I Believe

The blizard outside
Scare the childern inside
For fear of no santa this year.

But i hold them tight
All through the night
Reminding them to have no fear.

As i finish putting them all in bed
I ran to a noise sounding of someone that fled
And of course there was no one in sight.

But on the roof
I could hear the small hoof
Of impossible things that go into flight.

Tearing open the window
I threw up a small symbol
That represented a farwell and thanks.

He waved to me a small bye
As i leaned with a sign
For that round old man restored my faith.

I AM A......Plow?

Plow: an agricultural implement used for cutting, lifting, turning over, and partly pulverizing soil.

2.

any of various implements resembling or suggesting this, as a kind of plane for cutting grooves or a contrivance for clearing away snow from a road or track.

I am a Plow. I am a useful instrument on farmland. Helping to fertilize soil for the crops is my specialty. Without me there is not fertilized ground for the seeds to be planted on and then everyone starves. So you can say I’m pretty important. I also have cousins who push snow and other things out of the way. Yes sir we Plows sure are a proud instrument. Never cocky though.

I am a plow. A hard working push over who does what they are told to keep peace with everyone. I am an invisible person who no one ever really sees. I hide the real me behind the smile and the shy personality. That’s why I look away when someone tries to look at me. So they don’t see the truth in my eyes. I am the forgotten but never the lost. I am a plow. I am me.

Mind Enslavement

Slavery was apart of the building of the United States and though we have abolibished it does not mean it has disappeared. Like energy it has transfered from one type of slavery to another. Instead of big iron shackles on our legs, arms and neck they have placed it around our minds. When blacks were in slavery they were forbidden to be taught how to read and write so they can keep them as they saw them, as property. And today, instead of taking full advantage of the oppotunity that many slaves didn't have, we bring ourselves down by dropping out of school, getting poor grades, trying to chase an unreachable goal or living life to much in the fast lane and in the end it catches up with you. And this doesn't even just involve blacks. Teens period have not set a higher goal than to live life in the now and do what I want to do. But I think this has a lot to do with what we as teens take into our systems.

Music and pop culture has put such a thick chain around us that we don't even want to learn or at least just want to reap the benefits without doing the work that comes along with it. All tv and things of that nature shows us or we hear about is material possessions. We see the fast money, girls and cars and are brainwashed into thinking that rapping, being an athlete, actress, entertainer etc., is the only way to make it. And its not.

But to tie it all together. My point is because of the past we as a people have moved from one slavery to another. Whether it be in our culture, to the government, or even to people still, it is a state of mind that we have been set in to belittle us and keep us under control. To keep us so preoccupied by the things that aren't really important so that we can't see what's wrong with our "United" States. To keep us from asking the simple question....why?

One Nation, Under God

When did I realize I was American? Such an easy question...you would think. But when you really examine it. The question becomes alot more complex. I mean you have to really look at what an american is. When i hear the word american i think of handworking, independent and materialistic values. But as the years go on americans have become more and more materialistic and want to be successful but don't want the work that goes along with becoming successful.
So when the question was asked when did i realize I was American? It was hard to answer because nobody wants to be affiliated with negative things. But there is some light to the story. Since America is also very diverse, not only in ethnics and race but also in ideas and mind sets, thats when i anaylized the question again. I realized that I was an american when i had a dream to be who i wanted to be. And knew that here I had the resources to live that dream out. Americans are embracive, stubborn, open-minded, traditional people. We are so full of contradictions as a people, that its hard to classify us as a specific description. We are who we want to be, if we set our minds to it, sky is the limit.
We Are Americans.

He say, She say, But what did I Say?

