December 31

Literary Exploration: Ability to face hardship is an essential human quality

Most people, when they come upon a hardship, become hesitant to face it therefore, leading to a persona which lacks an essential human quality that would have been originally gained by facing the hardship. However, when it comes upon realization that when one travels through the journey of that hardship, the main reason for such a occurrence is to help gather a quality which not only strengthens the personality of a person but also strengthens the human nature of that person. Once the person takes this idea into account, they are finally aware of the importance for the ability to face a hardship as in the end it is this hardship that leads one to gain a essential human quality that builds upon their persona. In The Glass Castle, author Jeannette Walls, explores this idea of when a person comes upon a situation that seems to be difficult, it is usually these situations that provide the person with their most strength; an essential human quality. this is explored through the character’s of Jeannette herself as well as her father, rex as they go through life facing many hardships while enabling themselves to conquer it. Most of the qualities that a human possesses is through them facing a hardship and as the novels continues, Jeannette is seen as a person who goes through many difficult times but comes out of them with strength. When an individual comes upon a situation where it deems itself to be very difficult, the individual is forced to believe that it is impossible to overcome it, however; once they realize that they have no other option but to face the difficult circumstance, they become enable to conquer the hardship and as a result gaining a essential human quality which in return will help them. Through this, one is able to pursue new interests, face their fears, and gain new skills.

Initially when a naïve and a inexperienced person comes upon a situation that is essentially new to them, they become fascinated creating a new curiosity that leads them to discover new ideas therefore, opening up a new circumstance that may be dangerous and harmful. once overcoming such a situation, their fascination only deepens resulting in a new pursuit of new interests. Jeannette demonstrates this idea through the character Jeannette when is cooking hotdog and caches on fire. Though she recovers, in a way that is deemed unnecessary by her parents, she becomes fascinated by fire and gains a new interest with it. This evidence shows the reader that when Jeannette, being an inexperienced young girl at the time, cam upon the situation of cooking with fire, she was fascinated at the very start. This lead to her not paying attention to her priorities and therefore, catching on fire. The fire was her fear at first, as at that time she was scared as she caught on fire, but when she recovered, that fear became her fascination. She was entranced by the fire. She overcame the hardship of being burnt, and turned that fear into a interest in which Jeannette never gave up her attention towards it. The fact that, after recovery Jeannette played with fire as if it were a new hobbies, proves the fact that when she had the ability to face the hardship of being burnt, allowed her to gain the essential human quality of new fascinations and interests. This indicates to the reader, that when an individual comes face to face with a hardship in which they have never experienced before, they may turn the fear into a fascination if the situation arises to be dangerous. Especially when an individual is inexperienced and has not been able to undergo what the world is offering them, it is prominent for them to be led into a situation that may be dangerous. It is from this point on, in which they decide to choose fear or bravery, therefore leading to a new developed persona. When they conquer the difficult hardship, they are allowing themselves to be open to new ideas, new inputs, and new perspectives leading to new interests.

Then, when an individual faces a circumstance where they must face their fear, it is possible that they do not want to face it, however; when they conquer the fear, they gain a new essential human quality that strengthens their personality. Jeannette demonstrates this idea through the character Jeannette when she becomes afraid of the demon under her bed, but then scares it away with the help of her dad. This evidence shows that when the demon became her hardship, she was afraid to face her fear at all. However, with the help of her father, she was able to overcome that fear. Her ability to face the hardship then led to her to gain an essential human quality of bravery as well as the ability to face her future hardships. the demon, also being a symbol of all the hardships that she later on faces, shows the reader that as Jeannette overcame her fear that day, she overcame her fear for the many hardships that she later on faces. This is an indication to the reader that when an individual is able to face their fear, the outcome will most likely result in the individual gaining a new quality of bravery, and confidence. It is a natural instinct of a human to back away from their fears, however; when the ability of facing the fear come to play, the quality of bravery and confidence starts to show; a quality that may have never been showed before. This then becomes a new essential quality that tends to stay with the individual throughout the many other hardships that they may face.

