Rustbelt 2013

 Do you know what love is? Even if you think you do, you don’t know it like Neil Hilborn. A man with extreme OCD finds his first love that can distract and break his habits but also leaves him for the very same reason she loved him. He creates a mood that is at times humorous as he talks about “kissing her goodbye 16 times or 24 times if its Wednesday” but also heart breaking when she leaves him.  Now that he’s alone, he has finally found something that hurts enough to break his habits and “leave the lights on” or “not lock the doors.” This shows the theme that love is truly the most powerful thing a person can feel. When Neil is performing you can see his habits, like when repeats words 5 times over. It is very moving that anyone could ever make him change and the fact that she did and left him is dreadful and heartbreaking. 

 Anthony Amorim

 How much would you give to go back in time and be seven years old again? I'd give a lot and I bet you'd give even more. Anthony suggests that growing up is anyone's worst nightmare but yet you keep bagging for it to come closer until it's to late. "God knows what we have became," when we pick our friends based on what people wear and how much money we have. The mood of this poem is serious, it makes you realize you're just like the people he describes. Sometimes you ask yourself "when did I stop being a four year old? when did seven and eight pass me by?" That shows the theme of the poem is you wish away your youth then as soon as its gone you realized you didn't appreciate the time that you can never get back. I enjoyed this poem but at the same time it made me feel guilty that I do everything he describes as negative. I already know that I wasted my youth by wishing I was seventeen, he just opens my eyes to it even more.

Dawn  Saylor

"He loved her more then me and I loved him more then me" this poem is about Dawn looking for love but only finding disappointment and even rape. She starts off young and confused then as the poem goes on she becomes older with an understanding of the world that most people will never have in their life time. The mood comes across as disturbing at first until you realize shes the victim. A women confused who "traded integrity for security and called it love" but isn't that what everyone does these days? The theme of this poem is that "you must look yourself in the eye and say... I am beautiful" in order to really be happy. If you can't love yourself then how will anyone else. I found this poem extremely moving and anyone watching her would learn and truly believe what she is saying.

Mr. Keating

       

When a new English teacher comes to twist, bend and completely flip how classes are usually taught at the bland all boys private school. The film Dead Poets’ societies by Peter Weir, there are lots of themes presented such as: peer pressure, looking at things at a different point of view and friendship. These are all displayed by the boys in the private school.

Peer pressure happens every day everywhere you go. Almost always peer pressure is a terrible thing. Neil’s father crushes him under his fist until there is not a crack of light or hopes left, only the piercing sound of a single bullet. Not all is bad though, Todd Anderson is pressured into the dead poet society by Neil who becomes is best friend and brings I’m into their tight nit group of friends. This seems to be the only place he feels comfortable and welcome. Also his English teacher makes him stand in front of the class and make up a poem on the spot. His English teacher pushes and helps Todd to come out of his shell and over his fear and bring him confidence.

Stand on your desk and look around. Is it different? Now do that with your whole life. Does it change?  Taking a step back and looking from a different point of view is what the boys are taught on their first day of English. Every other class they drive into hour long lechers and piles of homework. Mr. Keating uses techniques that are unusual to this up tight school but by doing so he wins the boys minds and hearts. Being questioned by every other teacher in the school didn’t make him blink for a second. Mr. Keating knew by ripping out pages in books and playing soccer he would give them the best education possible while allowing them to be free and have fun while doing it.

Shutting people out leaves you alone and bitter. Todd did this for a long time, he was afraid and unsure of himself until Neil brought him into his friend group. Todd made friendships that would never die, a place where he was safe and could be himself. People were there for him when he needed it and when one of their own fell they stuck together through it. Neil was their leader and everyone felt the impact but nobody did as much as his friends that knew the truth about why he took his own life. This event will crush some people and drive them away or make friendships stronger, keeping the rest of the boys together.

Mr. Keating is blamed for the death of Neil and it makes the themes standout even more. You can see all he had done for the boys when they stand on their desks as he leaves and say “o captain! My captain.” He was a friend to them more than a teacher. Also he sometimes pressured them into things that made them grow as students and people. He showed them a different way of looking at learning along with a different way of looking at life.

The Waiting Room

     I sink into a chair and stare at the clock, waiting to hear the news of my grandma’s accident. The white walls and foul floors seem to be moving in a wobbly motion. Everyone their for her is crying except for me I feel I need to be strong for them, to show that everything will be alright. Even though deep down I have a awful feeling that makes the blood in my head pump so hard it might explode. All you can hear is the phones ringing and the odd pa announcement which didn’t help with this awkward silence. I didn’t mind nobody talking though I could just think; think of what I and my grandma will do when she gets out because she just has to be okay. I can smell my sister’s fries and chicken strips from across the room, I’m so hungry I could vomit but the last thing on my mind is food. I hear a squeaky pair of shoes coming down the hall; everyone looks at once at a doctor that can't even look into my eyes. He say, you may want to take a seat. Shacking, stuttering, sluking, I walk out; I can't spend one more minute in that hospital.

