Creative Writing

Authors note: These are two poems i made as a result of a creative journal.

 I spend all my time

Training for the Olympics

All I do is run

It is possible

That you may hear an echo

Coming from a cave

"The Lottery" Response

Authors note: This is a response to the short story "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson.

Have you ever been part of a lottery where you do not want to win. In the story "The Lottery" winning the lottery is the last thing any of the villagers would want. Victory leads to certain death at the hand of the rest of the villagers.

One theme in this story is humanity vs. inhumanity. The villagers think that the process of the lottery is a humane event, when in fact it is the exact opposite. Other villages received attention in the story after dropping the lottery. The villages still using the lottery looked at this as insane when it was actually an act of the other villages giving up inhumanity activities.

Another theme in this story was power. The government had complete power over everyone in the community throughout the whole story. For example those who won the raffle had no choice but to get stoned. Another example of power in the story was in the households in the village. Men had complete power over women. In the lottery the men drew for the women and if there was no man to do this then the woman's son would draw for her, they didn't even have the right to draw. Power is a common theme in this story.

There are many possible themes for this story but these are the two that seemed to stand out to me the most.

Strength in Numbers

Authors Note: This is a prediction piece that i plan on using for my DWA.

 Does the term strength in numbers still come in affect when you and those baring arms have the same initial objective to kill one another?  In the novel  The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, killing one another is the primary goal for all those competing in the games.  Katniss, and Peeta will go into the games with a disadvantage due to the amount of attention drawn upon themselves during the opening ceremony.  I predict that they join forces, even though technically they are enemies,  in order to avoid pushing up daisies early off in the games.

The appearance of Katniss and Peeta caught the eyes of nearly all those watching the ceremony.  The desire for attention was apparent in each competitor.  Due to jealousy nearly every participant has it out for Katniss and Peeta which gives them a strong disadvantage.   I predict that they will form some sort of alliance in an effort to overcome the major disadvantage being faced by the two of them.  Although considered enemies Katniss and Peeta will work together in hope of success.

There are many pieces of evidence providing hints to why they might go into the games with a disadvantage.  First off, tributes crave sponsorships going into the games, which means they will do anything to receive attention from those providing the sponsorships.  Katniss and Peeta easily won the crowd during the opening ceremony.  They received nearly all of the attention possible; it was almost as if the other tributes were being ignored. This obviously caused rage within each opponent, as shown on p72, "As I glance around, I notice a lot of the other tributes are shooting us dirty looks, which confirms what I've suspected, we've literally outshone them all".  This anger will drive others to personally seek out and target both Katniss and Peeta.  The way they presented themselves may come back to haunt them.

Katniss and Peeta will have no other choice but to team up due to those seeking each of them out.  There are many reasons as to why the two of them could end up working as a team.  One obvious reason is that they are from the same district.  Another possible cause of this could be the connection between them growing up.  They always seemed to keep a watch on one another unnoticeably.  Also, Peeta had previously gone out his way to help Katniss from starving.  There are several reasons that could support the idea of the two of them uniting.

That alliance is mandatory for them to find any success in the games. The slight disadvantage will be easily overcome using teamwork. I predict that they will join forces, even though technically enemies, in order to avoid death early in the games.

Mitosis and Cancer

One in four deaths in the U.S is due to cancer (What is Cancer).  Sadly, this number continues to increase due to the burgeoning amount of unhealthy lifestyles practiced by those living in America.  Most know little about cancer aside from the name itself.  Cancer cells are created during the process of mitosis.  Cancer has constantly been shortening the life of many people.

           

The process of mitosis is considered responsible for any cancer cells created in the body. Mitosis consists of several steps.  The first of these steps is called the prophase, during the prophase chromosomes within the nucleus of a cell start to condense and the centrioles begin to move to opposite sides of the cell.  Next comes the prometaphase, during this time the nuclear membrane dissolves.  Following prometaphase is the metaphase.   During metaphase the chromosomes align along the metaphase plate (Diameter of cell).  This process is to help ensure that each sister cell gets the exact same set of chromosomes.  The last step is called telophase, during telophase the chromosomes are split equally then retreat to opposite sides of the cell.  Mitosis is just the division of the nucleus during cell division.  The nucleus itself is considered the “brain” of the cell.  It controls how the cell functions and divides.  The nucleus is one of the most important organelles in the cell, and mitosis is the process of dividing it. (The Cell Cycle and Mitosis Tutorial)

           

Cancer cells are called mutations of mitosis.  Uncontrolled division is what truly makes cancer cells harmful.   Normal cells die when they are old or deformed and they only divide when needed.  Cancer cells ignore the proper cell function, dividing uncontrollably and not dying.