Finally, when an individual goes through a experience in which they have never gone through before or do not have the knowledge to go through the situation, they usually learn new skills that help them in that situation. This then becomes their new essential quality; a newfound skill. This is demonstrated throughout the novel when rex teaches Jeannette to swim. Jeannette is thrown into the pool constantly, failing each time to swim as it is something that she does not know how to do. This evidence demonstrates to the reader that Jeannette was constantly thrown into a situation that was entirely a hardship for her. Realizing that learning to swim would have to be achieved entirely on her own, she overcame her hardship by going against the current instead of letting the current control Jeannette. By conquering the water and learning how to swim, she was able to face her hardship and gained a new skill. A new essential human quality: swimming. This demonstrates to the reader that when an individual faces a hardship that is completely new to them, they may have difficulty overcoming the hardship. This then will lead to the individual realizing that the only way to overcome the situation is to face it. Once the overcoming is final, the individual comes to an awareness that not only have they overcome the situation and the hardship but they have also gained a new skill and an essential human quality.

New pursuits of new interests, overcoming of fears, and the capability to learn new skills are some of the many results that occur when an individual comes face to face with a situation that may be overbearingly difficult in which is proven to be strenuous to overcome. The ability to overcome this hardship dos not only show the determination and strength used, but also results in the many essential human qualities that come out of the conquering of hardships. This is seen all throughout the novel, The Glass Castle, as Jeannette goes through life enduring many hardships, however; overcoming them through her strength of bravery, acquiring many other human qualities. Most people refrain from trying to successfully overcome a hardship as it the human nature to back away when they are in fear. However, it is significantly essential to face the hardship, as in the end, it only strengthens the individual as well as their persona.

Category: Neha, Sept 2017 | LEAVE A COMMENT
December 31

Remember How We Forgot

Remember how we forgot?
How we never actually played by the rules we were taught
Because each thought came from our minds and our imaginations were running wild, and our dreams included becoming princesses, rock stars, dinosaurs, and garbage men.
And nobody told us we couldn’t because after all, we were just “silly kids”?
Remember how the worst fights were over who broke the brightest crayon and who got the last bite but everyone was still friends
Because, that was before we were taught that all good things must end?
Remember when love filled our hearts, instead of draining them,
So we never dared bet against Annie because we were absolutely sure that the Sun would come out tomorrow,
For everyone?

Then we reached high school,
Then we “grew up”,
Remember how we forgot?
We started going by all the rules against which we fought.
And our thoughts became as standardized as the tests we took.
We gave up hope on becoming princesses when society told us there were no happy endings.
The stars in our eyes dimmed when musicians were replaced by a computer with a pretty face.
We forgot about T-rex when our creativity was thrown out by the “5 paragraph essay.”
So we assumed the role of garbage man and took out the “trash”
With every FCAT, SAT, ACT, ABC test they could think of
To measure our aptitude, to measure our achievement.
Then society preached individuality and originality
When the reality is that it was driven out of us
The same way the innocence was driven out of us when the fights turned into wars,
When arguments couldn’t be solved with a simple, “I’m sorry,”
When we lost friends over race, greed, and mistakes.
And hearts began breaking more often than beating because that’s when we stopped believing in the sureness of the Sun.

But I think society does that on purpose—
Tries to create formulas for every aspect of our lives.
I think they do that to separate us from the imitators,
The contenders from the pretenders,
The motivated and passionate from the ones who gave up and gave in because if there is one thing I have learned, it is that without passion, you have nothing.
Every single obstacle we have overcome was deliberately set in our path to test us.
We are those who looked, laughed, and rose to the challenge.
We did what we needed to do and more by staying true to ourselves and to our dreams.
We worked hard and made it.

We’re here.
Our dreams may have shifted, but our fire is lit.
So no matter what we become;
Doctors, teachers, CEOs, or beach bums,
I implore you to be an inspiration to all and to never again forget how all of our paths have crossed,
How we’ve shaped and inspired each other in these pivotal years of our lives.
Never again forget the friends we’ve made,
The memories we’ve created,
The causes for which we’ve fought.
Never again forget the simplicity and unpredictability of this phenomenon we call life.

