Today--Tomorrow

*Author’s Note: In this piece I have written in the point of view of someone that is part of the military, on the battle field. I have also played with the format, so let me know what you think. I would categorize this piece as a free verse poem. *

                                                                s

             i   r                                         p

The c          c    of life has its  u             and d

           e    l                                                                 o

                                                                                      w

                                                                                           n

                                                                                                 s.

                                i

                           o      n

From one p                 t to another,

Our line of life will NEVER be perfectly s   t   r   a   i   g   h   t.

Time flies past us like a bullet in mid air.

Our lives are put in risk, for

Days,

Months,

Years.

From one GUNSHOT to the next,

our side W e a k e n s.

All of the hard work for my country,

S       a      t      r       into pieces.

     h      t      e      s

As the gun fires, 

I   f

       a

           l

              l.

The past, present, and future flash through my eyes in a matter of seconds.

DEAD or ALIVE,

                                                                                e. 

                                                                       s

                                                                i

Our country will come to a   r                          

The stars and stripes shall NEVER be defeated ever again.

One's life is so f r a g i l e, 

any time any place, 

it could be gone, 

FOREVER. 

For others life may START tomorrow, as for me, it ENDS today.

The Real Story of Mr. Mason

Author's Note: In Language Arts, my teacher read the story from 3:15, Mr. Mason's Jars. We were then told to write an ending for the story. In this piece, I have shown my knowledge of the reading skill "Predicting". I hope that it keeps you on the edge of your seat, and makes you think! 

“Take a peek into the jar Troy.” said Mr. Mason.

I didn’t understand, all of the kids in school said that he was a creepy and weird teacher. To me, he was actually being nice. What teacher would let a student see some of his secret jars?! From that moment on, I knew that Mr. Mason was surely my favorite teacher.

“Go ahead Troy, look inside!” Mr. Mason repeated again.

I was scared, but then again excited to see what would come jumping out of jar. I opened the lid ever so slightly, but I saw nothing. Just some old gump that was sitting in there. It smelled horrible, what on earth was that. Before I could ask him, my heart stopped, my brain didn’t function, and I everything went blank. I didn’t know what was happening to me.

“There he goes, poor little Troy.” Mr. Mason said in an English accent.

“The boy shall never know my true secret within the jars. Not one human soul shall know except me! I can become the ruler of the world, with science!” Mr. Mason said, with an evil tone in his voice.

His jars were then hidden in schools around the country, but where? Nobody knew for sure.

As Mr. Mason said those words, the students and teachers were surrounding his door and windows. Nobody knew what happened to Troy, not even Maggie. As soon as the staff saw Mr. Mason, the only thing they could do was call the cops. It took a few minutes for the police to get to the school, but as they did, Mr. Mason was history. He was then sent to jail and he never came back.

Who he was and why he had taken the souls of children are still unknown the people around the area. Mr. Mason was never heard of again, except for those who kept on retelling his story. Was this real or is just a rumor that has been going around for years. We may never know, but beware Mr. Mason’s jars could be hidden in your very own school...

My True Colors

Author’s Note: This piece I have wrote is a character analysis. I have wrote it in the format of a letter in the perspective of the character herself. I analyzed the character Ronnie Miller, from the book The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks.

  

Dear Dad,

Since the day you’ve left, there is nobody else I have thought of. Only months have gone by, yet the days we spent together seem like years ago. That summer is still vivid in my mind, each and every second. From the day mom dropped off me and Jonah, you’ve made me look beyond what I can see. I stopped playing the piano, I went to jail, and I almost rejected my offer to Juilliard, but because of you I won’t be that girl anymore.  For those people who didn’t trust me and called me thieves, shame on them because, now I’m not the old Ronnie anymore. Right now, I’m a whole other person. Why? It’s because of you. At times I wish i could see you one last time, but I can’t do that anymore. To be honest, that summer I didn’t want to come to North Carolina, but now it turned out to be an opportunity for me. An opportunity that taught me about family, faith, and love.