Gillian Kennedy
309 Spruce Ave
Penticton, B.C.
V0H 1K0

 April 2, 2014

Inspector Clouseau
Chief of Police
123 Rue Justice
Paris, France
1A2 R3T

Dear Inspector Clouseau:

I was in a very sticky situation as you already know but I choose to save the Mona Lisa. I'm sure Ada Artlover will be missed by many but she was already 92 years old. I have a great grandma that age and she can barley walk on her own and doesn’t have much time left. It would have been nice for her family to have said goodbye but really being that old she could have died any minute as it was. The experience of being in a burning building probably would have given her a heart attack or the smoke would be too hard on her lungs. She most likely would have passed away from that right after. At least she was in a beautiful place surrounded by what she loves.

            Ada Artlover is not my family, is not my responsibility and is not on my conscious. If she could be at that museum by herself she should be able to get out herself. Her wheel chair could probably go as fast as me trying to run with a painting.

            The Mona Lisa is priceless. We all know if they both had gone down with the fire that the head line of the news paper would be the Mona Lisa not Ada Artlover. I’m not saying its right but it’s true. How can you compare a life that’s almost over to a priceless painting that will literally be around until the end of time.  

              

 Sincerely,

Gillian Kennedy

Bluffing

                                                      

Bandages cover Liam’s face as he looks up at Gabriella from the hospital bed. He tells her that he only ran away from the bear so it would “come after [him] instead of [her].” Nodding he head she knows she has enough “bluffing left in her” to get herself throw the day. In Gail Helgason’s short story Bluffing Laim, Gabriella’s boyfriend gets attacked by a grizzle bear. The question is if he is a hero or a coward for running from the bear leaving Gabriella stranded face to face with a grizzle. Liam and Gabriella are not in love, all he ever talks about is how he wants to leave for “three months…[to] Yosemite” or even new Mexico without Gabriella. They would get in fights that ended in Gabriella “grabbing her pack back” and strutting “as fast as she [can]” away. When they were face to face with the grizzle bear “every cell in Gabriella’s body yearned to turn and flee” but her “inner force held her” there; Liam listening to his inner force turned and ran to save himself. In a situation like that nobody would have time or the metal strength to make a decision like he said he did to save her. Always “staying in the lead” Liam doesn’t even walk with Gabriella, coming across as extremely narcissistic.  Liam loves himself and the outdoors ten times more then he will ever love Gabriella and that is why he's a coward just trying to save himself.

Aging Cities

 

On the dusty streets surrounded by timeless buildings sat an ancient lady. Music filled the air along with the puffy grey smoke from her cigar. A slim straggly black cat lay next to her. Tourists walking by are intrigued by her saggy dark skin and old style white flowing dress. With the untouched buildings as her back drop she truly brought you back to the 40’s. A posed smile covered her face as children ask to have photos taken with her. Little did they know their spare change will be feeding her tonight. She grew up with nothing, to this day still has nothing but the clothes on her back and a cigar at hand. Nevertheless she is the happiest one there, nobody knows why but everyone can see it. The hot sun beats down on to the sweaty backs of grumpy tourists rushing by until they see her and stop to take a second looked. Her hair is the texture of dry hay, covered by a ratty old hat. Her white skirt is brown and grimy like the ground she sits on. When you first see her you’re a little frightened, until you realize her beauty matches this aging city.  

6:00am

     6:00am wake up call on a Saturday morning. Stepping onto the green, flawlessly cut soccer pitch, the early morning duo is still clinging to the grass. That is where you’ll find Gillian Kenney. Rain clouds are rolling in but that doesn’t even slow her down. The only thing in her mind is defending the net, team mates and that is how she likes it.
      Friends and family play a very significant roll in her life, sometimes you can’t tell from her shy and reserved personality but they all know it. At least 5 feet and 4 inches tall, she is a squished, exact copy of her grandma. Many would say Gillian's grandma is her idol for good reason too. She hopes one day to be able to have a lovely family and big house just as just like her.
     Always trying to exceed at school but never having time for homework because all she craves to do is run. If she didn’t get tired that’s what she would do her entire life. Music booming in her ear’s, along with the crisp outdoors allowing her to clear her mind from all the over flowing thought and gloomy energy.