Rather, take these ideas and these beliefs
And transform them into a life of passion, a life of purpose and pass it on.
Build your legacy out of what you have done and what you are doing for others, not yourself, because one day, you won’t be here anymore and
One day, people may forget you.
But I promise you that if you lead a life of selflessness, of inspiration, of passion,
Then your fire won’t be quieted with your breath and it will be remembered.
It will take more than one person to change this world, to undo what we’ve done,
But I know for a fact that it only takes one to inspire, to motivate, and to believe that a change will come and that is a contagious idea.
So catch this fever and together as one
We’ll spread it like a wildfire never to be extinguished.
And even when we are, somebody somewhere will know that it was us who started the fire.

Shane Koyczan

 

“I implore you to be an inspiration to all and to never again forget how all of our paths have crossed,
How we’ve shaped and inspired each other in these pivotal years of our lives.
Never again forget the friends we’ve made,
The memories we’ve created,
The causes for which we’ve fought.
Never again forget the simplicity and unpredictability of this phenomenon we call life.”

As everyone is growing up- my friends, peers, cousins, siblings, anyone; one tends to forgot how we become who we are. Because of the people surrounding us. We are inspired and are let down by the people around us, who motivate or discourage you, whatever it may be, they have affected you.

In high school, individuals surrounding one are on the same journey as you- but ending up differently. A doctor, engineer, nurse, social worker, psychologist- will see them all. From my perspective, we all have helped each other rise and succeed which is evident in the smallest actions. Not only academically, but otherwise, at school dances, graduation, birthday parties we all have experienced the ‘new’ together. Embrace what talents and skills one another have.

This relates to my personal life as well, with who I grew up with, the support system I had throughout my childhood and adolescence. Family. My parents. Siblings. Cousins. These are the people who shaped my opinions, dreams, aspirations. I tend to forget that my path has and still crosses with these people. Most of them are still an important influence and part of my life- which I forget about. My parents- who brought me into this world where I have anything, am protected, safe, have a full table of food for me available whenever, wherever. The sacrifices they have made- I forget about- to make my dreams possible.

~Not to forget about those who inspired you to become who you have become or want to be in the future. “How we shaped and inspired each other in these pivotal years of our lives.”

Category: Sapna, Sept 2017, Uncategorized | LEAVE A COMMENT
December 31

To Have a Dress Code or Not?

Thank you Prosper High School Administration for considering my proposal, whether to adopt a school dress code or not. My name is Quinn Whitley and I am a grade 12 student at Prosper High School. I was invited to share my concerns and perspective on the possible dress code at the high school. I am aware that there is a concern about how students dress can allegedly affect  grades and the overall environment of the school. But I am here to discuss  that the administration should reject the proposal of adopting a school dress code and support the opponents who believe this dress code would restrict the rights of students and parents. There would limit the recreational opportunities and less student participation in the community, and a loss of self identity and expression. Lastly, students of Prosper High School are losing the ability to understand the constant changes in perspectives of dress and fashion over time.

First off, teenagers need to be given opportunities to participate in the local community such as the upcoming event ‘Beach Bash’, sponsored by the student union. This is an excellent way for students to engage in something in their amusement rather than their video games and cellphones, which most parents do reject. Students like to dress in ways that express who they are. Clothing is another way for students to express themselves and many students in the school believe clothing is a way for them to be themselves. Local community activities and events allow students to bond and express themselves in society. But with this dress code, students would not be allowed to wear the appropriate attire for this activity due to the dress code.

Students believe that they have the opportunity and freedom to express themselves by wearing the latest fashion and clothes. I was always told by the elders in my family that fashion and perspectives are changing over time. We should have the freedom to wear whatever we desire and not be confronted with adversity of what clothing is acceptable by the school board and what is not because it is not justified to confront individuals with what is appropriate attire to wear at school. Students should be exploring who they are while they grow up and should be able to keep up with the latest fashion if desired.