Spending time in North Carolina that summer, there was no need for me to be someone else. I could show everyone my true colors, I wasn’t anyone else, except me. That summer we got so close, we went to the beach and most importantly we saw the sea turtles hatch. From those days, I learned to forgive people and forget about the past. We were able to become a family again. That summer I learned that love isn’t just a verb, but a noun from you and Will. Being with everybody, made me so happy, unlike the life in New York. As I think about myself back then, I remind myself of Katniss Everdeen from the Hunger Games. Both of us thought that we were okay by ourselves, that you didn’t need anybody else. We are very similar in characteristics, like being strong and rebellious. But, both of changed from an important checkpoint in our lives. For her it was The Hunger Games, and for me it was coming to North Carolina and reconnecting with you once again.

Everyone back home misses you so much. There are no words to express the distress that still runs through the family. I just wanted to say, that you’ve made me recognize so many important aspects in my life. You, dad, have changed me for who I am. I will never be able to repay you for that. Thank you. I really do mean it. Thanks a lot!

Love,
Ronnie
XOXO

An Alternate Ending

Author's Note: In class, we read a short story Thank You Ma'am. We were then told to come up with an alternate ending, by predicting what might happen using evidence from the text. In this ending, I have tried to master the reading element of prediction. Also look for the voice in this piece. 

He barely managed to say “Thank you” before she shut the door.


The days went on and so did his life, but each time he was about to do  something, the memories of Ms. Jones came back to his mind. From one day to the next he thought about the reasons Ms. Jones had done what she had and why. It came to his mind one pleasant afternoon, when he had known that Ms. Jones had changed his whole life. Back then he was a homeless boy without much money, but now he had a job, and was able to rent an apartment. How? It was because of that lady he had bumped into that day, Ms. Jones. Roger had finally became himself once again. 

Years of Roger’s life had gone by, but he had never forgotten Ms. Jones. As Roger was walking back down memory lane, he had confronted Ms. Jones’ house, the house that had changed him as a person. He walked up the steps and rang the doorbell. A young girl had opened the door. As Roger looked up to see her, a smile of joy had lightened up his whole face. 

“Ms. Jones. Long time, no see. I came back, to tell you something.” , Roger had said to her. 

“I”m sorry, but there is nobody here named Ms. Jones. My name is Veronica Jones. You must be looking for my mom, but sadly, she’s not with us anymore...”, the girl had said.

Roger was devastated, he had to see her again! Veronica then took Roger to her mother’s grave. He had bought some roses before, he then took the bouquet with him. Tears ran down his bright red cheeks. Roger sat down in front of Ms. Jones’ grave and said, “Thank you ma’am.”

A Family Like No Other

Author's Note: This piece I have written is for the Patriot's Pen contest. It had to be within 300-400 words. This year's topic was, what would you say to America's founding fathers. So I hope that you think about this and enjoy what I've wrote.

“Tis done. We have become a nation.” This quote, written by one of our founding fathers, Benjamin Rush, has made our country what it is today. It has been 236 years since we became the United States of America. This credit goes to the men who wrote the Constitution. Since 1776, our nation has been separated from Great Britain. To proclaim this freedom, the Declaration of Independence was created  along with the Constitution. These two documents have helped us grow and become unified as a country and most importantly, as a “family”. If I were to meet our founding fathers, there isn’t much I would say, yet I’d say two simple words: thank you, and I would also give them a picture of the American flag.

Thank you. Each word isn’t powerful by themselves, yet when you put them together it’s almost as if two teams have joined forces. Without our founding fathers we wouldn’t have laws, a society, or even a government. There’s a million ways we could show them the respect and honor we have towards them, but the most meaningful way is to say thank you. I take this moment to recognize all of the men who signed the Constitution. They may not be here right now, but their souls are sure to be floating around in this very room. Thank you for everything, without you this piece of land we stand upon wouldn’t be the USA.

“A picture is worth a thousand words” is a phrase that has been emerged throughout the world in the 20th century. A photograph of something or someone speaks to each person differently. Instead of writing to these men, or talking to them, why not give them a picture? Not just any picture, but one of our flag. The banner with thirteen stripes and fifty stars. Over the past 200 years our country has changed so much. By giving them a picture, each one of our founding fathers can experience it for themselves. All of this can be seen through each of their eyes in a different way within a picture.

