May Portfolio

 Home Sweet Home

The dust flies into the air from the gravel roads

You see the house from the hill, jumping in your seat

Riding in the car for six and a half hours, my legs are numb

Pulling into the drive way, you are in the open,
with fields surrounding you

Red barns, and grain bins surround you,
feeling the wind blow through your hair

Your finally to the place you can feel relaxed,
feel peace, feel complete emptiness

Walking through the doors, smelling the aroma of
candles on the counter

Looking around seeing what new has been done;
new paint colors, happiness is breathed in

You can finally feel the vacation sit in, look around,
and take a deep breath

Wash away the feelings left back at home,
and take in the moment right now

As you missed your family, you now can come into grasp
with them and smile forever

A smile that never leaves your face, and a laugh that is contagious

From the moment you pulled into the driveway,
I felt the exceptional feeling of love

The comforting feeling from just your surrounding will never leave,
until you have to leave

Yet, you will always be back again to see the ones you love,
and will never forget

The Beginning of Summer
            Authors Note: These are small poems/short stories about characters from a book called " The Summer I turned Pretty". It is in the point of view as them, speaking how they feel, and what they want. It is speaking in first person of themselves only. 

• Belly

Steven has to leave soon. My dad and him are going hunting for the weekend, and school starts soon after. He decided he will just wait at home for mom and I to show up. The house is just like out old times. Jeremiah making his smirk jokes, with his crooked smile that makes you feel warmth. Conrad, as usual isolating himself from everyone around him. I want to take another dive into the pool, to feel a refreshment from the warm sun baking down on me. If I get any redder, I might turn into a tomato. Jeremiah is lifting weights outside close to the pool, and Conrad is inside playing his regular video game. I don’t know what is up with him. He just can't be happy. I don’t have time to think about him, I want to enjoy my summer here!

• Jeremiah

The sun is burning today. I remember when we all were here when we were younger, we would make pitchers of Kool - Aid and see who could drink their glasses the fastest. That was then, times are different now. Belly and I seem to be the same; best buds and secret holders. The only thing is, I see her completely different this summer she came. My eyes are stuck to her each second; she is gorgeous. Yet, I never want her to find out I am in love with her. That will change our relationship forever. Seeing her in the pool, I strain for the flash backs of when she had her front tooth missing, with her hair all knotted up, and making sand castles in the sand. Except now, her teeth are pearly white, her hair flows perfectly, and she lays out in the sand getting a golden tan. Everything is different from when we were younger. Why cant we just be young again?

• Conrad

The inside of this house smells like warm cookies. Mom is baking her special chocolate chip ones, for when we come into the house from the heat. Except for me. I am sitting inside, playing a old football game I got last year for Christmas. Belly is swimming in the backyard pool as normal. I swear she could become a mermaid if she wanted too. Jeremiah, well he is doing his normal routine, lifting weights out back in the sun baking. Why can't I just have the fun they are having? I always used to hang around with Belly, Jeremiah, and Steven. We always kicked Belly out on are "boys nights" together. But now, I feel like I am just the outcast. Belly does her own thing, its not her. Just, us three guys don’t share anything together anymore. Our secrets we had, are probably forgotten about.  Can't I just be a normal teenager, who has the time of their life in summer?

• Belly

I look like an old grandma. My hands and toes are complete pruned up. Exhaustion is over coming my body, from being in the pool for three hours. I knew Susannah just got done baking her cookies; I smelled them when I was drying off. Jeremiah looked at me, and waved. I waved back and smiled. Walking like a snail, I came over to him and picked up a weight. " I bet I can lift more than you" I laughed knowing that was impossible. " Belly, you have trouble lifting five grocery bags" he said laughing and smiling with his usual, perfect smile with his blinding white teeth. I give him a smirk, and just walked away, because I knew it was the truth. My legs felt like Jell-o, yet I sprint to the kitchen and grab a cookie. I went into another state, that made me forget about life, and only on the moment right then and there. Life at the summer house is a dream, and will always contain itself that way.

• Jeremiah

The Kool-aid is sitting on the counter, and I am dyeing of thirst. This is the hottest day of summer by far! The cookies are almost all gone. Belly is such a pig sometimes. When we were young, she ate an entire cheese pizza by herself, without asking. I started rethinking about when I was just outside, and Belly came over to me. She always makes her joke around comments, that I love. She makes any situation funny in the end. Sometimes they can be pointless, but they just make you break down laughing. Maybe that only is what happens to me when she talks.
Well, the house is quiet and everyone is gone. This feeling can be settle and calming, yet sometimes it can make you feel empty and alone. My stomach is starved, and im shivering from the sweat settling in. It's time for the shower and food. Maybe by this time, I wont be in this roomy home, all alone and empty.

• Conrad

I finally got up and just left. It was incredibly hot outside, meaning I couldn't go surfing right now. That's my usual place, when I am stressed and lost. Belly was in the pool when I left, which I don’t know if she will ever release herself from the chlorine. I was just sitting on the couch inside, without anyone to make me laugh. At this moment, I am just lost. I decided to go to  Charlies; our favorite ice cream walk-up when we were kids. July fourth is coming around the corner, and I'm hoping I will go to Chris's house, where the party is held every year.  The sun is going down bit by bit, resisting the chance of getting even warmer. This is the time surfing comes into my head. It gives me complete peace, and another world seems to open up to me. I am ordering my favorite ice-cream which was  Cookie Monster. I will just bring it home, and maybe Belly, or Jeremiah will want some. Hopefully, I can just forget about the past, and just worry about what is to come.