Thank you for your time and consideration for my perspective on the following concern about adopting a school code at the Prosper High School. Adopting a school dress code will restrict the freedoms and rights of students and parents; freedom of expression and the right to dress according to their own choice. Hopefully, you take consideration to reject the proposal of adopting a dress code due to students needs and wants.

 

Category: Sapna | LEAVE A COMMENT
December 31

Influence of Others

The Influence of Others

 

In an individual’s life, one is faced with situations in which other people’s values and opinions influence them. The excerpt, ‘Beat the Odds’, National Football League player, Michael Oher, demonstrates a man who realizes the impact of an individual throughout his childhood. Sometimes, individuals need the idea of motivation, acceptance, viewpoint, and advice from others to push them to pursue their aspirations or the idea of determination for themselves. It is the action of others to drive them. In the film, ‘A River Runs through It’ directed by Robert Redford, we become familiar with Norman Maclean, who is a man struggling to ideally please his father with the decisions he has made throughout his life. The idea of receiving acceptance from others to fulfill your satisfaction, impacts your decisions negatively and positively.

Throughout your life, there is always an individual you are either trying to please, get approval of, or just someone who just motivates you. Since middle school, I have always appreciated my grade eight teacher. That year, I had just moved schools and I was known as the ‘new kid’. The whole class was very kind and welcoming. I fit in right away. But when I first met her, first period, math class, I say she was the most welcoming. The very first things she ever said to me was “Please do not worry about what others have to say in this class, if you are ever struggling or not, do not be ashamed.” She was very laid- back. You can get that vibe when you first meet her. I really did not get what she meant by that at first, but throughout the school year I started to realize. She used to make few mistakes while teaching us a math lesson or while trying to explain what the cytoplasm, whatever it is, obviously, quite of few individuals used to judge her for that. All she was say is “Don’t worry guys, I am only human.” From those words, I knew she did not let other people influence her, whether it be a mistake or a decision, she always pursued whatever she wanted to be in life. Now, I am an active student, instead of a quiet one, doing whatever I can to pursue my dreams after high school by not letting other individuals to impact those aspirations. She allowed me to realize that with her own values and opinions.

‘Beat the Odds’ is an excerpt about a man who pursue his dream of becoming an athlete through the influence of his grade four teacher. Michael Oher, who is now a National Football player found himself fond of sports throughout his childhood. As Michael was growing up, he became aware of how Ms. Logan became such a big part of his life, how much her encouragement and her words influenced him as he grew up. Ms. Logan made Micheal realize his love for sports and his ability to play by valuing his ability to play during recess or gym, by letting him know what he could achieve in the future. As he is now a grown man with a astonishing career, Michael still reminisces that encouragement and determination he received from her helped shape him as an individual.

In the film, A River Runs Through It , we are introduced to Norman Maclean, who is influenced throughout his life by his father, Reverend Maclean, the church minister. While growing up, Norman always valued of pleasing and receiving approval from his father. This is evident when Norman and his younger Paul, discuss what they what to be when they grow up, right away Norman replies with ‘minister’. This demonstrates that Norman assumed that he needs to become whatever his father approves and values, religion and church. As Norman gets older, he goes to college and receives a degree in education, which is approved by his father, but has the desire of working in the forestry business. As evident in the film, he compromises his dream, and applies for teaching positions. This resulted with an individual being impacted long-term due to the value and influence of another individual, the encouragement and inspiration which developed to impact the future of the individual.

Any individual can influence one to do anything, from encouraging them to play ball at recess to what career is acceptable, whatever it may be. The action of others to recognize the talents, abilities, qualifications we may have, drive us to become and shape into the specific individual that they influence us to be.

