Untitled-Liesl

Death be unto he
who keepeth his neutrality
in times of mortal crisis.
For in choosing no side
he hath abandoned those
who needeth his assistance
and doomed the
to the loosing hand
of Fate.

Spring- Liesl

Spring is a time for rebirth, renewal, rejoicing, when

Plants peek up above into the air smelling sweetly of bark mulch, and
Robins sing and flit around, dancing a merry spring waltz, while
Ice blue skies accented with wisps of clouds
Greet me as I step outside

The Gray Area- Liesl

The Gray Area

 

In March of 1776, Patrick Henry, a colonial gentleman gave his famous “Give me Liberty or Give me Death!” speech to a group of colonists gathered in the St. John’s Church in Richmond, in which he proclaimed that he would rather die than be oppressed by Britain for a day longer. He was, along with the rest of the 13 colonies, willing to die rather than live under Britain; a country was taking away their freedoms. They wanted the freedom to live without oppression, and the freedom to practice religion as they wished. They wanted the freedom that they had been promised when they moved to America.

America was founded on the promise of freedom and equal rights for all. The pilgrims in 1620 left their homeland in England because America was the supposed land of opportunity, where you could make a future for yourself and no one would tell you that you had to do this, or couldn’t do that. You were free. Free from England, free from the Church that was becoming more and more corrupt by the day.

Our society has evolved in a scarred, awful way. From the very beginning, there were problems. There were tense relationships with the local Indians when the pilgrims first arrived, and on and on and on throughout the centuries of American history there has been problem after problem about slavery, skin color, immigrant nationalities, and more. Suspicions against foreigners during wars. People against people because of who they were, because of the way that they lived their lives

And even 237 years after the foundation of the United States of America, the land of opportunity and freedom, with laws in place to protect one’s freedom, one’s rights, and one’s welfare, Americans are still not free. There are still laws that dictate what you can and can’t do, and the concept of freedom is still being debated. The definition of freedom is still one that is so entirely vague, that there is nothing that defines freedom in the Constitution.

Take the shooting in Newton, Connecticut. Almost instantly after the shooting, people were clamoring for gun laws and regulations for gun owners. They didn’t want anyone to be able to go up to a gun store and buy a gun, to use as they wish, even with a permit. They didn’t want another slaughtering like the one in the Sandy Hook Elementary School. They say that it is their right to be safe from people who own guns.

Then, when Congress responded with ideas for laws about guns, and regulations for their use, there are the people who do own guns that they have to please. They have permits, and their gun ownership is perfectly legal. They say that it is their right to own a gun. They say that they have the right to carry a gun.

So, where do the guarantees of freedom, the guarantees of a safe, and a free country intersect with what people want to be able to do? Where does it intersect with the people who want to be able own guns, or sell drugs? Where is the line of reason between what is best for the national safety, and people’s personal interpretation of freedom?

*I realize that this might be a little bit... controversial, but I wrote this for MLK day and I want feedback

April Fools-Elizabeth

Our darting, accusing eyes burn through each other. The usual goofy chatter has lowered to a quiet hum of whispers. Thoughts buzz through my head, flustering my mind. I cautiously select a pretzel and scan the classroom before quickly popping it in my mouth. We are careful to look down. Catching someone's eye could be deadly. The scampering sound of clogs echoes, louder, louder. Ms. Willow glides in without a word. In one steady motion she sits and points to the board. We flip to page 85 in our textbooks, unsure of what we are supposed to be doing. We sneak glances at each other, mentally asking questions. My hand shakes as I take a pencil from my binder. I can't take this pressure. I silently excuse myself to the back of the room and grab a paper cup and reach for the faucet handle. The water shoots out in a steady stream. My grey tee shirt darkens with the combination of liquid. My mouth gaped, I turn around. Ms. Willow covers her face, holding back her loud, jolly laugh. My lips twitch, forcing that strong urge to retreat. "APRIL FOOLS!" Ms. Willow manages. The class erupts. The atmosphere lightened considerably after that.

Switchin it up

Axolotls may be the strangest creatures you've never heard of. These little freaks of nature look like something out of Pokemon, having the body of a salamander but with a tail meant for swimming and what looks like plants growing out of its gills. The Axolotl would be just like any other salamander, but the larvae of Axolotls fail to go through metamorphosis, leaving mature ones still aquatic. They are typically found in the lakes and rivers of Mexico, but due to water pollution, these curiosities are near extinction. As if God or evolution couldn't make these creatures weird enough, Axolotls come with the strange ability to regenerate lost limbs. Overall, Axolotls are strange creatures that make them one of my favorite animals.

The Storm- Liesl

The tempest rolled in
great and terrible along the horizon
colossal spools of
unbroken, fickle
awfulness.

A majestic behemoth
with the power to exterminate
the ability to rip
to shred
to end.

It came on us with a

roaring
ripping fury.
Its tendrils of hate
shredding everything
it could get its hands on.

It came like a rushing river
came all of a sudden
then it was gone
leaving a wreck
then the atmosphere
lightened considerably.

 

April Fools! ~Phoebe

We all shuffle in 

exchanging looks from one another.

We sit in our usual seats

immediately opening our books

for some final studying.

The silence couldn't be any louder.

The door handle turns and we all shut our books 

and face the door with frightened looks.

She walks in with a stack of 14 papers.

In which each get passed out to each 

and every one of us.

The blank side stares at me.

Following directions, I don't flip over the paper

to begin yet.

Before flipping the paper, she reminds us of the date.

"Now everyone please flip over your papers!"

The crisp sound repeated several times, gasps, and laughters.

"APRIL FOOLS!" 

After that, the atmosphere lightened considerably.