Stolen Lines Poem

“Cash, I presume?”

He knows how little I have.

I wasn’t in on the joke

Willy: Charley, I’m strapped, I’m strapped. I don’t know what to do. I was just fired.

Confusion distorts the face

“He never told us that.”

Later, times get tougher

Options run out

“No, I found her in the house.”

I watch a man burning his own house

And a man struck down by a car.

Charley: It was a very nice funeral.

Lines:

Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller Pages 97 and 136

Poetspeak by Janeczko Pages 1 and 104

You Come Too by Robert Frost Pages 51 and 74

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides Pages 147 and 231 

-Myk

Home

what makes me feel like I'm Home...

Watching the sunset becoming a beautiful sight of stars.

Sitting in the cold rain just feeling each drop fall on me.

Summer sun rays shining on me after getting out of the pool.

Music blasting or playing very quietly in my ear consuming every bit of sound.

Meaningful poems that hit with every bit of emotion at once.

Every small thing means the world to me.

Everything means Home to me.

Christmas

Every year for Christmas we have certain traditions that we follow at my grandparents’ house. It always lasts pretty much the entire day, we eat lunch and supper at her house. When opening presents the order is always youngest to oldest, and loops back around once everyone has opened their first present. We also have gift exchanges, where everyone gets someone else a gift. After opening presents, my grandma will bring down a basket of miscellaneous items. Everyone’s name is called and each person gets to pick something from the basket. It will range from utility items to cheap toys she found for a dollar or two. It’s a lot of fun seeing all of the little trinkets she bought for the family that year. Everyone always brings a dish for the Christmas dinner, and leftovers are had for supper. The celebration always lasts into the night, until everyone has slowly trickled out of their house. The next day we go to visit our grandparents who live in Fremont, which is a much smaller and more casual celebration.

-Myk 

Music/cisum

    music makes me feel relaxed

it makes me feel like words make sense

without music I feel off

cisum sekma em leef dexalre

ti sekam em leef eilk sdrow ekam esnes

touthiw cismu I leef ffo

Sestina Poem

 There’s something on the horizon, a storm

is coming. It’s late in the day, a long shadow
is cast. I watch from inside a bird fly.
On the TV there are warnings of a tornado.
Outside it starts to blow. Wind
shakes the leaves from trees. I pull a blanket close.

Danger grows close.
News of the storm
is drowned out by the wind.
Something approaches silently like a shadow.
It formed too quickly to have prepared for the tornado.
Trash is thrown, it seems to fly.

All the animals have ran, birds no longer fly
Danger comes close,
I move downstairs away from the tornado.
I can hear the storm
passing overhead, hiding in the basement’s shadow.
A sound like screaming comes from the wind.

I can feel the house being shaken by the wind.
It’s wet down here, pools of water form and a fly
buzzes by. The dim light bulb cast a yellow shadow.
I huddle in a corner, bringing arms and legs close.
Over the radio the storm
rages on, news is broadcasted about the tornado.

Time passes and the tornado
starts to let up, wind
dies down. I’m in the eye of the storm.
Upstairs, I can see debris fly
in the distance. I close
an opened door, and my home is filled with shadow.

It’s night now, and a single street lamp casts a shadow.
I can no longer see the wall of the tornado.
I go back to the basement, and close
The door behind me. I can hear wind
start to pick back up. The fly
rejoins my company. Hours pass until the end of the storm.

The storm is gone. Shadow
seems to envelope the world. The fly has left with the tornado.
Wind pushes my door, again, close.

Random sayings

"I hate school but I'm love it"-August 23, 22 

"You smell like a cheezit" -September 2, 22

"I promise I'll drop out of school" September 2, 22

"Go to sleep it's literally 12 in the morning" October 16, 22

"you watch frozen too much and it's Halloween season" October 27, 22

all the wise words from my brother Neymar

-Tazz

Metal

There is a tale of a small town located in the middle of a forest that has been terrorized for hundreds of years. The townsfolk have described the horrifying creature as some form of metal sphere, about three feet in diameter and supernaturally polished. It is said that the being rolls around town bumping into the legs of any unsuspecting victims. Citizens are terrified to leave their homes, only venturing out when only necessary, like mailing a letter or getting a haircut. The ball has been seen rolling down the cobblestone streets, somehow never becoming scratched. There have been stories told about times when people have almost lost their balance after being bumped into. 