Category: Sapna, Sept 2017 | LEAVE A COMMENT
December 30

Persuasive Writting

ELA 30-2

Ms. Hunnisett

Simran Sidhu

December 30, 2017

 

      

      Thank you Prosper High School administration for allowing me the chance to discuss whether or not students will benefit from the ‘zero tolerance policy’. My name is Kelly Smith, a grade 12 student at Prosper High School. I am aware that administration, along with many students and teachers are concerned about the policy on harassment and violent behaviour at our school. After considering the both the advantages and disadvantages of this proposal, I strongly believe accepting this proposal of not tolerating behaviour that constitutes discrimination or harassment, would be beneficial to the school community.

 

      Along with enforcing this policy, students will be held accountable for their words and actions. The consequences for not following this policy of suspension and expulsion are severe enough for students to think twice before insulting another classmate. By enforcing this rule, students will build a community with their peers, allowing students to focus on school material without having the fear of judgement.

 

       School absences will decrease as more students will feel confident of who they are making the school community diversity by representing themselves in a way that reflect their personal morals and values. Learning in a safe environment will enhance academic scores where students will be able to work with one another without focusing on how to target an individual. It will also help teachers learn more about their students to help them in areas they are struggling in.

 

      There will be resources in the school for those who need help implementing strategies aimed at discouraging discrimination, harassment, violence and intimidation. Along with an opportunity to offer an explanation for misbehaviour and to be informed of the consequences. This policy will made it loud and clear of what is expected at this school. Students that feel unsafe or are victims of bullying, will transfer over to our school because of the loving school community this policy will help make.

 

As a collective we can bring the change we want to see in the world. Together we can empower the youth to be loving with one another and develop a sense of unity among our peers.

 

      Thank you for allowing me to give an input on this issue I trust the Prosper High School to make a decision that will benefit the school community.

 

      Sincerely, Kelly Smith

 

Category: Sept 2017, Simran | LEAVE A COMMENT
December 29

I am a Sunflower

     

Image result for time the sun and her flowers

 

 

From the book ‘The Sun and her Flowers’ by Rupi Kaur

       The well-known writer, Rupi Kaur, published her book, ‘the sun and her flowers’ again, spreading awareness of how self-love and the importance of investing time in ourselves for human growth and development. For Rupi, writing is a way where she can take a moment to listen to her soul and voice and respond in a kindly way, assuring her that it is not only her who may, at some point, feel a kind of way. Through her adolescence experiences, she was able to inspire people including myself to find our voice. Her words have touched many young individuals who are left feeling isolated from the world due to their misunderstanding of how to cope with reality.

 

       This poem depicts a strong representation of how life will go on no matter what is going on around you, even if all you want at that moment is for life to pause and be alone to thoroughly understand what has happened and how to react to it. We shouldn’t limit ourselves to how much we can endure, in fear of not making it to the end; because as life pushes us we become stronger and if you are able to push yourself- you will survive. At the end, things might work out for us and even if they don’t- through the hustle of trying to get a grip of ourselves, life will give us a new perspective on the way we think about a particular experience. Once we overcome uncomfortable experiences we come back stronger than ever with more knowledge and strength integrated into us. After an individual is struck by reality, self abandonment is the key to heal and grow resulting in an individual to realize that they will never reach their fullest potential; their potential will keep on evolving.

 

       Young flowerheads are most likely facing the sun, when they bloom, they face east. I like to think of myself as a young sunflower. I haven’t completely lost my innocence that I always had as a young child but I do believe that some of my innocence has been replaced with fear. Fear of being alone, left behind, not cared for and most importantly denial. I know a lot of people including myself who don’t take denial well. Denial as in feeling like i’m not enough and I have qualities that I lack. That is what I am scared of, giving my all to people who can replace me without any hesitation. Because the people that allow you to be so happy are the same people who are preparing to take something from you. I am scared of giving it my all, seeing the potential of who they can be and sticking by them through better or worse even if that means putting myself out their and unknowingly giving them the permission to take my love and my spirit for granted.

 

       And once you realize that, why is that not a good enough reason to leave them? Why does it feel like everything you have ever believed in is not true? How do you differentiate between real and fake. Why did this happen so soon? What happened all of a sudden?

What signs did I not recognize? What qualities do I lack?