    Arguements always either end in disaster or in solution but in the case of my story, the arguement resulted in tragedy. It resulted in the death of my stepfather. Many people would think i would be reluctant to telling this story. But i find it important to tell of how things can go for bad to worse in the exchange of words and bullets.
    It was February 17th 2008, and my sister got into an altercation with our stepbrother. My stepfather always favored him more so of course she got into more trouble than he did. My stepfather whooped my sister. HE WHOOPED HER. Can you believe it?! Neither could she. So she called my father out of anger. The thing about my father is. He's a cop and had a short fuse. Plus he really didn't like the guy. But thats not even the whole story.
    So my father decided to show up to the house and exchange a few words with my mother. Things seemed to be going ok. There were no voices being raised and the incident looked like it was dieing down. But my stepdad came back from dropping off his son and thats when things started to go bad. He walked up the street and they were talking, being civil, but you could cut the tension with a knife. My stepdad put his hands in his pockets and my dad got nervous. So did I. So my dad reached for his gun because you know he's a cop and thats what he's trained to do. Turns out my stepdad had his gun too. I knew things could only get worse. And they did. They took cover, my dad behind my grandmother's car, my stepdad behind a tree not that far from me. Of course i was crying hysterically wanting to just get in the car with my dad and leave but the problem escalated. My mom convinced my stepdad to put away his weappon as I failed to persuade my dad to put his away. But he was to into the whole thing to even know i existed. My stepdad could have just went in the house and not have said a word. But no. He had to threaten my dad. Who i can admit now was never the most sanist person i had ever met. And those 5 words my stepdad said, the words that changed all of our lives forever "I know where you lay", were the last words he ever said. The last threat he ever made.
    And I told this story to inform you of how even 5 simple words can change your life or can result in such a big way. Offense and pride played a big part in this too. If my dad would have just backed down and not have gottten offended from wat my stepdad said then the whole sistuation could have been better. And if my stepdad just didnt have to have the last word maybe he would still be alive. Who knows? Maybe if I would have called the police like my mother asked instead of standing in shock, that could have resulted in something different. But I guess some tragedies have to happen so people can learn from their mistakes. I've learned to watch what I say and who I say it to. What can you learn from my story?

Sinners in the Hands of Angry God

The puritans believed if you were a sinner then God is standing over you with a bow and arrow waiting for you to slip up so he can shoot you in the heart. Now i don't know what bible they were reading and studying but that is all a bunch of nonsense. The puritans were quite wacky when it came to religion. But when it came to structure and how they ran things, they were really successful. I mean sure 'work and play' was their motto but it worked. They had a very accomplished colony. Even though people broke away from the puritan colony because of its strict rules and rediculous teachings it still was on top of the game man lol.

There Goes The Neighborhood

As an african- american female I have gone through two types of clashes. Being a woman and being black.

Though society has come around (mostly), there are still some sexism and racism. And im sure they will never completely disappear. Because, I mean, when you actually think about it what would society really be like if no one hated someone else because they were different. Or maybe its not hate at all. Really looking back over our history, division was mostly set because one culture felt more superior or advanced to another and felt they could take over and colonize. The white man's burden also explains their thoughts on "uncivilized people".

Anyway. There hasn't always been a clash with women and having the same rights as men. The man was the head of the household, the hunter, the warrior, this was normal. In modern society though, women have taken on these roles and have worn them proudly. But these things were not given freely. Alot of people say change is good but nobody really wants change, especially when things are going their way already. Women have been battling to have the same rights and jobs as men so in the end there is nothing but head bumping between men and women. This is nothing new though. I feel as though men and women were designed to bumpheads. Either because we are so different or really the same.

Now the clashes of black and white have been going on for hundreds of years. But who really hasn't had problems with the europeans. No offense but they came over here to the "new world", became friendly with the natives and the natvies taught them how to use the land for their benefit. And instead of sharing the land they had to colonize it all (along with the spanish but that is a different story). Though we shouldn't be surprised because most people's motives aren't pure. But you would think that they would have been a little more hospitable to them. But then again who really cares when it comes to what you want, money, power and/or religion. Depending on how you view it.

Africans were taken from Their land and brought here as slaves. As time goes on, there is a grudge that has been held by blacks against whites from that day until today. Though that grudge has been let go by people who actually build relationships with whites, there is always that iffyness when a black family moves into a prodominately white neighborhood and vise versa. I believe its the whites that mostly have a problem with blacks moving into their neighborhood. I mean crime rates would have anyone rethink where they live. Even with our own people. Well time for sleep though nowadays its totally overated hahahaha. Au revoir!

Welcome, welcome, welcome.

I guess i can start off by saying hi. Im new to the whole blogger thing so lets start things off by me telling a little about myself. I was born and still are being raised in Chicago. Im a teenager at one of the most prestine high schools in the city...and state. Not really able to legally drive yet but Im not just starting out on the high school scene so that makes me lucky age 15.

Lets see. I have been writing short stories and poems since like the fourth grade. Been in love with writing ever since than and will always be. My mom and some teachers have even said I have a gift for writing. I don't know how true this is but I do know that I enjoy creating realms, worlds, and fictional experiences from things I see all around me. Sometimes I even use my own experiences in a exaggerated fashion to tell stories also.

I like learning and trying new things. Especially when they seem like a challenge but I know that if I conquer it, it will be something I say I can do. I hope to learn alot of new things this year. Literature and otherwise. Though the syllabus looks overwhelming I know that with determination, organization, and time mangaement i can get it accomplished.

Well thats a little bit of me. Don't want all my personal junk out on the internet. Never know where that will end up. But thats another topic. Until my next assignment, au revoir.