The residents call it the “Chrome Devil” and as far as anyone knows it has been around since the beginning of time. Some lunatics who have long lost their minds have suggested that the creature actually doesn’t mean any harm and it technically hasn’t done anything wrong. These people, of course, should not be listened to. There have been efforts in the past to destroy the evil that haunts the village, but to no avail. Spears, pitchforks, knives, swords, and even bullets do no damage, seemingly bouncing off of its reflective metal surface. Currently there seems to be no hope for the residents, especially considering that their community is so isolated.

So far, there have been no attempts to contain the ball, as it is theorized that it is too powerful to be trapped. Many have tried to flee the town, only to find the metal sphere sitting in the middle of the road leading out of the town. Not wanting to hurt its feelings, all have immediately turned around and returned to their homes. No one is quite sure when, if ever, this evil presence will leave their village. In an interview with the local sheriff on what they plan to do to save the residents, he said “Yeah, I’m not really sure. We’ve tried asking it to leave, but it kind of just bumped into us and we got out of there pretty quickly.”

-Myk

Shining Stars

I lean into your beauty

observing you from a far distance

I point at you every time I see you shine bright

How I love stars 

~Tazz

Identity

  I’ve always been a charitable man. In fact, I’ve dedicated my life to charity work. I started my own homeless shelter, funded by my own money. I found the joy of giving when I was very young at the public park. I was there with my mother, and I had met another boy there who was all alone. Looking back, it was obvious that he wasn’t well off: his entire body was dirty and there were dark rings under his eyes. At the time I didn’t connect all of the details, but I enjoyed playing with the boy. As we were about to leave, I asked my mother if she had any candy in her purse. She wasn’t sure, but after a bit of digging produced a sucker. I handed it to the boy as we were leaving, and seeing the joy on his face ignited my love for caring for the less fortunate. 

This is why my current predicament is confusing to me. Somehow, I have found myself in the middle of a bank robbery along with a gang of other masked men. I can not remember how I got here, or recall the names of any of the masked men. I was stunned to realize that I was here, and not only that, but I am also pointing the gun in my hands at a defenseless woman. It feels as though I am watching myself from the inside of my own head. I can hear myself shouting orders, and watch myself angrily wave the gun in the air. I have no control over what is happening. I am trapped in my own mind while my body goes on without me, doing everything against what I worked so hard for. I hear a large explosion, and shortly after a couple more masked men come running around the corner, bags of money slung over their shoulders. I watch myself follow them, pile into a van, and go screeching down the road. Helplessly, I watch as I shoot at the cops chasing us, leaning out of a window. I watch chaos unfold through the city as the chase goes on.

Suddenly, I am back at my shelter for the homeless. I am in the kitchen, I have control over myself again. Shocked at the events I had seen unfold through my own eyes, I stumbled over to a chair to sit down. I have no idea if what I saw was real, it had all felt like a horrible nightmare. I reach into my pocket, and a wad of dollar bills suggested the truth.

-Myk

Seasonal Anxiety

Every season is seasonal anxiety

But fall is when I'm at my worst. 

It feels as if I can't breathe

 but my lungs are overfilling with air about to explode.

Big sweaters and baggy jeans are always comforting.

but in the back of my mind, I still think 

"Is everyone watching me? Am I going insane?' 

I try everything to calm down but nothing works

From the pumpkin scent to leaves falling 

I still cannot find a soothing way to calm down.

~Tazz

Notes

Constant noise 6:40

58:40 episode 31

5:42, 5:51, 21:13, and 22:39

Crust 57:05 to 1:15:45

Experience 1:06:35

Complete 1:22:45

Killers 1:52

War 0:30

Parade 0:30

Goal 41:15

Worst Show 5:48:04

Arrival 9:27

Lambda 9:01

-Myk

Burnt Spice

   

Burnt spice is a room full of people, a path full of leaves on the ground, or being at school during the night.

 Burnt spice is the taste of chocolate chip pancakes.

Burnt spice smells like fall, and pumpkin pie.

Burnt spice makes me feel excited like a little kid.

Burnt spice sounds like a broken radio and people screaming.

Burnt spice is a pumpkin patch, the movie theater, and being trapped in the woods.