Our country has developed so much since the founding fathers wrote the Constitution and Declaration of Independence. I thank each and every one of them from the bottom of my heart. It was because of these men, that our “family” has been unified and become the United States of America.

Another Life of Me

Author's Note: In this piece, I have analyzed the cause and effects of an event that has happened in my life. Please look for the voice in my writing. I hope that you also think back to a time in your life that has been a gift, and has changed you for who you are!

Each event in our lives happen for a reason; because of one cause we have may effects that come out of it. They are all permanently written in our story, some of them are highlights in our lives, while others are ones that we wish could be erased. In my book one event has changed my life drastically, and that is when I moved to Pewaukee, WI. It all started, when my dad got a job transfer when we lived in India. I didn’t know much because of the fact that I was only two years old. I obviously couldn’t say anything about it, and so I went with the flow. Without that one flight to the US, my life would’ve been so different. I look back into the past, and think what if we didn’t move here. What would’ve happened to me? This one event in my life, changed everything that was going to happen in the near future.

After moving to the US, we first went to West Virginia. My mom, my brother, and I stayed there for a year while my dad came to Waukesha. Later, we moved to Pewaukee with him. Each event that happened, had so many effects to it. Because of my move to Pewaukee, I had a privilege of meeting so many great people. I have made so many friends here ! Each day turns out to be better than the last. Without that move, I wouldn’t have this life I stand in. I wouldn’t have these friends, the vacations, I wouldn’t have any of this. Those few words, “We are moving to Pewaukee!” have my life to its absolute best!

If I didn’t move to Pewaukee, I don’t know what would’ve happened to me. I would’ve lived the lifestyle of a little Indian girl. I still do today, but in a different way. Each time I go and visit, I wonder, “This could’ve been me.” Living here has been a gift, I couldn’t have asked for anything better. Those few words, that one flight, basically that one day, has changed me for who I am. Would I have been different if I lived in India. Would I have ever had the chance to travel the world? I don’t know, but there is something that I do, I have an amazing life. I should be happy with what I have and never be upset with what I don’t. I would’ve been a different Kavitha, if it weren’t for my dad’s job transfer. So thank you, living in Pewaukee is a gift that I shall never forget, no matter what I do and where I go. 

The End of Harry Potter

Author’s Note: In the Reading Lab we learned about conflicts and resolutions in a novel. To show my knowledge on this topic, I chose to analyze the conflict and its resolution in the book Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Harry Potter, is a boy who was born to two wizards. He has gone through a long journey of six wonderful years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but each year is chances of living are getting smaller by the second. With his two best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, the three of them battle Lord Voldemort, the evil wizard, and his deathly followers. When Harry was young, Voldemort murdered Harry’s parents and disappeared after his attempt to kill Harry as a baby. At his last year at Hogwarts Harry finds to know that there is a way to kill and defeat Lord Voldemort, to find and destroy all six Horcruxes, which are well hidden and defended by the Lord himself. Harry must find these Horcruxes, that Lord Voldemort created for him to live forever, without him knowing and kill the Lord before time runs out.

Throughout the book, Harry finds these six Horcruxes, the Sword of Gryffindor, the Slytherin locket, the Hufflepuff cup, Marvolo’s ring, Ravenclaw’s diadem, Tom Riddle’s diary, and Nagini. To kill Voldemort, Harry must destroy these objects that Voldemort created. After finding and extinguishing the six Horcruxes, Harry thinks that he has destroyed all of them. But there is a seventh one, Harry himself. In order to kill Voldemort Harry must die, and so he does, but at the end he was not dead, he wakes up and kills Lord Voldemort. There are so many details that are put into this book in order for people to understand all of these different objects that were made for this series. The life of Harry Potter, is different and hard to understand, but it is also very interesting. Harry Potter, is a wizard of full potential is known to all of the world. His story is told from one generation to the other, and each time it is told, it never gets old. 

Past's Present

Author’s Note: This piece I have wrote is a personal narrative. Unlike others, I’ve reflected upon a past event. In my writing, look for the use of similes and metaphors, also look for the voice in this piece. I hope that you are taken back into the future, and recognize the importance of certain aspects in our lives.