When this happens the body has numerous unneeded cells.  Even though unneeded, the  cells continue to divide, each time they divide they become more deformed than the last. Sometimes these cells build up and attach to tissues in the body, which most know of as a tumor.  Overall, cancer cells are mutated cells that refuse to follow the proper cell cycle.

           

Cancer cells are actually created during the process of mitosis.  The nucleus of the cell is considered the brain; it controls everything done by the cell.  Mitosis is the process of dividing, it is a very complicated process and if any one step isn’t performed correctly it will lead to a mutated cell.  The mutated cells created during the process of mitosis are cancer cells.  The cancer cells continue to divide rapidly and uncontrollably.   All cancer cells are created during Mitosis.

           

There are cures for these mutations of mitosis, but they are not always completely effective. The most commonly used cure is chemotherapy.  Chemo simply uses drugs to either kill, slow down, or ease the symptoms of cancer.  The type of drug used in chemo depends on the type of cancer trying to be cured.  The drugs used in chemo attack fast dividing cells, it kills harmful and healthy cells.  The side effects of chemo can be overcome much more easily than the actual cancer cells.  Chemo is not always effective.  If it was, the amount of deaths caused by cancer would drop dramatically.  We continue to work hard on finding cures to cancer, the cures continue to evolve slowly overtime, but seemingly not fast enough.  Cures Cancers are considered an insurmountable task to some, but to others it is something that needs to be found.

We have been struggling to find a cure for quite some time, and we have been harmed by cancer for even longer than that.  Most do not have a great understanding of cancer itself, how its created, or how its cured.  It is all a very complicated process, but can be made simple.  One way or another cancer is still a major threat to the life of many.

Child Labor

Authors note: This is a poem originally created for social studies on child labor, i am using it for both that and my goals.

We work and work without a break

To you it may just seem fake                          

Working every single hour

Leave us with no power

The minimum wage              

Commonly causes rage

Although it is a job

It makes us want to sob

Day to day I am so sore

But I still remain too poor

Day to day

I work for little pay

Night to night

I sleep with nobody in sight

Hunger drives me,

Nearly to insanity

While at work

It is prohibited of me to smirk

I know nothing other than this

Which leaves me with nothing left to miss

I live in the gutter

The rodents create quite a mutter

With little to eat

And nothing on my feet

All day I sew

But there is always more to go

All day I work on shoes

I have nothing left to lose

It is often that I am ill

But can’t afford a pill

While at the factory

I feel like a casualty

 For I know I will never be able to retire

Although is what I do desire

Every morning I go to work

Then I go home were rodents lurk

At night I am cold

While trying to sleep in mold

During the day I am so hot

I feel as though I will rot

I work all day on these balls,

Without a break or even a chance to use the stalls

My life is hardly worth a penny

Not unlike many

Day to day

Those I am around feel the same way

We work nonstop without a break

I wish it was my life that they’d take

I live in a house with five others

But none of them are my sisters or brothers

The way we live just seems fake

To those who wear what we make

We live by very strict rules

Those who disobey end up in blood pools

I sleep on a cement floor

And all that can prevent that is a war

I am treated like dirt

Worked, pushed, and hurt

It is often I go a while

Without sprouting a single smile

If we decide to fight back

We will receive a hard whack

In what I make I do take pride

That I am forced to hide

The games I wish to play

Will have to wait for another day

Ive heard that it isn’t like this other places

I wonder about those faces

Do they wear what we make?

Is their life a piece of cake?

I wonder who wears it

I wonder who it would fit

I wonder if they have it worse

Or if they are pulling money out of their purse

What kind of money do they earn?

And how much of it they burn

Do they know what we go through too

Is it ever hard for them too?

Are there other people like me?

If so I’d not like to see

My mind is overrun with this

I wish I could say goodbye to it with a kiss

It is all I see and all I know

It is all there is to show

I wonder what they live in

Do they put our products in a bin?