Burnt spice is painting leaves in art class for elementary school.

Burnt spice feels like sandpaper on your arm.

Burnt spice is a time to be energetic

            -Tazz

I love you like poem

 I love you like a glass of ice water on a hot summer day

The world around me spins so fast sometimes it feels as if theres no time to catch my breath

But when we’re together, time stops altogether

The world goes quiet

people stop scrambling and fade away

all thats left are our bodies mingling 

your heavy arms cover me in a blanket of safety

and your smile wraps my heart so tight I become calm

Your soul is so refreshing so

I love you like a glass of ice water on a hot summer day

-olive

Memento Mori.

 Well, here it is, the last ever blog. That is crazy to think about... It was one wild run and I loved every single second I had. If anyone has thought about going into creative writing, Do It. It is worth all the memories and bonds you will make, and one day you'll find your old work and remember everything that you did. Just give it a shot, You can't knock it if you never try. Thank you all for enjoying all the journeys this class has taken you through. Stay safe and Hydrated. 

-Memento Mori

Horror Story... Kinda

This story is a fun multi ending story that makes fun of horror stories.  The main character Bill has to find his way out of his house with an intruder.  You have to pick Bill's fate so choose wisely.

written by Lauren P and Kolin Z

Horror Story... Kinda

Things that have been said

 Owls are the only bird that can see blue.

Are there more doors or wheels in the world?

How is Norfolk pronounced?

Orange juice is not orange

Head hurts? Good

-Memento Mori

Lucky Coins

 "I'm getting lucky like coins in the well"

Road trip to Vegas?

in me mums car vroom vroom

get out me car!

I went to see the gold at the end of the rainbow.

The end is in the neighbor yard, too bad he already mowed.

(NoteCard Journal)

-KZ100

How To Be a Fly

 How To Be A Fly 

Show up randomly, and don’t leave!

Keep buzzing, it’s music to human ears!

Make yourself right at home on your human of choices arm,

Bite if you have to,

Just avoid the fly swatter. 

-Allitini

Villanelle

 Nothing beats the simplicity of a small town Nebraska day.

The wind smells of freshly cut alfalfa and the cottonwoods shade the farmhouse.

We don’t fret about tomorrow, we live in today.

Old folks sit with coffee and chat at the cafe.

The community is one big tight knit family.

Nothing beats the simplicity of a small town Nebraska day.

We bow our heads in the pew to pray

And raise our own top quality Nebraska beef

We don’t fret about tomorrow, we live in today.

Dad fixed up and drives an ol’ car, a Chevrolet

It’ll be passed down in the family for many generations to come.

Nothing beats the simplicity of a small town Nebraska day.

In the mud is where arrowheads are found as the children play.

Their brown eyes are a shade of golden honey in the sunlight.

We don’t fret about tomorrow, we live in today.

Thankfulness and pride is always displayed.

Nebraska is home to the most beautiful displays of color in the sky.

Nothing beats the simplicity of a small town Nebraska day.

We don’t fret about tomorrow, we live in today.

-Squid

and it was all yellow-the color poem

Yellow stops in her tracks when she hears birds chirping or when she gets a whiff of flowers

She smiles at the neighborhood dogs even if they don’t know what a smile means

Yellow embodies a ray of sunshine, peeking through the clouds whenever you need her most

She turns the world on its toes drawing any eye as she walks past

She’s the golden sunflowers growing out of the ditches that plant seeds in your mind making it so hard not

to turn back and pick some

Yellow is as sweet as the honey that trickles from your lips

She’s strong, fierce, and laughs with her mouth wide open

Her touch is delicate, graceful, and kind

Her hair in the light reflects that of lively, golden satin in the wind, despite its natural brown hue

Yellow walks through life dreaming of encountering the very components she’s made up of; sunshine, flowers, bumble bees, honey, and the blonde shimmer sitting on top of the ocean at sunset

She imagines swimming in the sea of tang fish colored the same as she is 

Yellow longs for the sense of security and safety of knowing she’s found other yellows, who can reciprocate all the smiles, sunshine and warm fuzzy feeling she’s constantly emitting

To make it out of a town that she is anything but

-olive

Sleeplessness

 No matter how many hours of sleep I add

I can never subtract the zero space between my eyelids

I try to multiply my energy by 10 with coffee

It never works

To most sleeplessness plus coffee equals awake

To me, there is no solution

Some nights I calculate the hours of sleep I get

The constant no sleep can be named by the term insomnia

I am less likely than others to fall asleep

The ratio of sleepless nights to nights I sleep is 3/1

This is the end of my segment

-L

I Wish We Met Before

 Eyes blue, full of justice, 

Eyes black, cold, “just trust us,”

Gun cowering in shaking hands, 

Motionless, continuing, he stands,

I wish we met before,

They convinced me life is war, 

The final sound ends with a blow, 

Cowering in fear, having nowhere to go. 

