Unmake The World

The walls come crashing in,
It's a beautiful disaster.
This world we live in
Couldn't break any faster.

This air I breathe,
It is tainted with the dust
Of the crumbling cities
That still build up around us.

I hear the footfalls of us all,
It's like we're walking on air.
The ground falls away
To reveal what's really there.

Slowly time goes backwards,
As our world is erased.
The buildings unbuild themselves,
Our history is replaced.

Plans For The Summer And Why

Well, last summer I didn't go anywhere, do anything, or even get to see any of my friends (for various reasons that I really don't need to get into) but this summer I really want to make up for that. I'm hoping my skin isn't permanently damaged  from last summer's lack of sun and will still be able to get tan, so tanning at the pool/beach is at the top of my list of priorities. Also, I really want to go on a backpacking trip, maybe in the Adirondacks or the Smokies or on a section the Appalachian trail. I'll have one week of the extremely exciting and utterly exhilarating job of....cat sitting. And the week before that I have to go through a rigorous course of learning how to cat sit. I'm sure everyone is very jealous of me. I'll be attending my mom's best friend's wedding, and I still need to buy a dress for that. Sometime in July, my family will be renting a beach house, which will be a big step up from babysitting a cat. I also have tennis lessons on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for the whole summer, so hopefully I don't knock myself out with the tennis racket. (And that is extremely likely to happen, but I can still hope.) Also, at the beginning of the summer I'm going to see tfios for my friend's birthday. (For all you people out there who don't know what tfios is, it stands for The Fault In Our Stars. Duh.)

Everyone Else's Story

I count the steps up the stairwell,
Stumble over the cracks.
I can't see where I'm going
But I know I can't turn back.

She lies in her bed now,
Looking at the stars.
She's stuck in her life now,
She would rather travel far.

He hides in the closet,
Hoping not to be found.
Cowering and shivering,
Screaming without a sound.

She walks the park alone,
With the shadows and the moon.
She wanders without thinking,
Not knowing what comes soon.

He holds her hand too tightly,
His fear turns red and loud.
He keeps her close even though
She wants to be let out.

And now she wakes and wonders
Just what was in her dreams.
Her life is still her own, she thinks.
But it's not what it seems.

Not enough Time

A thousand cranes,
A thousand words,
Unsaid, broken,
These poems and birds.

A thousand lives,
A thousand deaths,
So many hearts,
So little breath.

A thousand "I'm okay"s and "fine"s
A thousand wasted days gone by.
So many years that slip away,
So little time, too much to say.

The Old Man's Story

A piece of paper,
   pair of lips,
A kind man's story
   barely fits
Inside the space,
   inside the time
Of every day
   that passes by.

He tries, he hurries
   rushing on,
To fit his words,
   but they're too long.
He  pushes, pulls,
   screams and kicks,
But nothing makes
   his story fit.

Still he speaks,
   and still he writes
As he tries to win
   the pointless fight.
And finally
   with his last breath-
His story's done,
   he triumphed death.

Thoughts On Recent Tornadoes in the Southeast

Lately, there's been a lot of tornadoes and storms hitting down in the Southeast area. About 30 people have been injured and killed from them, and a lot of damage has been done. I, personally, am kind of a paranoid person. Anything from diseases to house fires to crazy storms gets me worried. So it goes without saying that tornadoes are not my favorite thing. And it sucks, because unlike diseases and house fires, there's no way to cure or prevent tornadoes. Now, it is possible to sometimes predict the tornadoes in advance and have enough time to get the people to safety, but that doesn't always happen and these storms continue to ruin homes and take lives. I think storms are cool to look at- from a distance -but I definitely wouldn't want to get caught in the middle of one. I hate seeing the stories that report the terrible aftermath of them, and I wish there was something I could do instead of just cringing away from the news reports.

About The Author

I write poems, words and rhymes,
When I have no other way
To explain what's on my mind,
To understand what I need to say.

I read the words that talk of beauty,
Places and wonders of all kinds.
I see in them what I want in me,
This, I search myself to find.

I revel in the outside world,
In every single broken blade
Of grass I pass, and every mountain,
Every flower in every glade.

Each thing out there, perfect or flawed,
Contains beauty that I strain to see.
I hike in the woods, bike on the paths
That are undisturbed, untouched, pure and free.

