dog or cat don't just go running up to them and they and pet them. See a snake on the ground, its best you leave it alone. Try and tie your shoes when you’re running,  the last thing you need is to fall on your face. Help your dad around the house whenever you are asked or told. And yes, you are allowed to play after chores and homework are finished. 

And always, always remember that I love you. 

Dialogue

Sitting in a quiet hallway I take my seat against the wall and open my book. As classes begin to leave I watch as everybody files out, talking to each other about all different things. Across from where I sat two women, who seemed to be close friends sat next to each other, already in a heated argument,

            “I cannot believe you! You’re retarded.”

The short haired girl snapped, pointing her finger at the other women, who just sat there crossing her arms, shaking her head,

            “No, YOU’RE the dumb one!”

Shaking her long brown hair she pulls up her foot revealing her shoe, she carefully unties the shoe laces and then proceeds to tie while singing a song from what I thought to be from SpongeBob,

            “Make a Loop-de-Loop and pull, and your shoes are looking cool!”

The other girl flailed her arms, in disgust as the friend finished tying. Pointing out again the brown haired girl said,

            “THIS makes sense. Whatever you’re doing, is just plain wrong.”

            “I see absolutely nothing wrong with how I tie my shoes, which makes you stupid.”

Obviously giving up the brown haired girl sat back in her seat as the other flaunted her shoe at her.          

            “Stilled tied, SEE!... you stupid, I win.”

Both sitting back in their seats they both looked back at the clock then back at each other with the same look on their faces. Bursting into laughter the brown haired girl asked,

            “Why do have these stupid arguments? We’re arguing about how we tie our shoes!”

            “Why? Because you’re stupid, I’m stupid and we’ve been friends for way too long.”

They both silently looked at one another, almost communicating though their exaggerated facial expressions, shook their heads and they both got up and left.

Test Prep. #2

Confessional Poetry -

(site) HERE is a great site explaining a Brief Guide to how Confessional Poetry works along with an exert from Sylvia Plath's poem "Daddy".

(poem not covered.) I found a great poem by Anna Saxton but the poem is huge so HERE is the link to the page. The page also has a great audio reading of the poem as well as bio on Anna Saxton so I thought that was worth looking at as well.

Test Prep

Epigram -

The definition given in the book is as written, "Epigrams are usually short poems, never more then a few lines long, often rhymed, and usually funny or wryly satirical. They are intended to make a sharp comment or witty observation." (pg. 778)

When I came across this word I got the definition but knew that if I heard or read one the definition would stick more. Here are two, a video and a site, that I found to be really helpful in explaining and clarifying the definition.

This video of Alexander Pope reciting one of his Epigrams he wrote.

The other site that I found to be helpful is found HERE, this site gives some really great examples and should help you out quite a bit with matching definition to the word. 

Howl Imitation

I watch the actions of my generation

I watch them, the kids I knew for years, have their whole lives ahead of them and throw it all away

I watch as the death toll rises and peoples drive to succeed drop

I watch as the minds of my generation succumb to sex, to alcohol, to drugs without a second glance at what it’s doing to them and their families.

I listen to the playful laughter as people joke about getting shit faced at bars, and even after the warnings and consoling given they still pick up their keys and think their able to drive.

I hear of another girl having a baby, I hear of another family evicted, another person filing for bankruptcy, a child who is hungry and gets only the food provided by their school.

I think to myself, ask myself again and again, how can this keep on going the way it has.

When is the next death, the next shooting going to be too much

I see the minds and bodies of my generation and see nothing potential

I see low end jobs, no education, struggles and heartbreaks.

I see, watch my generation disrespect the people who worked so hard to give everything they had to us, to stand us up when we fell, to feed us when we couldn’t do it ourselves, to kiss our fresh Band-Aid when we cut ourselves.

And what do we do in return?

We scoff at their faces, curse them as they cautiously drive, we ignore the legacy that they leave and call it shit. We ignore the fact that most of them gave up their lives to ensure our freedom. The freedom we take for granted every day.

I watch as my generation grows lazy and without thought soaks in the media around them. The media, the songs, the images that my generation knows is  wrong but does nothing about but simply pass it by as nothing wrong.