-Allitini

PICKLES

 Pickles

are green

Crunchy, tangy, sweet.

Vinegar overpowers my tongue.

The taste stays.

Pickle rick.

YUCK!

(Notecard Journal)

- KZ100

How to be poem

 How to Be a Villain

Have a tough shell

Always have a crush on someone opposite of you.

No- Don’t do that.

Maybe?

No.

Let the hero win to boost their morale.

Always have quotable moments.

Stand defiant against all odds.

Make big threats follow through.

Always have a side project, like painting.

Blame small jobs on rivals.

Let the love interest catch your eye at the wrong times.

When you fail, blame the hero.

Never falter in your beliefs.

Get the love interest

Realize maybe some rules can be broken.

-Memento Mori

How to be "pretty"

 How to be “pretty”

Wake up early to do your makeup

Make it noticeable but not too much

Then you’ll be pretty

Do something with your gross hair

Maybe a hair mask? New conditioner? Satin pillowcase? Braids?

Then you’ll be pretty

Your face is infested with acne, wash your skin with expensive skincare that doesn't even work

Shave everything. Legs, back, stomach, and now my arms because a boy mentioned “I have a lot of arm hair”

Wax my eyebrows, lip, and nose because god forbid facial hair be socially acceptable

Then you’ll be pretty

Stand in the mirror for an hour trying on all my clothes trying to find a pair of jeans that doesn't squeeze my hips wrong but that's still flattering and socially acceptable 

Then you’ll be pretty

My pep talk in the mirror before I leave the house: Stand tall, don’t slouch, suck it in

Then you’ll be pretty

Don’t eat that you’ll gain weight, and if you can stay tiny

Then you’ll be pretty

When You get home google “how to get rid of stretch marks”

What about… “how to get rid of cellulite”. If you can get rid of those

Then you’ll be pretty

Go to the gym every free day you have because if you stay toned

Then you’ll be pretty

Have my third breakdown of the week because 

pretty is unattainable

-olive

How to Be My Sister

 Obtain a balanced schedule, almost like a cat… Stay awake for two hours, sleep for 2 hours, repeat!

Run away from all forms of sanitation… soap, hand sanitizer, etc.

“Wash” your face with only a wet washcloth… no soap.

Listen to Morgan Wallen on repeat.

Take a single bite out of a piece of food and put it back.

Drink straight out of the milk container.

Run away from Febeze at full speed because the smell isn’t refreshing to you.

Chase cats around the yard…even though they obviously don’t enjoy your presence.

Refuse to drink creamer in your coffee if it’s not frothed.

Drive 90 mph in a 30 mph as if the law doesn’t apply to you.

Crank your music as loud as the speakers will go without blowing them.

Wear hoops at all times… no ifs, ands, or buts.

 Squint cuz you can’t see because you refuse to wear your glasses. 

Get called Cryley by your family members.

Master the “Famous Eyeroll” that you inherited from your mom.

-Squid

The Perfect Guy

 Yep, that's me.  No not the one who’s pregnant, the one next to her.  No, not that one either.  I’m the girl with the dog.  My best friends are all happily married with families started but then there's me… with my dog.  His name is Stevie.  That’s the only boy I need in my life… will I’d like to be married but my friends keep setting me up on ridiculous dates.  There’s absolutely no hope for me with the crazy kinda dates I’ve been on.

The first guy didn’t seem too bad because he had a kind friendly kinda childish personality.  Well, when I said childish I really meant it.  Every time he responded to my messages it was always something called a “Me Me” and tons of Tik Toks.  I eventually learned to deal with it but then our first date was at an arcade.  I thought Oh maybe this could be fun… WRONG.  He paid more attention to the games and teaching me tips and old history than me.  There was no being Pacman and Mrs. Packman for us.  I almost went street fighter on this guy for being so annoying.  Game over for me.  As I was leaving I ran into a very polite guy I never got his name but he held the door open for me and looked like an off-brand version of Shawn Mendes so that's what me and my friends call him.  