• Belly

Conrad actually is coming out, and being friendly. His shell seemed to crack. He brought back his favorite ice-cream Cookie Monster, which I did not want to say but I loved it. We all took a bite, and laughed like old times when we were younger. Conrad told us we could eat the rest, and he was going out to surf. Jeremiah asked if he could come along, and Conrad never would turn him down. Steven and I were home alone, while Susannah and my mom went out shopping. Steven went on his Ps3 and played some game they all share. I decided to go out and lay in the sun. I brought out a pink lemonade of crystal light in a water bottle, and a magazine. I don’t know what it was, but I needed something to do. I took the tanning oil out and put it on. It smelled like coconuts, which made me think of a tropical island in Hawaii. Hopefully I can get a better tan for Fourth of July.

• Jeremiah

Conrad and I suited up and went out onto the waves. There huge today which is perfect. Conrad and I haven't been out on the waves in a while. We have been somewhat distant the past few weeks. The sand is going in between my toes, and it is a complete different world. There are a lot of people on the beach right now. Ill have to admit, I see some pretty cute girls. We catch their eyes, but I don’t think there looking at me as much as Conrad. Yet, you never know anymore. Right now, in the back of my head I am wandering what Belly is doing right now. I see every girl on the beach, but they just can not paint the picture in my head of what Belly does. 

• Conrad

The beach is perfection. With the sand going right through my feet, I run into the water. Jeremiah is right behind me, and I see him running too. Him and I have not had a bonding moment in a long time without some disagreement. With mom being sick again, and my dad causing us to fight, it has been a really tough situation. The waves are huge today, with the crashes splashing into my mouth like drinking water. Jeremiah and I pull up on our boards and we start moving down the wave. We both make it out, with smiles as wide as a mile on our faces. It gave us both a rush of something we haven't felt in a long time. After surfing for about four hours, we decide to leave and get back to the house. It was almost dark, and the sun set was coming our way. I remembered how this was Belly's favorite thing when we were all kids; watching the sun set at night in the sand on our backs. I re-think about it as I laughed at her, but now I wish I would have enjoyed it with her.

 Love is Harder than it Seems

There is that one person, who makes you feel something

Something that is hard to explain, but you know what it is

Just as you think your day can't be any worse, they make it better

One smile of there can turn your day a total different way

Something about them makes you melt inside, and feel yourself

Become someone you always want to be; yourself

Slipping their warm fingers through your smooth hair feels magical

Yet, they just aren't the one for you to love

As much as you want their arms around you, it is not meant to be that way

Love comes and goes, but a passion for someone stays in your heart

This love is something completely different, that is unique

But my feelings have to slip away, and let someone else make me feel this way

There will always be one person in my heart, but a million reasons why it did not work

Whoever Knew

Telling and Doing are completely opposite in our minds. Someone tells you to be a perfect role model for others looking up to you. However, doing that is much harder in action than filtering as words. Having that understanding of how hard the outside world can be to contribute the action to the words said, creates much respect for adults, kids, and anyone you know. In the short story “Raymond’s Run” Toni Cade Bambara paints a picture of what an ounce of respect can do for someone you love.

Respect. Something we all need to become accustomed too. It seems completely effortless, yet incredibly troublesome. For some individuals, it comes in a snap of a finger. Almost as a repeated action, it becomes your daily routine. Yet, others put it completely on the side, with a glimpse of what it would be like. In the short story, Squeaky is a young girl who has the athleticism of a phenomenal runner. Her sprints are as fast as a deer. Her “older brother” Raymond is the outcast of the entire situation. For the fact he has a mental disability, he acts like a younger brother to Squeaky. However, her lack of respect toward Raymond does not grant him with what he should feel. Even though people have disabilities, or do not consume great athleticism, does not give you the free right to treat them as someone lower than you. Every person is equal and beautiful in their own way, no matter what direction they take. In this case, Raymond had this built up talent inside him that wanted to be expressed, however could not be let go from the leash he was held on to. Overall, treat others as you would like to be treated, even if you are different than any other person. It can unleash the power of anyone if there mind is built up to believe so.

Talent is situated everywhere, from musicians to sports to jobs. Though, not everyone can be the same in every perspective, or life would not be what we have today. Squeaky was an inspirational athlete who people looked up too; someone to give them competition. However, she always wanted to be competitive, leading her to the result of not full self pride in herself. She has an eye opening situation as she saw other runners, enjoying their time, making their life about excitement and joy. Not just about competition and winning. With this in mind, Raymond would always stand on the side lines cheering his little sister on, without the reminder of maybe he could be as great of a runner as her. His joy came across him, just trying to experience what it was like to have athleticism in his body, giving him the ending option of becoming “the” runner. Who ever knew this one man who never stepped on a track could have such a talent built up inside of him? That was the point to this story. People can be special anywhere in life and at anytime. Always give each person an equal opportunity, because you never know what they can contribute to others in life.

Respect can give people a confidence boost, allowing them to become someone they had a dream about being. Complementing people on their outfit, or their athleticism is something everyone needs to hear once in a while. Treat others with the right respect that you would want granted towards you; you never know what an impact you can make on another person’s life at any given moment; it could be, right now.