 

       How come I couldn’t make you happy? What don’t I have that she has?

 

       And at that moment I convinced myself that each and everything in my world was you, nothing else mattered.

 

       I was wrong for that- wrong for believing that everything that happened between us was because of me. I don’t compare myself with her anymore because one year of isolation, one year of forcing myself to get up each morning- struggling to keep breathing was hard and I believe after a couple months I had adjusted to that lifestyle with no hope in myself to get back on my feet and see anything worth of my existence.

       But I kept pushing myself no matter how badly I wanted life to pause so I wouldn’t have to feel alone in my thoughts or how badly I wanted time to stop so I can thoroughly understand my feelings in order to overcome them.

 

       And I am thankful for not settling with that kind of mindset because I have learnt so much about love, support and what it really means when people say that you will get through rough moments. I am thankful that there was no pause in my life because of you. Having life go on forced me, whether or not I liked it, to keep pushing. And with patience and time I realized my worth and began learning that there is a reason behind everything and that even though peoples reasoning may hurt us, we must not limit ourselves. Most importantly, I realized that along with me, there are similar people in the world who don’t have the love they need, making them act in a way that may hurt others around them. And with time I realized that, that is okay. I allowed time to guide me through the process of forgiveness.

 

       You did not hurt me because I let you take me for granted. You hurt me because it was you who didn’t know how to love. And maybe you’ve never experienced something so real, which made you so afraid of commitment. So I hope one day you do love something with so much passion because even if it doesn’t work out in the end, you will experience the gift of wanting more for someone than they want for themselves. Being loved comes and goes in life but having the first hand experience of loving is only for the few of us.

 

       We don’t have the slightest clue of how strong we are and what we are capable of. We will get through life without reaching our fullest potential because there’s no limit to our greatness. And that is why we should never limit ourselves to the amount of happiness, sadness, love or hate we can endure. When we are left with the only option of remaining strong, we fight and maybe we never really stop fighting in our lifetime but there is beauty in our fight.

       Because our comeback from hitting rock bottom outweighs the negative influence.

      And I believe that even a small amount of happiness can outweigh any amount of sadness because the only thing that can save us, when we can’t save ourselves, is love.

 

       I don’t stop here. I will bloom and even when it is dark outside I will continue to find the sunlight.

 

Category: Sept 2017, Simran | LEAVE A COMMENT
December 19

Still I Rise by Maya Angelou – I Forgive You by Suhaani Jain

Still I Rise

by Maya Angelou

You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I’ll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
‘Cause I walk like I’ve got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I’ll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops.
Weakened by my soulful cries.

Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don’t you take it awful hard
‘Cause I laugh like I’ve got gold mines
Diggin’ in my own backyard.

You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I’ll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I’ve got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history’s shame
I rise
Up from a past that’s rooted in pain
I rise
I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.

Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.

 

I Forgive You

by Suhaani Jain

Do you remember how I was hurt with your words?

Do you remember how it made me feel?

Do you remember how I told you to STOP?

Do you still hear my screams and shrieks at night?

Because I can still hear your words…

Echoing in my ears…

every day,

every minute,

every second…  

of my life.

 

Does it bother you I learned from my mistakes?

Does it bother you I finally accepted who I am?

Does it bother you I stopped seeking your approval?

Because I just don’t care anymore.

Does it bother you that I am not one of your puppets anymore?

Does it bother you I stopped letting you drag my soul down?

Does it bother you I stopped crying myself to sleep?

Because I now sleep in peace.

 

Does it bother you that I am more capable than ever?

Does it bother you that I stopped caring about and listening to your words?

Does it bother you that I am confident?

Does it bother you that I let go of things that weighed me down?

Because I did and I couldn’t be more happier.

 

Does it bother you that I MOVED ON?

Because I realized you

weren’t worth

My pain,

My tears,

And my life

has never been better.

 

 

Reason Why…

It’s like

Gripping

On to shards of glass,

Believing it would numb the pain.

But I realize it cuts deeper than the surface.