The next guy was WAY classier.  He loved museums.  Especially art museums.  That’s where our first date was… and the last date.  He was so passionate about the stupid girl reading a book that he didn’t notice someone was hanging up a framed picture of a doctor shooting a burger… an odd choice but okay.  I looked closer and realized it was Walmart Shawn Mendes.  While professor boring was babbling on and on about the painting I went over and asked Dollar Tree Shawn why he was doing that and he simply responded cause it was funny and walked to the other side of the room so I followed.  We sat there laughing about how many people thought it was a true masterpiece and trying to decipher what it meant.  Then my date came back over and we left.  Still never got Dollar General Shawn’s name but oh well I’ll probably never see him again right?  

The latest guy was a construction worker.  He was super fun to talk to, loved the outdoors, and was pretty athletic.  This one was for sure a keeper.  That is until I realized I hate those things.  For our first date, he asked if I wanted to go on a hike with him and I said sure why not.  Well little did I know hiking should be considered an Olympic sport because I barely walked half a mile and my feet already hurt.  Somehow though, people were running these trails with near-perfect form not even breaking a sweat while I had to sit down every ten minutes going downhill.  I remember at one point he said watch this and jumped over a canyon leading to his demise with minimal effort.  Then I looked over and oh of course there’s my friend who has her entire super athletic perfect family taking a picture in the sunset.  Way to go Vanessa I bet you only took the picture silhouetted so no one saw how sweaty you look cause we both know you're not as athletic as you make it seem.

I told my date that I didn’t think this was going to work out since I never workout and to him, that's an issue so he left and I decided to sit in a field of beautiful yellow flowers.  Then oh look who happened to be there too.  It was Costco Shawn Mendes.  He came and sat by me and we talked and talked and talked.  I was almost fully convinced he was stalking me until he too said that he was going on some pretty bad dates to all of those places.  We fell and love and eventually got married and that my son is how I met your dad Shane Marandez.

-L

This I Believe

 I believe no one should be judged on who they are. In speech, I wrote an informative essay about LGBT+ bullying awareness. In this speech, I showcased how bullying could majorly affect an individual’s mental health, the bullying statistics of LGBT+ teens and children, and ways to help reduce bullying in your area. Bullying can majorly affect a person’s mental health, no matter who they are. Bullying can increase depression, self-harm, and can affect a student’s academic achievements. Being “out” or just being perceived as part of the LGBT community can put some youth at an increased risk of getting bullied. As someone who has experienced being bullied, even if you don’t realize it, bullying can affect your entire life. This worsened my social phobia, especially during high school. The sad part is most people don’t know how bullying really affected them until they become older. There are many, many strategies that anyone can use to help prevent bullying, especially in schools. 

Reporting bullying is the easiest way to make a change. If you see anyone who is getting bullied, encourage them to tell someone they can trust. If the bullying continues, report it yourself to a trusted adult or school staff member. Being alert to signs of distress in the hallways and classrooms is how you can stop LGBT and any other type of bullying. LGBT+ children, teens and even adults are being bullied (and in some worse cases, hate crimed and beaten) just for simply being themselves. Who deserves to go through that? No one. Some human beings are truly, truly awful. LGBT+ teens have an increased risk of getting bullied, which also increases the risk of depression. LGBT+ youth are 4 times as likely to attempt suicide and 2 and a half times more likely to self-harm. They are also more likely to experiment with alcohol and drugs because of the damaging effects of bullying. If we all work together, we can make a change. I believe that no one deserves to get bullied, no matter who they are. No one should be judged by being themselves.

-Allitini

The Yes/No Wasbi

 No

Well maybe

I said No

Why not, It fun

My mind is made up

Please don't the wasabi, Joe.

Wasabi is not to be eaten, Joe

Can't stop me! I'm gonna do it!

(Notecard Journals) 

-KZ100

I'm Going To Go Insane

 Karen

Manager

Both

I am a Karen

And I am a manager.

My name is spelled wrong on my cup.

That’s the spelling you gave us.