Is it crammed like my home?

Or is there plenty of room to roam

Do they live and sleep on concrete,

Do they have nothing to eat?

Or do they have more than they need

Driven by greed

I wonder what the children are given,

Do they walk to work or are the driven?

Are they allowed to have fun,

Instead of work nonstop in the hot sun.

Or maybe they all play a game,

While we sit here in shame

How do they sleep?

Alone or perhaps in a heap

Are they given a mat,

Or something much nicer than that.

Where do they eat?

Do they get to sit upon a seat?

We eat on the cold hard floor

With sewer waste and much more

We eat vegetables and rice

Luckily we can pay the price

I wonder if they receive a variety of food

Does what we receive seem crude?

Do they like the life they live,

Do they know how much we give?

I wonder if they go on trips

And have the privilege of words from their lips

I wonder if they get together

And are able to share gifts like a sweater

I’ve heard they have enough cash

To waste on getting rid of something as little as a rash

They have great power

All of them from nice to sour

A life like that would be nice

There is nothing I wouldn’t sacrifice

To step foot in their shoes

There is nothing that I would lose

I would feel so great

If that in fact was my fate

I would love my life

And would prevent it from being ended by anything even a knife

But it is always that I dread

That it is all just in my head

I hope others start to learn

And maybe even decide to take their turn

I wonder what they’d do if they could see

What is happening with me

Would they even dare to care?

Or would they ignore it

While we throw a fit

Would they give

Or look at it as a sieve

Would they even care

Or would they think of it as just some kind of nightmare

We do not deserve this

We deserve to be addressed as sir and miss

We do not chose to live this way

For we do not have any say

I never get to make my own decisions

And my head is always filled with many visions

Nobody deserves a life like mine

I’m sure that many would rather catch the swine

Child labor is not my choice

We have absolutely no voice

If we even seek power

It is us they will devour

We cannot do anything about it

Aside from just sit

A life here can’t compare to a life there

Here some don’t even care

They rather be dead

Then listen to many things that their boss has said

I’ve heard our home is compared to a dump

Away from here I want to jump

But I cannot do that

So I’ll just have to stay here with each mouse and rat

I’ve heard that goodness always will come

But that seems to not be the case for some

Sadly this is my story

And as you can see it doesn’t have a bit of glory

I have lived in constant misery

This is what child labor has done to me.

Fear

Authors note: This piece is a writing piece meant to help me achieve my goal in main idea/theme, in this writing piece i describe a theme in the novel Monster by Walter Dean Myers

"It is about being alone when you are not really alone and it is about being scared all the time" (P.3) Nothing is more frightening than the fear brought upon one while in prison. Fear is constantly reoccurring in the award winning novel Monster by Walter Dean Myers. This book is about a 16 year old named Steve Harmon who is put on trial for murder. Although Steve did not commit the murder his future still depended on the decision made by the judge. The fear within Steve seems to be apparent throughout the novel.

The fear Steve feels is revealed every time he talks of his life in prison. "The best time to cry is at night, when the lights are out and someone is being beaten up and screaming for help"(P.1) Due to constant misery and stress he just wants to lie down and cry but the fear of being the one beaten at night is what keeps himself form doing so.  The fear within Steve causes him to put a strong effort into not being noticed by other prisoners. The fear of what might happen to him while in prison is one that strongly influences how he lives his life in prison.

Along with prison was the future. Steve feared his future just as much as prison. They way Steve's future was spent was going to be based off of the decision made by the judge. The law suit took days. After the second day on trial Steve's attorney did not like how the case was unfolding. She told him that the case is currently not favoring him due to a few unfair tricks played by opposing attorneys. This is when the fear of the future really hit Steve. He personally would rather not live his life than live it while in custody. Steve feared a future in prison more so than he feared the prison itself.

I found that I am capable of relating the theme of fear to Act of Valor by Tom Clancy. I am currently reading this novel and I have realized that fear is a common theme but it is usually accompanied by confidence. In Act of Valor before each mission is performed each man on the team experience the fear of what could happen in the case of failure but they are all equally confident that they will succeed. Fear is also shown in all of the hostages rescued by the SEAL's. It is common that fear is the only emotion present in those who are being held captive. Fear is a common theme in both novels.