Dead Poet's Society

   The movie, throughout the whole thing but especially at the end, is about doing what you love and seizing the day. Carpe Diem. It's about thinking freely, and not being afraid of what you think or what other's will think of your thoughts. Neal, who is a main character, was pushed to the breaking point because he was afraid to share his thoughts and feelings. Although in some ways, because of how strict his father was, he couldn't really share them.
   When their friend broke under the pressure, all of the other members of the dead poet's society were scared to act out and stand up. But they did, because poetry inspired them to do that. They had learned to express themselves freely, which is what poetry is about. The movie sends a message saying this, that it's essential to be able to express yourself and stand up for what you believe in, that it helps you to live. And that if you don't, you'll never really be okay.
 
 

Migrant Mother

I can barely capture,
Barely even gaze on,
The sight I see.

Her hair is wild,
Full of wind and troubles,
Like the night.

Their hands cling to her,
Desperately and fearfully,
Not willing to let go of their only anchor.

Her eyes drift
To something in the future,
And her mouth is a slash of grief.

They bury their faces
On her shoulders,
Trying to hide away
From life.

They are all wrapped in tatters,
And warmth seems to be just a memory.
They tremble as it finally fades.

I tremble, too, as I watch.
My fingers freeze and I am nothing.
Not myself, not a person.
I am empty, because I see the truth before me.

Finally I take the picture.
Click, and the moment flies away.

I'd Like To Live...

I would love to live on an island

In the middle of the sea.

I'd swim with the fish, and bask in the shade

Underneath the coconut trees.

I'd love to live in the jungle

And see the snakes and monkeys.

Banana trees and leafy vines

Would form an emerald sky above me.

I'd love to live in the mountains

With the clouds and the snow and the icy fresh air.

And I'd travel along a rocky path

To the hidden wildflowers that grow there. 

What Is Poetry, And Where In My Life Do I See It?

   What is poetry? Poetry is words strung together, that on their own would sound painfully ordinary, yet somehow when put together they sound beautiful. It is something that is rare for some people and absolutely necessary for others. It gives a different perspective, and sometimes helps to solve problems because of this. 

   In my life, I see poetry when I read, listen to music, or even when I look at something beautiful. Every single moment has a poem, or millions of poems, that go with it, and I try to come up with just one of them in my head. Even just speaking to people, when it is something meaningful, can be poetry. Honestly, in my opinion, anything can be poetry or can become poetry, if you're able to see it's potential. Sometimes, though, my head's too crowded to create poems from the things I see. At those times I can't see any poetry, whether it's straightforward or not. 

Free writing: Beginning of a story

   Third time this week, I thought to myself angrily as I came home to my empty house yet again. I stumbled over a few beer cans on the front steps, and then picked them up, throwing them into the trash can with a bit to much force. They banged against the sides, making loud echoing metallic noises. 

   I walked through our small house, searching all the rooms, but she wasn't there. I suppose I knew that already. I had just come home from school, so I sat down to finish up some homework. Once that was  done, I got a can of soup from the nearly empty cupboards and heated it up on the stove. 

   Finally, after staying up till one in the morning waiting for her, I went to bed. It was no use; I knew she wouldn't be back. But still, I couldn't seem to fall asleep knowing I that my mom was out there, in some bar or wandering the streets in a drunk stupor. For all the things she's done wrong in raising me, all the ways she's let me down, I still couldn't push away the worry that came when she disappeared.

   After laying in my bed, staring blankly into the dark for what felt like hours, I finally got up and went into the kitchen. The clock said 3:04 am. Pulling on my sneakers, I opened the front door and slipped outside. I went to my car and started the engine, then pulled out into the street. I idled at the corner, trying to decide which way to go. Left would lead me into town, where I could search the bars and streets for my mom, while right would lead me to the highway, which would then go to the long stretches of pasture and old farm houses, before passing into the next state over.

   Left. Or right. I looked back an forth. It seemed stupid to even think of going right. Where would I go? My mom probably wouldn't even bother looking for me or notifying the police, but I still didn't have a destination. I'd never even been out of our state, and I didn't know of any relatives that were alive.

   Left seemed like the logical choice, the only choice, and yet. And yet. I pulled out of our street, not looking back at the house I had grown in, and turned right. I flipped on the radio, and let the music drown out my thoughts.

