Rain

Rain
By Shel Silverstein


I opened my eyes And looked up at the rain,
And it dripped in my head
And it flowed into my brain,
And all that I hear as I lie in my bed
Is the slishity-slosh of the rain in my head.


I step very softly,
I walk very slow,
I can't do a handstand-
I might overflow,
So pardon the wild crazy thing I just said-
I'm just not the same since there's rain in my head.

Reflection:

I enjoyed this poem because of its rhyme scheme and its symbolism. I love how the poem has perfect rhyme scheme that uses the same vowel sounds such as "rain, brain, head, bed." This makes the poem much easier to read and it creates a nice flowing effect that allows the words to roll off of your tongue. I also liked the overall theme of the poem that seemed to be an inner struggle that was making the speaker behave in unusual ways. I think it is clever how the theme is developed through symbolism. I interpreted the poet as using rain to symbolize an inner struggle within the speaker. This struggle is weighing the individual down and is not allowing him to do the things that he wants to do. Overall, I love how the whole poem was put together using rhyme scheme and symbolism to get the poems theme across to the audience.

Courage Is...

Courage Is…
By: The Strange Familiar

Take all my viscous words and turn them into something good
Take all my preconceptions and let the truth be understood
Take all my prized possessions and leave only what I need
Take all my pieces of doubt and let me be what's underneath

Courage is when you're afraid
but you keep on moving anyway
Courage is when you're in pain
but you keep on living anyway

We all have excuses why living in fear something in us dies
Like a bird with broken wings, it’s not how high he flies but the song he sings

Courage is when you're afraid
but you keep on moving anyway
Courage is when you're in pain
but you keep on living anyway
you keep on living anyway

It's not how many times you've been knocked down
It's how many times you get back up

Courage is when you've lost your way
but you found your strength anyway
Courage is when you're afraid
Courage is when it all seems grey
Courage is when you make a change
and you keep on living anyway

You keep on moving anyway
You keep on giving anyway
You keep on loving anyway

Remember

I remember,

That evening,
At the Ocean.
The cool wet sand
Beneath my toes.

The warm wind blowing
Through my hair.
The waves crashing
Upon the shore.

The seagulls hollering,
From up above.
The orange and red sun,
Descending,
Behind the water.

The twinkle of the first bright star
In the darkening sky.
The salty moist air, filling my lungs,
With each breath.

The seashell resting on the smooth sand,
Waiting to be carried away by the sinuous water.
The warmth of his hand
Embracing mine.

The silence of all things,
Except wholesome nature.
The perfect serenity,
Of that exact moment.

The sheer memory,
Is devine.

Path

Path

Her destination is unknown.
She is stretched
and travels afar,
alongside the river.

Her solid foundation rests upon
the soft soil that's underneath.
Those that walk with her are touched,
by the beauty that surrounds her.

She wants to go were her heart desires,
but with every turn she takes,
she is brought back to the river's edge
to lead people along the way.

She is not all smooth.
Her bumps and cracks show through
as the times when people walked all over her,
with little care.

The sun beats down upon her day after day-
breaking her down.
The rain and snow cover her like blanket,
and she slowly loses her strength.

Despite all that she has endured,
she remains a strong foundation.
Because she knows she holds the key
to the serenity, the hope, and the beauty,
people long to see in life.

I Am Me- Immitation

I Am Me
By Lanee Danforth

The instructor said,

Go home and imitate
this poem by Langston Hughes.
Make it all your own-
then it will be true.

How do I make this my own?
I am nothing special, just a girl.
I am seventeen, born in Grants Pass.
I went to school there, then Prineville, then here,
to Bend High, the best school there is.
I am among many other students like myself,
yet I feel alone in my confused and questioning mind.
I leave the school, get into my car, and drive,
over the railroad tracks and past the river to my house.
I get out, go inside, sit down, and write this page:

It is not easy to be sure of yourself
at seventeen, my age. But I guess I am what
I believe and see and feel. I believe in doubt.
Not knowing who, what, when, where, or why.
(I see and feel blurred images racing by too) Maybe-myself?

Well I know what I like,
but not who I am.
I like to play, laugh, learn, love, and live.
I like the beach, sunsets, clouds, and rain.
I do not know where my road may lead,
the chase for what is, is my drive for success.
Am I different from everyone else-
or am I just another face in the crowd?
I guess we are all the same in a sense,
each of us are struggling to find the truth.
The truth about ourselves, about what is and what is not.
We are all here believing, seeing, and feeling.
We are all human.
However, something sets us apart-
perhaps the same thing that draws us together.
I am not just a girl, or a face in the crowd-I am me.
I am unsure, undefined, and determined.
You say that others are the same- that we are all the same, but that we are not.
We are that of which we choose to believe, see, and feel.
I am unique, I am special, I am simply me.

This is what my own page turned out to be.

Welcome

Hey, this is Lanee! Welcome to my blog. I am 17 and now a senior. I play basketball and golf for Bend High. I like to play sports, hang out with friends, watch movies, go to the beach, camp, and just enjoy life! I am excited for creative writing and for my last year of high school. I am looking forward to making this the most fun and memorable year of my life!