"Attention all passengers, there has been a little mishap on the runway. A tire has burst and the arrival at General Mitchell Airport will be delayed for a few moments. I will keep you up to date with more information about what's happening down on the tarmac. Thank you so much for your cooperation."

As I heard the announcement from the pilot over the loudspeakers, so many thoughts were going on in my mind: When will we get there? How long does it take to clean up a burst tire? What happened to the other airplane? I sat there alongside my brother, waiting until the flight safely landed. As every announcement came through the air ducts, it would only bring more fear in myself. You could see the anxiety in my eyes; they panicked as if the world was about to end that second.  At the time, I hid my fear by laughing and joking about it. But, little did I know at that minute was that the few moments, were to become hours. Saturday, August 11 was sure to be engraved in my mind, not for the reason of it being memorable, but for the lessons that would present themselves in this what seemed to be a grim situation.

In life events occur for a reason, you might not know why then, but it will make sense in the future. From each chapter of our story, there is a lesson to be learned. Everything doesn’t come easy for us. When we do struggle, it’s our job to hope for the best. As I sat in that aircraft, there might’ve been bad thoughts in my mind, but there was that little piece of hope, that made me get through it. More than fright, there was faith. I sat there hoping we’d be alright, there was nothing else I could do. I believed that my family and I would be able to get out of this plane, and so what I thought came to life. Our hopes are just dreams, but ones that wake in front of us. No matter where you are, even in the darkest most times, hope is there to shine like a rising sun and lead our way into the next day.  

Hope was something everybody learns about, but to experience it is a whole other world. Nowadays nobody ever thinks about the “what if” factor. What if our plane were to crash right now? What if there wasn’t another safe place to land? What if I don’t come out of this plane? You might ask why I might’ve thought of these extremes, but the wait of the never landing flight isn’t the whole story. I sat there like a statue in a museum, when another announcement had come on. I was too busy worrying about what was going to happen, to pay attention to anything else. I asked my brother what the pilot had said. When the words, “The airplane is running out of fuel” came into my mind, my heart sank. One thing went inside my head, “This is not happening!” And so, I thought everything was over. We kept on circling around Milwaukee, when finally we had permission to land in Madison. The pilot had contact with the main grounds, for us to arrive there. It all turned out fine, but you never know what is coming your way. As a result, I learned that anything can happen, we always know everything’s going to be fine, but what if it’s not? That one question can change up the way you look at this world beyond us. What if?

We all think about the impossible, yet it’ll be possible in our minds, but have we ever thought about what true happiness is? From beginning to end, in this cycle we call life, everyone experiences so many emotions: happiness, love, fear, and much more. In this little incident I mainly encountered the thrill of fear. The exact opposite of fright is happiness, and that is something that I haven’t understood yet until this day. Happiness doesn’t last forever, sometimes it could be that one single moment of joy, on the other hand it could be for a whole day. But everyone is always happy about some event that has occurred in their life. For me it’s not a single event, but many. This memorable ride on an aircraft will be unforgettable, but it makes me happy that I’ve learned from it as well. If somebody asks me what is something you cannot forget from your childhood, it’s probably this flight. Feelings express themselves in a different way, through each person. And each person expresses their feelings in their own way. Though, true happiness doesn’t have a definition, to me happiness is a person, and a person is happiness.

Since that day on, I've recognized the importance of hope, the "what if" factor, and happiness in our lives. Learning about so many aspects towards living a great life will and has helped me. This never ending flight did come to an end, a safe, yet stressful one. We move forward in life, remembering our past and looking forward to the future. For me, an experience of a lifetime was made in a single day. The past is a work of art, free of irrelevancies, and loose ends. As I look back to that day I remember everything so vividly, from the beginning to the end, and everything in between. It shall never be forgotten, and in my book the chapter about the never landing flight will surely put a smile on my face everytime I look back.  

A Novel's Retelling

Author's Note: This is a retelling of the novel The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I hope you notice the intensity and voice I've tried to convey using the reading skill "retelling". 