Stuck in Between

   What, if anything, am I stuck in between? Well, at the moment I'm stuck in between a lot of very loud people. Not that I'm complaining or anything. Also, I reorganized my room last week, so now my desk is stuck in between a wall and a door.
    I'm in a happy mood right now so I don't feel much like writing about what I'm stuck in between on an emotional level, which is why I'm talking about random things.
   Let's see...well, one time I stuck my hand out of my bedroom window, and then the window slid shut and my fingers got stuck. That was painful.
   I went shopping this weekend, and I had a certain amount of things I could buy so I was stuck in between choosing two shirts that I liked.
   I'm sorry, this is a pathetically boring entry. I don't have much to write at the moment on the subject of being stuck. I guess that's a good thing though. But I'm sorry I don't sound more sagacious. That was a very 'SAT' word, right? Ok, I'm done writing now, but you can look up the definition of sagacious if you don't know what it means.

What Would I Do With A Pencil And Paper Right Now?

What would I do with a pencil and paper if somebody gave it to me right now? I would write a story. I would create a picture out of words, string them together in just the right way, to let someone learn my thoughts and ideas. The story would be confusing, but it would all fit together in the end, like puzzle pieces. Or maybe I would write a poem. I would make it rhyme, because I always do (yet another example of the fact that humans are creatures of habit.), and I would set it up to flow gracefully together. The words wouldn't come from my own mind; I would snatch them from the air and space around me, mix them all together, and come out with a poem. Or maybe I would just doodle hearts and smiley faces, because everyone knows that's the most interesting thing of all, right?!

Sight

Opening my eyes 

Is different each time.

I see something new,

Another perspective,

Another opinion to think on.

Sometimes when I open my eyes,

They weren't even closed in the time before.

But light peers through, brightening my sight,

Like the world had been washed to a sparkling sheen.

I'm not always glad

When this newness breaks in,

Shattering my one moment of 'Ok.' 

But it leads to another, another, another.

Remembering each ray of glimmering light,

Each luminous blink,

Brings me closer

To another picture.

I looks, and I see

But it's often too dark

To understand. Until the light peeks in,

I always think everything is alright.

Random Odd Dreams

I dreamt that I was in a car with some people, but I don't think they were my family. We were in the country, at someone's house, who I think was my friend. Than we all drove to this mall in the middle of nowhere, and it was completely empty. And there were these mannequins in the parking lot outside of the mall that moved there arms and faces, and they were painted neon colors. They gave us our parking ticket so that we could go into the mall, but than we left.

Another dream I had was that I was on a cliff a few inches wide, and I was in a car with some strangers. Somehow the car was balancing on the cliff, even though it was so narrow. It was storming, and night, so we couldn't see much, but we made it off the cliff. Than, all of a sudden, I was standing on top of a building, there was a person up there with me, and they had this really creepy expression. I think they had yellow skin, fangs, and a really weird smile. The person jumped off the roof, and then appeared right next to me a second later. Then I appeared inside a cave, following someone (my brother?) who was holding a flashlight. We were running away from someone, I don't knows who, but then I tripped over something in the cave and woke up.

The Lottery

   Today was the lottery. My mother prepared her hair, my sister buttoned up her new shirt, and I sat still and waited. Everyone seemed to want to win, to be the one whose name was chosen. Everyone had to put their name in at least once, but many people such as my family had their names in over ten times. I, personally, didn't really want to win. Everyone I knew dressed themselves up, somehow thinking that it would be more likely to win if they looked good. And I suppose it would be good to have nice clothes, if you were going to wear them for the rest of time.
   That was the prize: to be frozen as you are for the rest of time, and the even longer than that. You got to live forever, which seemed so appealing to the whole town but really just sounded boring and lonely to me.
   So we got in our car, drove to the courtyard across town, and lined up behind the jostling crowd of nervous onlookers. They were surrounding a large stage at the center of the courtyard, upon which there stood a tall podium and a shiny metal box with an opening in the top. The crowd quieted down in an anticipated silence as Pernicen Shelvy, the man who organized the whole lottery, took the stage.   He proudly stood behind the podium, tapped the microphone once, and began to speak in his low, sinister voice.
   "Ladie and gentlemen, I am delighted to see you all her today. Now, I hope you're all excited, because by the end of this day one and only on of you will live forever." Almost everyone cheered, save for me and a few of the wiser people in the town, and he silenced them again with a polite wave of his hand. "you all seem very enthusiastic, so let us begin." He reached into the opening in the metal box, and pulled out a small piece of paper. I scanned the waiting crowd, trying to determine who it would be. Maybe Roslelyn Bicky, the lady who worked at the bakery, or Tom Shinner, the librarian.
   "Everyone, please give us a hand for..." he paused for effect. "Aubrey Chase!"
   I didn't stay long enough to here the crowd applaud; I was out of the courtyard and running down the street  before they  even noticed I was gone.