This novel is obviously not the only one were fear is a reoccurring theme. Fear was a very strong theme in Monster. It influenced numerous decisions and actions made by the main character. The Fear within Steve was apparent throughout the novel.

I've Learned

 Authors note: This is an unassigned poem to help me accomplish my goals

I've learned…

I've learned that the grass is always greener somewhere else

I've learned that enough is never enough

I've learned that satisfaction is immeasurable

I've learned that in life you are given choices,

I've learned that the choices you make may determine your success or your failure

I've learned that things don’t always go as you wish

I've learned that wealth doesn’t have as much importance as other things

I've learned that value is only an opinion

I've learned to consider suggestions no matter who they are given by

I've learned that the end is never the end

I've learned that there is a great amount of things I have yet to learn

Haiku

Authors note: this is a haiku poem written to help accomplish my goals. A haiku poem consists of three lines,  the first containing 5 syllables, the second 7 syllables, and the third 5 syllables.

I step on the pitch,

Emitting great confidence,

That I will prevail

Short Response

Authors note: The requirements of this assigned piece is to respond to the poems Big Yellow Taxi and Field Below and it is required to include both the mood and tone.

Both poems relate to things being taken away that cannot be taken back. The line "They paved paradise and put up a parking lot" in the poem Big Yellow Taxi, relates to the fact that the amount of nature is dilapidating due to the burgeoning amount of modern day structures.  It also shows that what used to be there was taken for granted, the author didn’t realize just quite how much she liked what was left of nature until it was gone. Field Below states that the author wishes she would see a field below. Meaning that she wishes there was more nature in the city than there currently was. These poems are related because they each give the same overall message. The tone in each poem is both sadness and regret. The mood of the poems is sorrow, sympathy, and sadness. While reading these poems I realized how right everything that is said in them is. Any big city you travel to will have little or no nature at all because there is absolutely no space left due to the amount of buildings in those areas. Both of the poems deliver a strong message.

Confidence

Authors note: This is a haiku poem written to help accomplish my goals. A haiku poem consists of three lines,  the first containing 5 syllables, the second 7 syllables, and the third 5 syllables.

I step on the pitch,

Emitting great confidence,

That I will prevail

Mother to Son Parody

Authors note: This is a parody relating to both the poem Mother to Son by Langston Hughes, and Fallen Angels Walter Dean Myers. The tone of this parody is exhausted just like in the original poem.The parody follows the theme of Mother to Son, while using the characters and concepts from Fallen Angels.

Well, Peewee, ill tell you

Life for me ain’t been no easy

Its had flaws,

its been rough,

and racism in the streets

Places were there ain't been no roof over my head

nobody there

but I’se keep lookin forward

tryin to make it through life,

thers been ups,

but theys always be endin in downs

them downs start be messin with my head

thats how i find myself here

but i still keep lookin forward

it aint been no easy Peewee

but im goin make it

life for me aint been no easy

 

ABC Soccer

Authors note: this is an ABC poem to contribute to my goals.

Soccer

A- Athlete

B- Barclays premier league

C- Crossbar

D- Defeat

E- Exhilarating

F- Fifa

G-Goal line

H-Highlight

I-International

J- Jersey

K- Kick

L- Left

M- Manchester United

N- Net

O- Offside

P- Penalty mark

Q- Quick

R- Referee

S- Shot

T- Touch line

U- United

V- Viral

W- Win

X-  X training

Y- Youth

Z- Zinedine Zidane

Word Choice and Context

Authors note: This is an assigned reading response based of a quote in the poem Mother to Son, by Langston Hughes

Formative language- “Life ain’t been no crystal stair”

The meaning is to show that the mother did not come from a wealthy family and that things have not been easy. The term crystal stair is usually thought of as wealth which is why it is used.

Improper grammar helps create a mood and a tone for this poem. The mood is both supportive and exhausted. It is supportive because it is instructing her son not to give in and to keep going no matter what obstacles life may throw at you. It is exhausted because the mother is explaining how hard it was for her and it seems as though she’s worked so hard all of her life to get where she is and the road has been exhausting.

The Giver

Authors note: this is a piece summarizing The Giver by Lois Lowry. I wrote this to improve my retelling grade.

Once selected as receiver of all memories of the community Jonas realizes how politically incorrect the government of the community is. With the help of the previous receiver Jonas seeks a better life for both himself and those belonging to the community.

