Why?

Author's note: After reading the first 3 chapters of All Quiet on the Western Front, It did not seem like these men really understood what this war was about. This was inspired by the quote, "And the fat, weeping woman at home to whom I must write. If only the letter were sent off already!". Soldiers do not realize how it is so easy to take away a loved one from an innocent family. 
 
 


Why is it that I am here
How come these people are enemies
People others call friends,
Family, good men

Forced to take the lives of men
With no knowledge of what they've been through
What they've done
What they or there family have got to lose

Every step through the battle field
Unfamiliar faces lie there with no recognition
But it is as if I have seen them a thousand times
In my everyday life when everyday was almost guaranteed

Only just a few hours ago
Killing these men was nothing to think of
Trying to keep my men and I safe
My men who have grown into my family

Know I have seen the light through my own eyes
Seen the destruction and agony
I have only one question to ask...

Are we fighting for our countries?
Or fighting someone else's fight?

Gone for Good

Author's Note: After reading the first chapter of "All Quiet on the Western Front", I was asked to write about what emerging motifs I had seen throughout the chapter. Something really caught my eye was the reoccurring phrases that suggested death as nothing, almost like killing a bug, easy and you do not think about it twice.

An emerging motif would be the idea how it is so common and easy for people to die, people do not think of it as someone losing their ability to walk on the earth. While awaiting their rations for the day, they were harassing the cook who said that they could not receive more supply since they were only 80 of the 150 men he had to serve. One of the men stated, "They won't be fed by you to-day. They're either in the dressing-station or pushing up daisies"(4). Typically no one would just casually say that they are dead without even a hint of remorse in their voice. Life is something to be cherished and preserved just like their cigarettes and tobacco. They cherish these items because they are the only things they know that they can keep and will not be gone in just one gun shot. Relying on people making it through the harsh war, always in a constant fear and struggle just to keep up with their health, is far more riskier than relying on some inanimate object.

Be Careful What You Wish For

Author's note: To finish off the story of Jekyll and Hyde I decided to share what I thought of the book by song. This song, "Be Careful What You Wish For" by Eminem, represents how you can't always get what you want without a consequence. Jekyll wanted to hide is inner self by having Hyde be the other half, letting him do what ever he wanted without any bad aftermath. 
P.S. The video below is me rapping or attempting to rap this song.
P.P.S No i did not wear a hat to try to act "gangster" I just like to wear hats.

So this is it..
This is what they wished for
Just isn't how I envisioned it
Fake to the point of imprisonment
People thought my life had no flaws in it
But something changed
The day I got a taste of it
Started to drink it
Live it
Starting using it
And it became my drug
I just couldn't quit it
Just didn't stop it
Then it turned me in to a monster
I became in need of it
Ever day after day

I was doing what I want
Anything I dream
Had my game tied up
Like 2 shoes with beams
But I was losing my freedom
There was nowhere for me
Being some other, not being seen
There was no in-between
You either loved it or hate it

Everyone was skeptic to the c
Then 2 months came where nobody had the key
And less suspicions came until the grief
Lanyon seen to much to believe
All work halted to a brief
The elixir just didn't fit the explanation it needs
I guess enough time had passed with it
A couple more sips, and that will do it
A few weeks later, I'm still at it
I'm drinking, still Hyde
A felon
A beast
An alcohol addict
And this is the real talk
No ability to frolic
Both hands are tied, and now I'm gone

Be careful what you wish for
'Cause you just might get it
And if you get it than you just
Might not know
What to do with it, cause it might
Come back on you ten-fold

I said be careful what you wish for

'Cause you just might get it

And if you get it than you just 

Might not know

What to do with it, cause it might

Come back on you ten-fold

Power of Curiosity

Author's note: After reading more chapters of Jekyll and Hyde I was asked to tell my story of what I think. Curiosity had been an overpowering factor that lead to where Utterson is now.

Curiosity.

Lurks in and overcomes the mind and body

Nothing stops this desire to know 

To know of anything and everything

It pulls at every fiber of your being

Tearing limb by limb from every angle

Capturing any attention given

Dragging you down towards the depths of the unknown

A never ending wonder

The tugging at your hear to know more

Only increasing by the next clue

Enhancing sensitivity of every day things

Eagerness overcomes the soul

Spreading throughout it like a virus

But is there never an end to this secret?

Will nothing be solved?

Will the outcome be welcoming or terrifying?

All these questions linger on through the air as no response is given

Wrapped up in curiosity

Nothing else matters

When nothing else matters, nothing goes right

And when nothing goes right

Our minds again are returned to the spot of wondering.

