Days and nights would pass by with Barbara unable to spot any difference in between. The routine had been formed; she’d wake up, go to work, visit the elderly house, return home to sleep. Repeat. Barbara at the age of 30 was worn out and exhausted. Her mother’s death had scarred her deeply, her children hated her and her husband had left her for some woman he had found at some bar.…
The slender story line depicts a young girl moving through a sequence of striking landscapes. The accompanying text is deliberately spare. The text often serves as a caption for the colour saturated pictures. In essence, each picture conveys a visual representation of an overwhelmingly, at times, depressed mood.…
Awakening from the torment, the pain, and suffering caused by the most traumatizing series of events in my life, I decided to push through and prove to myself that I can overcome anything. Although my head was throbbing from the colossal blow, I managed to convince myself that it was time to find a way back home to safety, but let us focus on how I got to that point. It was the last lesson of the afternoon, an extremely informative one regarding poetry. We had just completed the analysis of the poem, ‘Overcoming Obstacles’ by Gerry Legister and were ready to leave to go and celebrate my friend, Bella’s 18th Birthday. My Mom called me to say, rather abruptly, that she was working late and could not pick me up and drop me off at Bella’s lovely home.…
It had felt like an eternity but the day had finally given way to night. The departure of the daylight offered my sunbaked skin refuge from the dry heat that constantly pressed down on me. My weary muscles lent me just enough energy to lift my heavy head and scan the horizon to ensure that the Tracker was long gone. Occasionally, I glanced up and gazed upon the colorful specks of light that were interspersed within the inky black sky. It was heart-wrenching to know that I was experiencing the same starry sky that my mother would be seeing from her comfortable place at home, and I was miles away. My threadbare, dusty jacket was the only thing shielding me from the brutal chill of the winds that swept across the eerily silent desert. It took every last ounce of strength I had to drag one aching foot in front of the other but I reminded myself that every grueling, fatiguing step took me closer to returning to the one place I felt that I belonged, Jigalong. Ignoring the relentless hunger pains in my stomach, I realized that I would have collapsed many long, merciless miles ago if it were not for the beautiful image of my mother’s joyful face once she had seen that I had come home.…
Les Murray’s poem “Widower in the Country” is a mixture of a physical and emotional journey which traces a mindless, daily routine of a grieving widower. Les has presented his idea that a physical journey can mask a deep emotional journey by using such techniques as repetition. The repetition of “I” is used to show how the widower is withholding his grief by continuing his life in a lonely and mechanical way. The point of view being from first person really captures the tone, mood and theme of this poem, “I’ll get up soon and leave my bed unmade.” From this poem and “Driving through saw mill towns” I believe Les Murray’s concept of journeys is that there is no set scaffolding; a journey is essentially what you make it, no matter the size or the disguise.…
The sun shone vibrantly through the trees and I loved the way it complemented the gold leaves. I started to notice the incline to the top of the hill, it was steady unlike the Adirondacks where you go up and down. When I got to the top I saw a spectacular view of the surrounding neighborhoods and way in the distance I saw the buildings of Rochester. As I stood there I admired the pure beauty that lies so close to home. It is hard to believe that a wilderness like this one could be surrounded by suburban neighborhoods. Being higher up and in an open space I could really appreciate the mixture of golds, oranges and yellows it was different than being on regular ground level. I thought to myself ‘’I should do this more often, it’s peaceful and healthy.’’ I felt a certain peace with in me while I’m in the woods, suddenly my phone vibration broke my train of thought. It was my stepmom texting me to see if everything was okay, I replied yes and I’d be back at the trailhead in a short time. The leaves snapped and cracked under my feet on the way back and the crisp fall air made the not yet fallen leaves dance in the trees, it was getting later in the day. I was three quarters through the loop so I was still fine,I wasn’t…
My adolescent legs strain as I continue along the path aimlessly and my stomach rumbles in emptiness as I realise, I left without food. How can one think of such things at a time like that? I most certainly didn't. Just minutes before leaving for an awesome party one doesn’t remember to do a lot of things and now the only thing dwelling in my gut is the sore pain that was the increasing hate for the cruel beings that have abandoned me here. Lost in my thoughts, my melancholic walking pattern is disrupted as my foot catches on a thick branch in the deceptive darkness and I fall swiftly face first into a small jagged rock. Dazed, I lift myself up from the ground and dust myself off. My left eyelid closes automatically as blood rolls down the top of my face. Cursing, I wipe my face with my white sleeve, soaking the cotton a blackish red instantly. The shock disperses and pain sets in, sharp agony mixed with a strange tingling sensation on my forehead.…