Corrupt

           Are you content with the way your government is run? Most of us are able to answer this question with a true opinion but citizens of the community from the novel The Giver by Lois Lowry are not. They are unaware of how their government is run. The government controls their every move. The government in this novel is politically incorrect in more ways than one can imagine.

The government absolutely controls every action made by the people belonging to the community. It almost as if the citizens of the community are puppets being controlled by the government, but the people have no idea that they are being controlled. The people of the community have no knowledge of their history beyond their generation. They have never experienced or even heard of some of the things they are restricted from such as both positive and negative feelings, the ability to see color, and even the ability to make their own decisions. The people of the community are sheltered from nearly everything without knowing it.

Our government on the other hand allows us the freedom to do most of the things they couldn’t. For example here our future is entirely up to us, we can decide to pursue almost any career we wish. In the book there is a gathering called the ceremony of twelves(p52). At this ceremony the elders which are essentially the body of the government gives each twelve their role. A role in the community is like a job. The next day all of the twelves go off to start receiving training for their role. Another difference between our form of government and theirs is all of the things we have access to. We can see color, feel the temperature, have feelings, and much more. In the community they do not have access to any of these things. The restrictions of their government help those who aren’t happy with ours realize that it could be much worse.

Also the way their government controls them is not beneficial for the people or the elders. Both the people and the elders are unable to enjoy themselves while being controlled. The government is very strict with all of its rules, if broken you will be released from the community in other words killed. The way the government controls the people is not beneficial to the people.

The way the government runs the community is wrong. It doesn’t allow the people any freedom. They are not even in control of their own lives which is wrong. The Government is politically incorrect in more ways than one can imagine.

The Giver Creative Piece

Authors note: This is a creative piece based on the novel The Giver by Lois Lowry. I decided to add on to the ending of the story because the novel was a cliff hanger. 

 "Downward, downward, faster and faster. Suddenly he was aware with certainty and joy that below, ahead, they were waiting for him; and that they were waiting, too, for the baby.  For the first time, he heard something that he knew to be music. He heard people singing. Behind him, across the vast distances of space and time, from the place he had left, he thought he heard music too. But perhaps it was only an echo."……   Jonas was filled with excitement and joy, he made it. The joy and excitement wasn’t enough to keep him awake, he was exhausted from his journey and was In need of a rest.

Jonas awoke late the next morning. Half awake he tried to stand up and look around but collapsed due to immense pain in his ankle.  He then inspected his ankle. It was both swollen and bruised. He tried to move it, nothing.  Jonas sat up to observe his surroundings,  ignoring the throbbing pain coming from his ankle. It appeared that he was in a bedroom similar to the bedrooms back in the community, but there was something different about this one that he couldn’t pick out. There was a bright beam of warming light coming from the window. Sunshine. Now he started to remember the memories of sunshine the giver had passed on to him. Jonas also saw color, the room was filled with color. Both of which he would never have experienced in the community. Filled with joy Jonas had forgotten about the pain in his ankle, once again he tried to get up. Another unsuccessful attempt. Jonas had nothing to do but wait for someone to come.

Hours passed by then finally two people filed in through the door. Numerous questions were asked, and answered truthfully. After this process Jonas was taken to receive medical care for his ankle. He was lied down in a bed surrounded by machines.  Minutes later the door swung open and a nurse walked in. Jonas didn’t think much about it until he saw the needle in her hand. He panicked, due to his memory of seeing his father release the newborn child. Jonas was off the bed in a flash, trying to escape. He collapsed instantly,  the pain was too much. He was guided back to the bed. The nurse by his side, injected the needle into an IV in his lower arm. The world around him started to slow down, everything becoming dull, then it all went black.

Jonas awoke the next day. This was a surprise to him, he thought it was over. Once again he looked around. He was puzzled when he laid eyes on a tube that was coming out of his arm. What is it, and what was it doing there? Jonas pulled at the cord, but was instantly stopped by a nurse who had been sitting beside the bed. Jonas also had a large brace on his ankle. This gave him the assumption that the strange cord had something to do with his ankle. He was no longer worried, he now felt a sense of relief. The people of this new civilization had helped care for him, a sign that the new civilization was quite a bit different than the community, Jonas liked it.