Ripping open the capillaries

With no hesitation,

Severing the nerves

Without a second thought.

By the time I realized

it did more harm than good,

It was too late.

The damage had been done.

The work of the monster/enemy

Is now

irreversible.

For the longest time, I thought this friendship was worth the pain and suffering. I gave it many chances, hoping each day, the next would be better, and hoping each day it would be worth my while. I stood by you when the whole world was against you. I supported you at your absolute worst. I was there when you needed a shoulder to cry on. I was there when your so called “friends” betrayed you. I always believed in you, and I went out of my way to protect you and stand up for you. I disregarded the hell you put me through because I saw that you needed a friend. I went against everyone who loved and cared for me. I went against those who wanted the best for me and those who told me to stay away from you, they said you would cause nothing me but pain and despair. That you would fill my life with nothing but darkness. I stood up against EVERYONE for you. I myself was broken, yet I pulled myself back up so I could be there for you. You used me, lied to me, took advantage of me and my friendship. Every single time, I gave you a chance, I wanted you to prove to me that I was right about you. I wanted you to prove to me that you weren’t what others were saying you are. Instead, all you ended up doing was proving them right, each and every single thing they said about you was true. You proved me wrong. You pushed me down repeatedly, but, then you picked me back up, only to push me back down again. You made me feel absolutely worthless. Even after all this when you were in my position, I took you under my cocoon and protected you. You repeatedly broke me and my trust. Yet, I forgive you, for the times you used me, for the times you made me live in self-loath, for all those times you disrespected me and this friendship. And I forgive you because I don’t want to remember you in anyway. I don’t want any part of you in my life. Moving forward I want to be able to remember those moments in my life that I cherish and am proud of and none of those moments involve you. None.

 

Category: Sept 2017, Suhaani | LEAVE A COMMENT
December 15

Writer’s Seminar- Maya Angelou

Still I Rise by Maya Angelou

You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I’ll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
‘Cause I walk like I’ve got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I’ll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops.
Weakened by my soulful cries.

Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don’t you take it awful hard
‘Cause I laugh like I’ve got gold mines
Diggin’ in my own back yard.

You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I’ll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I’ve got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history’s shame
I rise
Up from a past that’s rooted in pain
I rise
I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.


Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.

My Emulation

You may bring me down

Try to hurt and torture my soul

You may bring me to the ground

But like the wind I will carry through.

 

Does my happiness upset you?

Why are you so selfish?

Cause I am strong and independent

I have the capability to do anything I desire.

 

Just like gravity in space

With everything trying to pull me down,

Just like the momentum to keep going

I will carry through.

 

Do you want to see me hurt?

Give up on everything I have worked for?

My body falling to the ground.

Weakened by the terror of the future.

 

Does my happiness upset you?

Don’t try to bring me down.

Cause I am strong like I’ve got superpowers.

Flying through the struggles of life.

 

You may hurt me with your words,

You may try to crush me,

You may try to torture me,

But still, like the wind I will carry through.

Does my confidence upset you?

Does it come as a surprise?

That I have the capability to do anything I put my heart to.

At the moment that is right?

Out of the struggles of life,

I carry through

Up from a past that is buried in cries

I carry through

I’m a blue ocean, flowing and changing.

Capable to bear the effects of the tide.

 

Leaving behind all of the bad memories

I carry through

Into a world that I can call mine

I carry through

Putting the past behind me

I am the one who represents the future.

I carry through.

I carry through.

I carry through.

This poem has been emulated from “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou. Maya was known to be an amazing writer who inspired others to gain confidence and stand up for themselves.

The following poem is based on my past experiences with bullying, switching schools, and moving to Canada. This poem let me put my thoughts on paper of how hard the struggle was and how I accomplished to carry through. This particular emulation was to tell of the people that have caused hardships in my life that I have the power to do anything and I am strong and I can carry through any situation you put in front of me.

 

 

 

Category: Muskaan, Sept 2017 | 2 Comments on Writer’s Seminar- Maya Angelou