Today is a Good Day

sunshine radiates through window panes.
my shoulders feel the warmth.

the sun is a good friend of mine.

the room is cheery and bright,
in appearance as well as presence.

i love it when everyone's having a good day.

although we're losing a friend,
she'll be back in awhile.

she's not a marrow.

so today, stories are shared.

today...

well, today is a good day.

happy friday! :)

from Special Guest: Colby Zerbe!!

Darkness, stillness, loneliness,

All alone, I wrestle with myself,

I struggle in vain for unattainable respite from my sorrow.

A beam, a glimmer, a hope,

A smile from a stranger, a word from a friend,

At the end of a tunnel, so far away it seems only a dream.

Dreams, Goals, Images,

If dream can be destination, then I'm in pursuit,

So long it has been since I've had a purpose.

A break, a comfort, a solace,

It's funny how a touch, an embrace,

Can communicate so much more than words.

Love, happiness, sunlight,

Finally the warm sunlight dances across my face,

Finally I have found love.

ATTN: Those Who Dream.

"They will see us waving from such great heights, 

'Come down now', they'll say

But everything looks perfect from far away,

'Come down now', but we'll stay..."

- Such Great Heights by The Postal Service

People may tell you...

"Don't you dare dream too big.

You'll fail.

You'll get hurt.

Don't you dare take the long way out.

Take the easy way.

It's safer; predictable.

Don't you dare think that you can change anything.

The world has made up it's mind.

All your work will be wasted on people who simply don't care.

Here, let me think this through for you.

Let me make this decision for you.

I know what's best.

I know what's safe."

Let me you in on a little secret... Ready? Here it is:

DON'T LISTEN TO THEM!

Dare to dream big.

Yes, you will fail...

But failing will only show you what doesn't work to reach your dream.

Failing equals a new opportunity to find out what works.

Reaching one of those dreams that seems unreachable won't come without stumbling blocks.

Don't take the easy way out.

That is settling for average.

That is settling for safety.

Strive for greatness.

No, you will never change the world.

However, you can change someone's world.

Helping one person, on one day, for one minute...

That's making a life better.

Don't let others think for you.

Be courageous enough to search, find, and grow for yourself.

That's the stuff dreams are made of...

Dare to Imagine. Dare to Create. Dare to Explore. Dare to Dream.

Spit

Palms sweaty, eyes strained.

We're focused, we're determined.

The pressure is on, pressure to be the best.

I have to beat Seth.

Cards are turned over.

My hands like minnows,

moving faster than the eye,

the 1st round is mine.

It's the calm before the storm,

the cool easy water tugging at you,

sucking you in to a fury,

Seth plays me a fool.

Seth's palm crashes down,

a shock wave, ripping through the sand,

crushing my castle of dreams,

Seth wins the 2nd round

I was caught in a whirlpool.

A whirlpool of emotion spawning

from thirst, thirst of winning,

winning against Him, beating Seth.

An eternal battle of good and evil.

Poseidon vs. man made ships.

Of course the gods win in the end.

Of course I thought I was different.

It's a rip tide. I can't fight it.

My determination drowns me.

I sink down to the dark eerie waters.

Seth wins.

What's your weekly?

Hey, you guys!!!!!!

Click here to indicate which piece of writing you wish to submit for this week's eval. I'll give you time now to marvel at the organization.

Ode to a first impression

Why oh why

God why

do I always present myself

in a way in which anyone

meeting me has no other choice

but

to conclude that I am

1. a stark raving lunatic

2. a charismatic healer of some kind

or

3. an idiot

just once---

just one time before I die

could I just appear as I am meant

to appear

appear as I really am

as I truly wish to be perceived

as I should be perceived . . .

just one time

but

maybe if you get to know me better

Ode to not caring about the class

Hey, I do care about the class

I'd bring my best game but

I left it in the back pockets of the jeans I wore to the game Friday

now that was good game

I'd drink long and deep from the fountain of knowledge

but my mom said too much caffeine will

stunt my growth and I'm really hoping to be a supermodel

or at least a paid spokesperson

Gotta get my 15 minutes

and if it means I can't study for the test then

I guess I'll just deal with it later right now

I have to update my facebook page

I'd think about that now but

I think I'm getting a text message and

this one might be important

All that thinking about thinking anyway

What do I need all that for?

But I care and why'd you take off those points?

Salesman's Lullaby

I thought it was a rug.

I thought it was a fluffy pillow.

Then I thought it was a fluffy pillow with dripping wet fangs

and a jaw like a bear trap.

It might've been a crocodile, a crocodile with kangaroo legs.

That thought came when it sprung up with the speed of a missile

and those ghastly incisors latched onto my arm.

All to sell 10 bucks worth of clementines.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2009

Greetings Creative Writing students, one and all!

On this, the day I learned that William Shatner, one of my personal heroes, has been immortalized and enshrined in wax at Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum---as Captain Kirk [photo left from http://www.exploreli.com/topics/Hollywood]---need I say more?----I am officially posting to the blogs [because the wiki refuses to hold up its end of the bargain and actually function as a space] my ideas about class requirements. And here they are:

But first, allow me to add this!

I'm thinking that a good way to fulfill our requirements that I, as your teacher, actually make assignments and grade your work might be to do the following:

Genre Selection: Your call, mostly.

Number of written pieces: 1 per week for a weekly "did I create anything?" score

[necessary for edline update purposes]. These pieces will

be posted to the blog or submitted using googledocs to the wiki or just left

on googledocs for that matter.

Formal graded pieces: 1 every 4 weeks for a "big" grade. You select your best piece. Submit it with a "defense for submission"---what makes this your best piece?

Evaluation of Formal piece: Self, Peer, Teacher

Rubrics: To be created collaboratively by all of us in our next discussion post. [If the wiki ever works.]

The Big Thing: Individual Writing Portfolio, the contents and presentation medium of which we will discuss later.

So----tell me what you think. Use this discussion board [but you can't because the wiki remains recalcitrant---just use comments] to input your ideas on requirements, grading, portfolio format.