Quote

Authors note: This is an assigned piece relating to the importance of a chosen quote from the novel The Giver.

            “Jonas has been selected to be our next Receiver of Memory”.  This was very astonishing announcement said by an elder at the ceremony of twelve’s, which is very important to those who live in the community.  It is the time when children receive their assignments, meaning they find out what the elders chose for them as a job.  Jonas was selected rather than assigned.  He was selected to be the receiver which was one of the most honorable and respectable roles in the community.  Jonas’s role as the receiver eventually brought out the conflict created a resolution. The story would’ve dramatically changed if not for this scene.

            This quote introduced the main conflict of the novel. The conflict was that the community was controlled by sameness. Nothing was ever different, there were never any problems, people never got to make their own decisions, and if the strict rules were broken the penalization was death.  When Jonas became the receiver he realized this issue and was determined to change it. My quote is from when Jonas became the receiver, if he never became the receiver the conflict of the story would’ve never been uncovered.

            This quote also led to the solution. As the receiver Jonas gained a large amount of knowledge which led him to the conflict but more importantly led him to the resolution. Jonas used the knowledge he gained from becoming the receiver to find a resolution to his problems. His resolution involved him running from the community. None of this would of happened if he hadn’t became the receiver.

            This quote was the official announcement of Jonas’s role in the community, this later led to both the conflict and the resolution. If this had not happened the plot would’ve changed dramatically. This quote was very important to the story.

The Giver Speech

 The giver is about a boy named Jonas who lives in a place called the community where everything is always the same. He takes on a new role at the community and realizes that he doesn’t like the sameness. He then tries to do something about it. He decided to run hoping that he will find a better place away from the community.

I predict that he will find a better place. One reason I believe this is because Jonas demonstrates courage, bravery, and determination throughout the book. These qualities will help him make it. He was brave enough to go on the mission and he is determined to finish it which means that he will push on until he succeeds. Jonas will make it.

Revolutionary Comparisons

Authors Note: This piece is comparing the movie The Patriot and the book April Morning.

 How are the stories told in The Patriot and April Morning similar, and how are they different?  Both are fictional stories set during the same war yet have many differences.

One thing that these two stories have in common is that they are both historical fiction stories taking place during the revolutionary war.    April Morning is all about the battle of Lexington, which is one of the many battles that took place during the revolutionary war. The Patriot is about the whole revolutionary war.   Both stories related to the revolutionary war.

Another thing these two stories have in common is battle tactics.  In April Morning the local militia ambushed groups of the British while they were marching.  The militia used trees and ledges and rocks for cover while the redcoats left themselves out in the open.   In The Patriot one man and his two sons ambushed a group of British soldiers and used trees and rocks to for cover.   The same over all strategies were used in both books.

Both stories center on a conflict between father and son, and their roles in the war.  In The Patriot, the father was a war hero, but does not support this war, while the son believes in the cause.  In April Morning, the son wanted to be in the war to prove himself to his father.

The number of battles fought in each story varies.   April Morning was only about the battle of Lexington.    The Patriot was about the whole revolutionary war. These stories are about the same over all war but not the same battles.

These two stories have both many similarities and differences.  Both are fictional stories set during the same war yet they have several key differences that make them unique.

Freedom

Authors Note: This piece explains my prediction for the novel The Giver by Lois Lowry.

The Giver by Lois Lowry is about a boy named Jonas living in a place called the community.  The community is surrounded by sameness, everything that happens is the same and strictly planned, people there do not have the ability to make their own decisions or go their own paths.  All is chosen for them by a group of people known as the elders. Jonas was selected to become the receiver of memories by the elders. Over the course of his training he started to recognize the sameness. He hated it. He soon became determined to change this for himself. He set off, away from the community on a search for somewhere better, somewhere were things weren't always the same.
I predict that Jonas will be successful in his mission. One reason I think this is because Jonas displays qualities such as courage, bravery, and determination throughout the book. He decided to go on the journey even though it was said that it will most likely result in death.  This is an example of courage and bravery. During his journey he kept pushing on, which shows his determination to make a difference for himself. Another reason I think he will be successful on his journey is based on the situation right now. He currently has plenty of food left and is making decent progress towards his future. I predict that Jonas will make it to the freedom of a new community.