Thoughts On Technology

Technology isn't a thing that is required to survive in the world. I mean, sure, it's useful to be able to contact people in other countries, or have machines that make stuff so that you don't have to do all of the work. But really, all the technology that we've developed in the past 50 years or so is mostly unnecessary. And those things that people have invented to get work done seem to just make things more complicated. People with antennas in their heads, even if it does enhance their hearing, are pretty unnatural, and computers that can interact with people are just scary. Personally, I think it would be nice to not have to live with any technology at all. And if it wasn't even invented in the first place, then nobody would be so obsessed with it, and there wouldn't be any competition over who has the best iPhone of the smallest laptop.

The World in 2054

In 40 years, I think it'll most of the trees, plants, and animals will be gone because of global warming and pollution and all of that other stuff that's messing up the world. So to make up for the lack of oxygen that the trees provide us, Apple inc. will create a mini laptop that produces breathable air. And to make up for the fact that all the animals will be gone, mechanical pets and farm animals and such will be invented.

All the roads will disappear, and in their place people will build tracks above all the buildings that go through the whole world. To get your cars up to them, a giant elevator will be installed outside of each persons home for their car, and so that car accidents stop happening your car will attach itself to the track when it gets on it.

I also think that there won't be such a thing as "bad weather" because a really smart scientist will discover a chemical or create a machine that enables you to control it. And houses, apartments, and condos will rebuild themselves depending on the needs of the person who lives in them. So if say you move into a new house, but the bathroom is to small and it needs another bedroom, it will just automatically appear as soon as you think of it.

Ok, so maybe a lot of this stuff is unlikely to happen for a very long time, if ever, but it's still kind of cool to think about.

My Thoughts On Current Crimes on the Radio:
I keep hearing these stories on the radio of people who attack schools, commit murder, or attempt some other crime that's utterly horrible. These people who do these things are usually sent to jail, and sometimes executed, but sometimes they're set free from jail after a long time. But even if they were set free from jail, their lives would be horrible with the knowledge that they committed such a crime. I just don't understand why people would do things like that. I had a friend a long time ago who was murdered by a man like that, and it will never make sense to me why people would do something like that and be able to live with themselves. I mean, sure, some people are not in their right mind, they might be so crazy that they barely have control of their actions. But what about the other people, the ones who DO have control of their actions? What's their excuse, their motivation? What could be the reason for committing murder? Was it the way they were raised, or some weird grudge against their victim? Or something else? Fear? I don't know. As I've said, it'll never make sense to me. But it can't be undone, and it makes me....so angry that some man who I don't know could kill a young girl, my friend,  and yet he would be the one who was still living and she would not. It isn't like murdering someone proves some point, and it's obviously not some sick joke I hope, so I'm completely at a loss as to why someone, anyone, would do something so......horrible.

Hi, My Name Is...

Hi, my name is Morgan. I enjoy spending my time hiking, biking, doing yoga, reading, and writing. I would like to spend my time traveling around the world, but I'll have to work up to that. I listen to Vampire Weekend, Ingrid Michealson, Sara Bareilles, and The Civil Wars when I write and do my homework. I am planning on adopting a dog this month, he's a poodle named Simon. I really like dogs, much better than cats; obviously I'm a dog person. I would especially like a dog that I can take hiking with me, so I'm not alone in the woods. :) This summer I'm starting to train to hike the Appalachian Trail, even though I'm not hiking it until the year after I graduate from college. So I still have about 6 years, but it's better to be prepared then to not be prepared and quit halfway through. I have two younger sisters and one older brother, so I have a pretty large family and I have to help watch my little sisters all the time. I also like to go shopping, (and no, I'm not ashamed.) My favorite stores are Vintage Bliss and Sweet Elizabeth Jane.