Wondering of hows, and whys, and whens

Curiosity.

Always sitting in the back of your mind

Tugging at your heart and soul

With the desire to know more.

Lies, Lies, and More Lies

Author’s note: After reading the chapters 4-7 of the novel Jekyll and Hyde, I was asked to write what I had seen throughout the chapters. What I found was that keeping a secret is not only unhealthy for you but it is also unhealthy for anyone involved with it.

I can’t believe it…

Nothing prepared Stephanie for what she was staring at at this moment. John, her best friend’s, Lucy, boyfriend of 4 months, had is arms full of something other than her friend.Usually people do not go in the hallway since the only thing here is the janitor’s closet and a couple of lockers, but Stephanie went to go find a janitor for the mess she made in Chem class.  A slight gasp escapes her mouth creating the two figures to look toward her.
             Seeing who the other girl is Stephanie is not surprised, Chelsea Gallory, known for her ways for stealing guys from their clueless girlfriends. I had expected this from Chelsea but not John, always a caring and trusting person. Guess I was wrong. Guess everyone was wrong.

“Oh, um hey Steph. How’s it going? What are you doing here?” John jumped to get create some distance between them but no such luck, Chelsea pounced back with him.

“What are you doing here, with..Chelsea?”

“He can be wherever and with whoever he wants.” Chelsea says with a fox-like smile leaning closer on John as if she has done this many times before. Stephanie’s heart squeezed for her best friend.

“I can’t believe you would do this.” Steph whispers as she turns on her heels to get out. I need to tell Lucy. She is my best friend and I need her to know who her boyfriend really is. But what about the mess…

“Steph! Steph, wait! Come on hear me out!” John shouts down the hallway, but Steph keeps walking with unbelievable rage and sadness. Not even my boyfriend but and I am completely torn apart. John finally catches up and tugs Steph’s arm hard enough to get attention but gentle enough to keep from hurting her.

“John, stop. Why don’t you just go back to Chelsea while I help Lucy cope with the fact that her boyfriend cheated on her.” Ripping her arm away, Stephanie creates some distance between the two only to be closed back up once John comes back.

“Chelsea is nothing! We were just fooling around! I like Lucy, this was a mistake and will never happen again…” Spitting out everything he can think of he finally stops out of breath. Stephanie finally turns around, enraged in what he was saying. How could that be an accident! You clearly weren’t forced to do it and obviously you liked it. Shoot, I forgot about the mess.

“Well if you really like her, you have to tell her what happened. I can’t be the one that breaks her heart, you do. But, if you don’t I will be forced to do it for you.”

“We are not going to say anything about this because I am not going to lose her, and neither are you.”

“What do you mean? Why would I lose her?” Something inside is pulling at Steph, something starts forming into her mind. Oh no.

John sees what she sees and says, “Yes, if you say anything I will tell her what happened at the cabin up north when Lucy was still sleeping in the other room. I am not going down alone Steph.”

Lucy went to bed early that night while Stephanie and John stayed back to finish the movie. The atmosphere changed, suddenly a surge of emotion came over us, getting caught up in the moment, they both leaned in and their lips made contact. There was not too much spark in that kiss but they both vowed never to speak of it again. I guess John is now a liar and a traitor.

“You wouldn’t. We promised.”

“Oh yes I will. Just don’t spill this secret and I won’t spill that one.” With a sly smile spreading across his face, John knows he has won this battle.

Stephanie just steps away, I got to get out of here. What about that stupid mess? Silence was the only thing to keep from having this muddle of a situation. If only that night in the cabin did not happen, if only she did not go down the hallway, if only she did not make that mess in Chem.

For a couple weeks, the secret was hidden, kept tightly packed in John and Stephanie’s souls but one day that secret broke out. Lucy, stepped up toward Stephanie after 4^th period, eye slightly glazed over, face contorted into a sour expression.

“Lucy what’s wrong?”

“How could he do that?” she whispers, tears rolling down her face.

“Who?” This was an unneeded question since Steph already knew who she was talking about. John wouldn't have done this. Had to be Chelsea…she never could keep a secret.

“John! How could he cheat on me!” Lucy hangs her head on her best friend’s shoulder as the tears come streaming out of her eye keeping her from seeing anything in front of her.

The halls have now been stranded except for the two friends slowly walking toward their lockers, all of a sudden John comes charging at them with revenge in his eyes.

Looking straight at Steph he yells, “How could you tell her? What about our deal?”.

Lucy confused says, “I will never forgive you John, and what are you talking about deal?” She looks right at Steph who is now focused more on the floor than anything else. I still forgot about that mess back in Chem.