In the ashes of what was once North America, lies the nation of Panem. The shining Capitol of the nation is surrounded by twelve outlying districts. Each year the Capitol forces every district to send one boy and one girl from the ages of twelve to eighteen to participate in the Hunger Games. This brutal and terrifying fight to death is televised live to everyone in the nation. Twenty four tributes enter the arena, and the last person standing is crowned the victor of the Hunger Games. 

Revived from the Ashes

Author’s Note: Every year we remember the tragic events that have happened in the past. We look up to the people who have given their lives to protect and honor our country. Today we stand here as a united nation, only because of what we have gone through. In my piece, please look for the voice and emotions that I have tried to convey through words.

September 11^th, 2001 will always live in the minds of the people who lived through it that day. The imagery of having an aircraft strike at one of the most populated buildings has never left their minds. As the smoke filled the air and lives were ending one by one, the news spread across the country. The emotions and fear of every citizen was unimaginable.  It will always be a devastating moment of history for everyone. The terrorism attack on the World Trade Center and Washington D.C. has been described as an act of war and a tremendous defeat for the United States; a defeat that shall never be repeated and a loss that must be avenged. In my mind, I think the opposite of others. This attack on September 11^th was not a defeat for our country, but a victory. The people of the United States of America certainly did not give up. There were members of the community coming out to help their fellow citizens. Because of this horrific event, our country has only become more unified, more proud, and more devoted to this place we call home.

It was eleven years and three days ago that our country was under attack. The lives of innocent people were taken away. The distress and sorrow in the people who have lost their loved ones, makes our eyes tear every time we hear of it. People from all over the city came to help. Not everybody knew how they could, but they had to. It was almost like it was their duty as a friend, most importantly as a citizen. Many helped but the ones who were on the spot trying to save everyone else as best to their abilities, are truly heroic. They are the heroes of our country. Regular human beings did all they could to save a life of another and by doing their job, they have risen to the top as a hero. From that day onwards everyone was unified as a nation. The same thoughts went inside everyone’s mind, the same emotions, and the same reasons to cry. It was only twenty minutes, that changed the lives of everyone in the United States.

There were many heroes that have come out of this tragedy, but the fact that truly amazes me is how much pride was spread across the country afterwards.  For the weeks to come, all you could see were American flags being held. So many people were proud to say that they were from the United States. It was hard to overcome everything, it took months for people to realize that what has happened, is done for. There is nothing that they could do to go back in time and change what had happened. As days went on the spirit in everyone and the red, white, and blue was spreading across the horizon. Nobody had ever seen us be more of a country since then.  Our flag still swayed proudly in the air before and after the attack. No matter what the cost, the flag and the people were one; a country.

In just twenty minutes, nearly 3,000 people died. For our country to realize the unity and devotion, it took away people’s lives. But, because of 9-11 our country has grown enormously. The people have changed, everyone looks up to the USA as  something larger than themselves. I think that it’s because of how great we have stood together until this day. Everyone has different opinions in everything, but together as a country everybody is the same. We might’ve lost something huge, but we have gained so much from just less than a half hour. Something great has come out of something so tragic. It’s hard to believe, but this is the truth. There will always be a little light, no matter how dark it is.

Year by year, we look back upon this heartbreaking event and remember what has made us grow as a country. To me, I think that this was just fate. We had to get through the climax to get to the end. In everyone’s lives they’ve had to jump over so many hurdles, that’s the same thing that our country had to do.  Not everyone’s graph of life will be a consistent line, there will be some low and high points. We’ve reached the bottom, right now is our time to step back up to the top once again. As the graph of this country continues, so does the memories of each story behind 9-11.

Our victories on the 11^th of September and the days following were more important than mere military victories. The way we have handled this situation reflects upon our spirit, national character, and unity. If we become one as a nation, all of us can achieve anything we possibly dream of. 9-11 was not only a tragic and sorrowful event, but it has given us the strength and will to move forward. Like Francis Scott Key once wrote, “The rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.” That star spangled banner should always be risen high and proud, it shall wave across the nation with triumph and glory protecting the people who live underneath it for all of eternity.