Together at Last

She was exposed to the elements as she closed the squeaking door behind her. Allie raised her face towards the moon which made it seemed as if everything else was dead. She looked at it for a long time- world to world- person to person- person to world. Even though it was a new year, a new season, she felt failed, like the sun or the stars. She knew what everyone said was true about how you never know when you’re in the right place at the right time. Was she? What was were purpose to still be here? At one point you realize if it’s true that everyone must fight alone. She thought about the million-dollar question for a while as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. For a minute everything else disappeared. She didn’t want to destroy his memories, she needed them- needed them like the sun needs the stars. The wind blew against her cool skin and for a moment it almost felt like they were together again.

Like a Candle in Wind

Like a Candle in The Wind

Elton John

 

 

And it seems to me you lived your life

Like a candle in the wind

Never fading with the sunset

When the rain set in

And your footsteps will always fall here

Along England's greenest hills

Your candles burned out long before

Your legend ever will

 

Goodbye England's rose

May you ever grow in our hearts

You were the grace that placed itself

Where lives were torn apart

Goodbye England's rose

From a country lost without your soul

Who'll miss the wings of your compassion

More than you'll ever know

 

And it seems to me you lived your life

Like a candle in the wind

Never fading with the sunset

When the rain set in

And you footsteps will always fall here

Along England's greenest hills

Your candles burned out long before

Your legend ever will

 

Lived your life like a candle in the wind

(Simile-Free and alive or maybe even fragile)

 

Your candle burned out long ago

(Metaphor- Someone died , it wasn’t an actual candle)

 

Goodbye England’s Rose

(Metaphor- a rose is beautiful.

 

Princess Diana was England’s beauty before she died.)

 

You were the grace that placed itself where lives were torn apart.

(Metaphor- people loved her)

 

Who will miss the wings of your companion

(Metaphor- not actual wings, just presence, angle or bird.)

 

Your candle burned out long before you legend every will

 (Metaphor- it is not an actual candle. It is saying that even though she died, her memories still remain.

 

 

Marisa

When I was younger I didn’t appreciate my name. Why Marisa? Why spell it that way with one ‘s’ instead of the usual two? Why torture me? My name in Hebrew means bitter, but I am not bitter. I am everything but. Well, I wouldn’t go that far, I do tend to get a little frustrated at times. At school I am a sweet person. My motto is always ‘kill them with kindness.’ So why must I be stuck with a name that means bitter?

 

In Latin, my name means ‘of the sea.’ That doesn’t really make sense. What is of the sea?  Does it mean from the sea? I am not fish or part sand, so why must I be ‘of the sea?’ Am I chicken?  I like the beach. Beach sounds better than sea. When I think of sea, it reminds me of dark, cold, murky water. However, beach reminds me of sand, vacation, something nice. Even if my name did revert to that meaning, it wouldn’t be true - I am not Latin, or a fan of the sea.

 

My name in English sadly, has no significance whatsoever, however I got my Hebrew name from my great grandmother. My Hebrew name is Tovah. It means good.  Just good, not great.

 

I can choose from either bitter or good, nothing else. Why must I be stuck with such bad options? Oh that’s right, I had no choice. Not only am I stuck with such horrible name meanings, I am stuck with the spelling too.

 

 

For sixteen years I have had to go through teachers spelling my name wrong. Even when I tell them one day, then forget the next, so why bother? It’s like it’s such a difficult task to notice my name on tests. One ‘s’ and one ‘r’ – easy!

 

When I was little, I always used to go to amusement parks. Everywhere I looked, I would see name key chains and get so angry when nametags had to be specially made for me. That’s it! I am special!

 

As I got older, I began to appreciate my name more and more. What is so bad about people making things especially for me? Me- a normal person trying to live life, but with a few ‘special’ obstacles.

 

Most people say my name is different. It may be easier to spell it wrong than right, but in the end my name makes me happy. I have a beautiful name that is unique, just like me. It is not bitter. It is very sweet after all.

Eleanor Roosevelt

"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." - Eleanor Roosevelt

Wake Up, America!

When it comes to America, there are a lot of topics that need to be changed, whether they are education, taxes, or saving the environment. Go to any college and you will find a diverse group of people. Some are there for their hard work and dedication, while others are there for equality. The rule which everyone has a chance no matter his or her ethnicity. Is that really fair? Why should someone who has a 4.0 have to work hard just to get in good colleges while others who have half that get in with no problem? It’s not right for colleges to accept the uneducated or unhealthy just because they come from where they do. There is no point in letting them into the Equal Opportunity Fund if they are going to fail out anyway. Why waste the little money they do have just because colleges are money hungry. People should get into school for their effort and hard work.

Conserving energy, global warming, and pollution are all concerns about the environment. Sure if we forget to turn off the lights we wont see anything change the next day. I think that is why people don’t care. They don’t foresee the long-term effect. Carpooling- the word people hate for some reason. It is as if it is forbidden to carpool to work with someone who lives near you. Do people realize that the ice caps are melting because of this? Too much carbon dioxide results in holes in the ozone. This causes the ice caps to melt which creates floods. Pollution is another major cause of damaging the environment. Go to any trashcan in New York City and you will see garbage right around the actual can. Are people too lazy to put their trash into the can? Is it too much to ask?

Little improvements like this are what we need to make America a better place. We can’t move forward without improvements.