“She was not going to spill about Chelsea if I did not spill about us two making out up north!”

Nothing more was from him besides him muttering towards Steph, “Told you...”

“…What? No that is not true, it’s not true right Steph? He was just kidding…” Lucy with hopeful eyes looks up toward her best friend. Stephanie cannot face those eyes knowing she had lied so many times to them. Nothing can get any worse.

“No…he isn’t.”

Slowly, Lucy backed away with a look of disgust as she stared down her supposed best friend. Stephanie alone in the hallway, trying to find someone, anyone to help her but realizing the only one that could help her was pushed away by her own lies.

Ending of Eclipse

Author’s Note: After reading the first few chapters of the novel, Jekyll and Hyde, I was asked to reflect on it and what I found jumping out at me was the duality between Jekyll and Hyde, Light and Dark. The words in different fonts are too emphasize how these two are so different.

The Sun

Shining heavenly warmth overhead

Guiding toward integrity has just begun

As the sight of an unknown predator, it dreads

The Moon

Darkness seeping over every corner

Nothing stopping the monstrous goon

Blocking the righteousness, a complete foreigner

Henry Jekyll

Glowing with encouragement

Nothing raining on him, not even a speckle

Except for the elixir that made a replacement

Edward Hyde

A disastrous fiend

Cloaking away the bright Henry hiding inside

Drunk from the darkness that intervened

Dark and Light

Flickering back and forth

Radiance coming to an end very slight

As the light dies,

There is not telling what will come of dark henceforth

Forever Alone

          People always say they are alone. Facebook, tumblr, twitter, all you see is people complaining about not having a boyfriend or not having friends by their side constantly. “Forever alone” they call it. They never had felt truly alone. Never had the emptiness mask their bodies, keeping them from the world, and finally dragging them down to the depths of hell.

 No…Nothing like that…

                                                                            

Left foot. Right foot. Smile. Left foot. Right foot. Wave at “friends”. The ones who talk behind my back. The ones who do not care about what I say. The ones who have no idea what I am going through.  We do the usual, “Hey what’s up?”

“Nothing much. Tired. You?”

“Yah same. Thank God it’s a half day.”

“Yah totally. Well, bye.”

Routine is what I go through every day; stuck in a never-ending rut awaiting the end but in no way reaching it. It seemed like steps of any multitude lead me to a boundless conclusion. But today is different. Today, my life will be altered forever.

Walking home, almost feeling lighter, and floating on air, becoming more content with this decision, I choose to stop at the cemetery to meet my sister. On the tomb it states,

Evangeline Peters

1990-2008

“Beloved Daughter and Sister”

People saw her as a quiet girl who chose the wrong path, always keeping herself from the world, never engaging with friends but in reality she had none. Like me, no one paid attention to her, closing her out and leaving her alone and increasingly depressed. Taking her life was the hardest and bravest thing to do in my opinion. Not so much of the confrontation of a lost soul suggested any budge. She didn’t want to change herself to make her feel better; people should accept who she was before! Instead of ruining her life even more, she ended it totally, skipping the suffering and just go straight to the blissful sleep. Purely Inspirational.

Back at home, I climb the forbidden stairs toward the attic, feeling my heart skip a beat every other step but still feeling as calm as before. As I finally reach the attic, I become anxious. What happens if Dad comes home? What if he hid the last piece to my own serenity? What if…

No. I need to stop myself. These what if’s are just blockading me on my way toward my goal. Step by step, creek by creek of the aged floor, there the box is awaiting my arrival with open arms. Closing in I already see that Father has forgotten the lock, an omen saying “Yes, this must be done!”. The pace and stammer of pulse within my heart deep inside my chest chased me from my fears.  Sweat streaming down my face, the smell of musk has overridden my nose and now all I can see is the life savior.

 “This is happening. It’s really happening.” I whisper to myself with a sweet grin spreading across my face.

The barn, so peaceful, yet carrying a fatality over its shoulders, seems like the perfect place to go. Lushes grass, awaiting a fresh graze, the most precious tune of the blue jays filling the air, sun shining down on me with the slight bite of the fall breeze, almost heaven but not quite there yet.

Life savior in hand, I stroll up to the brilliant red barn, still intact from the last tornado that came through, but yet still abandoned…Just like me…Abandoned by people I call friends, who care less of what I have got to say or do. Abandoned by my family, because father would rather drink and my mother sits, rotting in jail. They always forgot about me. Everything has lead me to this…

Stand right in front of barn door. Face out towards field. Raise gun to head. Breath..

And…


(Based off a true story)