We all take the lives of others and ours for granted. We never think about how our lives would be different without someone. This is only because we only think of happy endings. We always think it will be alright after a period of time, but it’s not. Imagine waking up in morning and getting ready for school. You walk down the stairs wondering what mom made for breakfast, but just as you enter the kitchen you get hit in the face by the aroma of freshly backed pancakes, with the strong smell of bacon. The aroma knocks you off your feet and you slowly levitate to the dining table and start digging in the pancakes. Now rewind that imagine entering the kitchen. Its pitch black, so you turn on the lights and your mom is nowhere to be found. You than look at the time and you think that it is too late to make yourself some breakfast so you head out without eating anything. Through the dynamic main character of Ella in Julie Orringer’s “Pilgrims,” helps us to see how people can become lost as result of experiencing loss and trauma. In this short story our protagonist Ella has to overcome someone’s death and the illness of someone that is very dear to her. All these actions can change someone forever. Just like that our main character Ella will forever wonder the world a pilgrim.…
The sky had darkened and it was getting harder to see. Anchoring the last boat, I tied one more knot to be sure it wouldn’t be pushed over from the wind and I rushed to the shed. The kids weren’t scared, although some of the younger ones were worried. “It’s okay guys,” I told them with a smile. My friend Janice told them they did great getting back as quickly as they did and chatted with them. I peeked out from a slant in the wood wall and saw a burst of sunlight break through a covering of clouds. The rain slowly turned to a drizzle before the shining sun soaked up the puddles. Today everyone got back safely, and I knew everything would turn out fine if you payed attention to…
I woke covered with sweat. Hot steam rose from the newly sprayed, redbrick pavement. A gray-winged butterfly, dazzled, circled the yellow light. I jumped from my hammock and crossed the room barefoot, careful not to step on some scorpion leaving his hideout for a bit of fresh air. I went to the little window and inhaled the country air. One could hear the breathing of the night, feminine, enormous. I returned to the center of the room, emptied water from a jar into a pewter basin, and wet my towel. I rubbed my chest and legs with the soaked cloth, dried myself a little, and, making sure that no bugs were hidden in the folds of my clothes, got dressed. I ran down the green stairway. At the door of the boardinghouse I bumped into the owner, a one-eyed taciturn fellow. Sitting on a wicker stool, he smoked, his eye half closed. In a hoarse voice, he asked:…
As I stepped outside my porch, like any other day, to attend my morning quite-time. This day wasn’t just like others. I was so peaceful and quite. I saw the sun’s rays in my eye, lighting my way step by step. It shined so bright, it burned my eye. I saw the beautiful green trees up across the sky, with birds flying over them and other just waiting to sing…
With the Sun carefully loosening its grip, a beautiful sunset ended another day as the fading light fill the scrawling clouds with the golden color of red and yellow. However, this beauty meant very little to one person. Standing on a hilltop that overlooked his former high school, there was one thing that crowded Ben's mind and he desperately wanted it to vanish. He wasn't even sure why he had come this way, his legs taking him to that place full of happiness and painful memories.…
When I stepped out of the plane I heard, “Welcome to London,” a blonde lady said in British accent, “I hope you enjoy your stay,” she continued. I had waited 9 long and exhausting hours to hear those magical words. I could not feel my legs, I was tired, frustrated and starving to death. Therefore, I ran to the grocery store as if I was a lion after its prey to buy something. Afterward we went outside where you could immediately smell the fresh and clean air of London and hear the pleasant sound of nature mixed with horns and traffic. When we stepped out of the airport the adventures began and days passed by like I would have…
A girl, in her late grade school, was left alone at an apartment with no one to depend on. She prepares everything in the morning before going to school, manages her allowance for the whole week, watches over her needs and cleans her home after a long tiring school day. This girl takes care of herself. As she enters her high school, she does the same. She learned how to be dependent, and she did survive.…
Every day the sun circles around my little apartment as each sleepless night leaves its memories in my mind, as I fear of that fateful cold day in an alley. It was winter of 87...on a Sunday I was walking through market when I “accidentally” bumped into a bread cart and RAN.The chase was on. I bumped into some kid along the way and fell on the floor I cursed, as the bread lay there on the cold gravelly floor I looked at the kid around the same age as me but I felt a weird connection as if fate was showing me light... but I didn't have time for this; my legs were killing me running at full speed for so long. I ran into the closest alley way,TRAPPED dang I should have seen that coming all alleys are blocked on Sundays(no shipments)so I was trapped, taking the kicks of those punk police officers then outta nowhere Baylee Fitzgerren the guy I bumped into earlier is now saving my life kinda,you can tell his eyes were blazing with the flame of hope I got up from the floor and stared at him with my cold brown eyes, my crimson red hair flowed in the wind.My rutty face stained with blood I blanked out. I woke up in a strange place everything was clean my head hurt I reach to feel my head something strange was there something soft that covered my wound. I took a look in the mirror it was white and at the back I saw the color red I knocked out again and woke up with Baylee at my bed side I was shocked at what I saw him sleeping I could tell he was waiting for me to wake up.As I was sitting in bed Baylee’s mother was walking past and she smiled it was a warm embrace I had never felt before being alone on the street and all I've never had such embrace before I woke Baylee up he as surprised as ever,we laughed. Baylee asked for my name I didn't respond, he smiled and said “alright then Leo,Leo Scarlet will be your name.” Through the years me and Baylee grew closer as friends.…