Spaces and Places

Under a particular tree in the far corner of the soccer field 

When I think back to my childhood, this place stands out.  If I had to describe it using just a few words I would use peace haven relaxation contentment. It seems that at least twice a week my two best friends and I would end up under this one small tree, as far away from the school as we could get while still being on school property, and just talk.  The tree was small, but provided shade, and was far enough away that no one could hear our conversations as we spied on the rest of the kids.

We'd sit in the shade for entire recesses, avoiding the supervisors who would sometimes call us back to the playground.  Sometimes we'd play one of our imaginary games, or sometimes we'd just sit there, talking, picking at the grass and braiding dandelions.   'There was a birds' nest in the upper branches, but one day we found a little bird on the ground, dead.  It was pink and featherless, recently hatched, it's neck at an unnatural angle.  We named it Hope and organized a funeral, which was fitting for such a little bird who thought he could fly when he jumped out of the nest.  There was always something to talk about, a way to recharge during the day.

Poetry -- Carpe diem

Carpe diem

Carpe diem!
Seize the day!
Throw all your worries
And fears away!

Gaudeamus igitur!
Let us rejoice!
It's time to celebrate
Come raise your voice!

Memento mori!
Remember you will die!
Live life now
for time does fly! 

Ad extremum!
To the extreme!
For you must be brave
And dare to dream!



Carpe diem is the idea of seizing the day.  It's living life to the fullest, taking every opportunity you have to make a memory.  It's about getting out of your comfort zone, doing something worthwhile. 

Sometimes I feel like every day is the same, and that I'm not seizing the day, but it's important to seize tomorrow, too.  Little things that I do today can help me succeed tomorrow. 

And it's not always the big things.  Carpe diem can include climbing Mt. Everest, but it could also be getting out of your comfort zone or doing something different in little ways, like talking to someone you don't usually, signing up for a volunteer event, using your time wisely. 

Carpe diem!

A bedtime story

Reflective Writing -- Voice Work

Here is a short story for a small child in my own voice.  It's very simple, very cliché, not too scary, and quite the fairy-tale. Enjoy.

Inspired by Disney's Tangled, Hercules, The Little Mermaid, The Chronicles of Narnia, and the Greek myth of Persephone.

Once upon a time, a Princess named Evie was born.  Evie lived in a land named Fortasia.  This was a happy place to be when until her first birthday, when the evil witch of the north came and demanded that the current King and Queen give her Princess Evie to come live in the dark castle of the north.  Of course, the King refused to give up his daughter to the witch, and as punishment the witch cast a spell over the kingdom; until Evie would go live in the far north, the entire kingdowm would be cast into darkness and the sun would not rise. 

The people in the kingdom and palace were angry at the lack of sunlight, but they also loved the baby Princess, and agreed to live in darkness until the evil witch eventually died and the spell was broken.  Candles had to be lit in every room, and streetlights were installed on every corner.  At first, the people thought that they would be able to get through this challenge, but after some years the crops stopped growing even with the artificial light, and they knew they were in trouble.

The King and Queen forbid Princess Evie from ever leaving the castle in order to protect her.  They loved their little girl very much, and they wanted to keep her safe from the witch and some angry townspeople.  Because of this, as she grew up Evie spent much of her time in the castle library.  She read books after books, and of all kinds.  She read all about the past when Fortasia was in the sunlight, but was never able to figure out why the kingdom was in darkness.  No one had ever told Evie about the witch in the north.

Then one day, Evie stumbled upon an older diary of one of the ladies-in-waiting.  The diary contained the reason for the darkness, and Evie learned about the witch in the north.  She didn't want to share her new knowledge with her parents, but from that day she began to make plans on how she would gain back the sun for her people.

Early one morning, Evie began to act on her plan.  She packed up some food from the castle kitchen, and when her parents thought she was in the library she was out in the dark day, determined to journey to the north castle.  She knew she could get a ride to the far end of the kingdom, and then the witch's castle was only a two day walk from there.  Evie had read all sorts of books on how to survive in the wilderness, and she timed her trip so that the full moon could shed some light on the way.

Her journey went smoothly, and as Evie was about knock on the big brass door of the witch's castle, the door swung open.  There was the witch, a tall, skinny green-faced woman in black.  "My pretty!" she shrieked.  "Come in, come in!"

But Evie stood her ground.  "No, thank you," the little princess said.  "I am here only for my people.  I will do what you ask, but you must end the darkness." 

The witch was taken aback.  "What, you want me to listen to you?" 

"Yes.  I will live with you.  But you must give the sun back to my people." 

The witch grinned.  "Fine, fine!  Just sign here." She whipped out a parchment and quill from thin air. 