I watch my generation…

I want to see my generation be productive, to do something that changes not only their lives but the lives that had yet to come and the lives that told us right from wrong. I want to watch as my generation builds new future, builds new jobs and help rebuild the American we call home.

But…

We’ll all just have to watch and see.

Imagist

Bed

Warm downy feathers calming and protective;

A gentle hug from a loving mother.  

Sestina

Proud Koi

As I watch the fish swim

The crystal clear water flowing

The other fish play around him

The caverns and caves give them cover

The bright and vivid colors

As the light plays with their scales

The koi’s orange and white scales

Continually shine as they all swim

All the other colors

The all seem to be flowing

As I watch them beneath my cover

I only watch him

They all see him

Each and every one of their scales

Dart with one last sparkle under cover

They stop to see him swim

The fins of the great fish flowing

With his bleak and old colors

As I watch the aqua colors

Bounce around him

The jet stream around all others still flowing

Moving around the tiny scales

Of the fish who watch the koi swim

Doing their best to stay in cover

The koi never seeks cover

He barely notices the other colors

As the others swim

They swim below, around, above him

Hiding their scales

Staying in the motion of flowing

He doesn’t stay put, always flowing

I helped create cover

To help the others hid their scales

But instead of swimming they only sit watching his colors

Only thinking of him

The others do not dare swim

It’s almost like a drama flowing with each actor in dressed in different colors

Some if not most in cover all avoiding him

But still all the fishes scales will glimmer once they get the courage to swim

Unexpected Ode

Ode to Rain

Sitting I see the rain play down my window pane,

The clouds that shadow the sky

Let your heavy load gracefully fall

Let the burden you carry

Let the stress that confides you,

Let it all fall.

Let the drops become rain

Let the rain become a downpour,

Allow the storm to wash away the worries

The quenching earth,

Mother of all,

Let her take all your burdens and make new life,

Take the load off your shoulders

Make the new seed grow

Unearth all the soiled dreams

The dreams no one knew were there

Give the dark soil new life

Give the tree a place to watch

Give the rose a chance to love

Give the grass a chance to spread its soft velvet coat.

But with all things you have to go

The winds don’t stay still for long

The clouds grow lighter,

Soft and dry,

The wind plays with them as they skip across the sky

Sunlight takes your place and kisses my face

I know that you will come again

When the earth calls for you

When the soiled dreams become covered

When the clouds have had enough

You will come again.

Litany Imitation PM

You are the cat in the corner,

the milk and its saucer.
You are the warmth on my bedside

and the watchful owl at night.
You are the courageous lion,
and the protective shepherd watching her sheep.

However, you are not the bright sunrise,

the gentle whisper,
or white feather in the breeze.
And you are certainly not the quiet little church mouse.
There is just no way that you are the quiet little church mouse.

It is possible that you are the guard dog of the estate,
maybe even the crisp page in an old book,
but you are not even close
to being the wind in the oak trees.

And a quick look in the mirror will show
that you are neither the apple pie cooling in the window sill
nor the soothing sound of a grand piano.

It might interest you to know,
speaking of the plentiful imagery of the world,
that I am the pen to the paper.

I also happen to be the rainbow after the storm,
the first snowfall of winter
and sweet smell of a spring rainfall.

I am also the paint brush on the artists canvas

and the crazy lady's cats.
But don't worry, I'm not the cat in the corner.
You are still the cat in the corner.
You will always be the cat in the corner,
not to mention the milk and--somehow—it’s saucer.

(I wrote this to my dorky cat Ruger)

Introduction

Hey! My name is Paisley M. and I’m a Kinesiology Major here at LCSC. I’ve been going to LCSC here for 1 ½ years and am enjoying college. Some of my hobbies are drawing, playing video games and just chilling at home and sleeping in with my cat Ruger. I love Mac and Cheese and rain, and snow is always a good day. I enjoy hanging out with my best friend, bickering at each other like old women who have known each other for way too long. But overall I enjoy writing, I enjoy school and I like to sit in the back of classrooms. That is all.