I’m going to go insane.

She doesn’t hear what I’m saying.

I hear her loud and clear.

I’m going to go insane.

I want my money back.

I’m not giving her money that she doesn’t deserve.

I’m going to go insane.

You just lost my business.

I didn’t want it in the first place.

I’m going to go insane.

I’ll sue you.

It wouldn’t be the first time.

I’m going to go insane.

I want to speak to your manager.

I am the manager. 

I’m going to go insane.

-Squid

The Scene

 Blood

Stained Carpet

Easily cleaned by

Clorox... repeated 12 times

Add hot water and scrub

Then when done, dry with towel

Jack shouldn't have killed the neighbors' kid

But it satisfied him, how could he resist?

-Memento Mori

this i believe

 One thing thats been made undeniably apparent to me in my short 16 years on this earth is that ignorance is bliss. I’d like to think everyone has a good grasp on whats going on around them and how it could effect their future but the truth is that we don’t. None of us. Considering the world I’ve been born into you can just about imagine how hard it would be to ignore such blatant issues. Issues including (but not limited to) shootings, rape/sexual assault, forest fires, global warming, deforestation, racism, abortion rights, terrorism, and factory polution, leaving the past few generations responsible for creating such a hostile world to grow up in. You’d think they'd notice the havoc they’ve wreaked but many of us choose to ignore it because there are “more important things to worry about”. Many claim that these issues are out of their control and go about their daily lives failing to see the bigger picture. The bigger picture being that not one person in history has ever overcame a hardship or conquered something massive without the help of an army behind them. I believe people refuse to join the army because they're too overwhelmed to start with and think focusing on the bad will hurt them. When I was 14 I was scrolling instagram and saw a “sensitive content” post that was blurred until I click “view post”. I prepared myself for a pimple popping video or maybe a deep cut some would get queasy over. Instead, it was at least 50 seals lined up on a beach, with men in all black chopping of their heads one by one with a large hatchet knife. The man in the background filming was giggling. This was the first time in my life I realized the extent of how damaged our world was and felt the need to do something. From my small home in the country of Nebraska there wasn’t much I could do besides raise awareness. I reposted the video to help people understand the extent and horrors of animal poaching, and large industry fisheries. Only 10 minutes later my friend of a couple years from omaha replied “why would you post that, thats not something I want to see on my feed, it makes me sad.” Exactly. It makes everyone sad but if it doesn’t make you feel something than you wont be inclined to change it. I explained to her that it’s important to acknowledge it’s happening in order to do something about it. We haven't spoke since then. I understand first hand how much easier it can be to ignore all of the things that need to be changed, but ignoring it only causes more damage. While ignorance is a something I understand, It’s not a trait I can respect or tolerate. Real strength is acknowledging the problems at the very least. Ignorance is bliss, this I believe.

-olive

My First Bike

 It was a summer day in Lincoln Nebraska.  I was at my grandparents' house with my mom and dad when they brought me a bike.  This bike was not like the other bikes I had ridden because this one did not have training wheels.  This bike only had two wheels, one in the front and one in the back.  I was ecstatic until I saw that it wasn’t like my other bikes. This one was quite intimidating but my dad told me I’d be fine.  As I got the bike up and tried to pedal it only fell over, me almost going with it.  I didn’t think I could ever do it but my dad helped me over and over again until one time he let go and I didn’t even notice.  As soon as I got to the end of the block I realized that he let go and that I had done it.  I couldn’t believe it.  I had learned to ride a bike without training wheels.  I took off again and again going faster and faster until I hit a bump in the sidewalk and crashed.  Luckily I was wearing a helmet but that didn’t save my knees or my hands.  So my mom took me inside to clean up and I spent the rest of the day playing Lego Star Wars on my Wii.  Well at least until dinner.  Then I went back outside to play some more.

Remembrance

 The first song lyrics I had ever memorized was the song Last Dollar by Tim McGraw. I really dislike country music but this song stuck with me. My dad would play this song whenever we were in the car. I have this treasured memory of me and my brother playing on our swingset, singing the words to this song. My feelings about my dad are very mixed, but there are some good moments. Some days I hate him and some days I miss him more than words can describe. I’m still getting over what he did, it’s something I’ll live with for the rest of my life, but it’s refreshing to keep the small, happy memories. 

-Allitini