Evie was trembling.  She took up the quill to sign her life away and had just made the "E" when

Suddenly there was a thunderous crash as the King ran up from behind Evie and tackled the witch to the ground.  "Noooooooo!" he yelled. 

"Yes!  Yes! She has signed!  She has signed!" the witch crackled with laughter.

Evie began crying then.  She didn't want to live with the witch anymore.

The King pulled Evie into his arms, and looked at the parchment.  "No, she has not!  She has not signed her full name!" he said triumphantly.  Then he sobered.  "But she has signed some.  She will have to spend part of the year in this northern castle now." 

The witch grinned a hideous grin.  "However," the King continued, "I see no reason why she should stay here with you."  The witch stopped smiling.  "Guards!  Arrest this woman!"  From the darkness guards sprang into action, and soon had the witch handcuffed.

In the far distance, the sky began to lighten into the pale  pink of morning.  The sun was about to rise!

The king got down on one knee and put his arm around Evie.  He smiled.  "My brave, brave daughter," he said.  "You have brought the sun back to the kingdom!  And I see we now have a new winter palace." 

Evie looked up at the sunrise.  She had waited so long to see the light.  She hugged her father. 

From that day on, the land of Fortasia lived in harmony.  The sun returned to the kingdom, and Princess Evie lived to be a wise ruler of her people, spending the winter months in her renovated winter palace.  Evil had been banished forever.

And they lived happily ever after.

The end.

A different kind of response.

"To be nobody but yourself -- in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else -- means to fight the hardest battle any human being can fight, and never stop fighting."   -- e e Cummings

The first time I read this quote I was like, hey, I really like this.  But then I got to thinking about what someone might say to counter this idea.  I know this isn't the expected writing response, but I just got really excited about arguing something we (myself included) just assume is correct for a change.

What is the fight worth fighting?

I would agree that there is a battle going on, like e e Cummings said in his quote.  But I think that the issue is no longer that we have lost touch with ourselves, it is that we have lost touch with others because of how we try to be different.

For one, there's no togetherness anymore.  We forget what holds us together when we focus on our differences.  Be unique.  Be who you are.  It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks.  Oh, really?  To me that is saying You are better than everyone else, no other human beings are worthy of understanding you.  Instead  we should focus on what brings us together.  Can we accept that all people are different, and while we should all take pride in what makes us who we are, deep down inside we're all the same? 

And then what about those who inspire you?  I don't mind being a part of a group of people who I like.  Why must I be different from them, "to be nobody but myself"?  I don't want to be different, I don't want to be unlike anyone else.  In fact, I'd rather be a lot like other people.  I want to be as patient as my mom is.  I want people to identify me with the other talented girls on my water polo team.  I don't want to be like everyone, but I don't want to fail to relate with those around me. 

I'm not trying to say that we should all be clones of each other.  Of course not!  Everyone has their own strengths, talents, cultures, personalities, values, experiences, beliefs, and ideas.  But when we focus on what makes us different we often think of these differences as what makes us better, and this can only lead to more problems. 

How can we conquer racism?  How can we be tolerant of other religious beliefs?  How can highschoolers break the unspoken rules and sit with nerds, jocks, outcasts, and comedians at one lunch table?  Is it not by fighting to be "nobody but yourself".  It is by learning from one another and fighting to overcome what makes us special and realizing that, in fact, we are all the same.

Hello!

Hello Internet!

Welcome to Kenzie's Creative Corner.  Catchy, isn't it? 

To start off this fine post, let me begin with a poem that describes one reason why I am a true procrastinator and time waster.

Facebook Family Feud

In the style of Elizabeth Coatsworth’s “On a Night of Snow”

By Kenzie --  February 2, 2013

Mom, I’ll be fine, I have an hour to spare,
Just twenty more minutes!  Five just isn’t fair.
I only logged on right after I got out of school,
Everyone is doing it!  Don’t you want me to be cool?
I’d rather stalk pictures back from the eighth grade,
Than do my math, bio, or clean up the mess that I’ve made.
I’m an A student who can manage her time,
So I’m telling you, Mom, Facebook is fine!

It’s five o’clock now, and at six we must go,
And there a million things I could give you to clean!
You’ve been on forever, don’t think I don’t know!
The internet is a wasteland – what, you say that I’m mean?
Oh, please!  I’m your mother!  I always know best!
That site is so dumb, how is everyone is your friend?
Why don’t you get a job?  Or study for a test?
Facebook time is over, log off now, this is the end.

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog for my Creative Writing blog! 

If you're interested, check out my blog for AP Lit: 

thekenziecorner.blogspot.com