The Meaningful Zip-line

I am in a foreign land

There is a fresh spring of water

It is surrounded by big boulders under water

They are like cars

There is a kid operating a zip-line

It is an old zip-line that towers 50 feet over the water like a giant

The zip-line is a strong wire with bike handle bars

It stretches 200 feet across water

If you let go too early then you will die

I step up to try it but I stop

What if I slip

What if I let go too early

What if I let go too late

What if the wire snaps

What if

What if

What if

What if it is fun

I build up my courage inside

I reach up on my tippy toes and grab the bar

I push off and soar over water like an eagle

I wait for the right time and take a deep breath

Then I let go and I feel weightless

I fall 50 feet in slow motion then plunge into water

I swim 20 feet back up to the light

Once I reach the surface I am as happy as a mug

What if I didn’t try that

Harmless Or Dangerous

My car broke down in the middle of the woods

I was not prepared so I had no goods

The sun is burning on this hot, summer day

I see a stranger across the way

He peers at me with his long, stinging glare

And I think, does he hate me or does he care

I cannot believe what I see in his hand

I think, am I a coward or am I a man

I run away as fast as the wind

But hearing his voice

Made me lose it

I couldn’t rhyme

Or think of a way out

He catches up I start losing my breath

Only to find he has a helpful wrench in his hand

He finds the problem within my car

And fixes it with ease

Now I know you can still be scared

But if they really care

You shouldn’t be scared

You should face your fears and let them hear

The Speaking Fear

As I watch my classmates present well before me

I hear the teacher speak YOUR UP!

All pain only just starts

As I get get up there

All I can see is my classmates staring straight at me

Thousands of eyes stare as they shoot fireballs directly at my body

As I get further and further into my presentation I hear whispers from my peers

me expecting the worst I panic and start to sweat

this panic attack is like a poison in my mouth killing me

putting me in a void

A void of fear with no courage in site

as I go further and further into this void I start to smell smoke

It was smoke coming from my heart from the burning pain in my chest

further and further I go now I’m sweating so much its weight is pulling me down

I burn and burn until it’s over

by that point the fire fighters are pulling me from this void and putting out this fire

after I cool down I wake up as if nothing had happened but still

Still I feel that I have been traumatized

it doesn’t change that I’m just preparing for another attack

When all I’m thinking about is the end

But then I begin to think is there really an end to this

as I run it through my head I thought

F

O

R

E

V

E

R

The Journey In Darkness

Down the stairs I go
Alone in darkness
With a candle in hand
With it’s stone walls
And it’s stone stairs

Down the stairs I go
Hand on the wall
Damp and mossy
Supporting me
On my way down

Down the stairs I go
Other than footsteps
Is dripping of water
Splashing down on my head
Extinguishing my candle

Down the stairs I go
Alone in darkness
With my candle
That no longer emits light
On an endless flight of stairs

Alone in the dark
With light gone
With a cold taste in my mouth
Placing my candle
Onto the damp stone stairs

Down the stairs I go
Alone in darkness
Stumbling on a step
Falling down fast
Down many steps

As I got back up
And continued my way
I seem to be in place
As if stairs were moving
And not me

Then I turned around
Looking behind me
I see some bright light
And I finally realize
It was my imagination

Words Can Hurt

I hear people talking,

their hatred and all.

As mean as the devil

I wish they wouldn’t call

 

Me names I don’t like

Ugly, stupid, and dumb

I try to keep them away

As a rule of my thumb

 

Their words always slap

their victims’ weak feelings

they never use the same words

to keep fresh with their dealings

 

But what’s worse is the fact

that they strike without caution

they surround you and drown you

giving no other option

 

But there are some

who are willing to help

They’ll care for your wounds

so you won’t have to whelp.

Fears That Bind Us

It is tempting

I see the light

bright and warm

I understand

why people always go

towards it

It beckons me

calling out

the voices of those I’ve lost

 

It is tempting

they sound so pained

they call to me

It is tempting

then I understand

I can not go into the light

I must fight it

 

I am terrified

I know I must

overcome

my fears

I can’t do it

yes I can

I smell it

the stench of the dead

lIke a million skunks

the bodies, dead, but still calling

I taste the blood

awful

like metal

 

then

I realize

not blood

but death

what I taste

I know I am close

to death

this knowledge scares me

but gives me power

scary, but powerful

I will myself to overcome

I rise up and wash

the taste out of my mouth

with the water of life

I am living

with power

new power

 

it was tempting

my fears

overcome

no longer binding me

The Big Water

The Ocean

So strong and so powerful

Pulling you away

So  evil it will deceive you

changing your life forever

Take you away

To a better place

 

The ocean

So powerful

So deep

so dangerous

so harmful

Filled with animals that could make you disappear

Forever

 

The waves take you farther and farther

Away from life

so strong they take your breath away

with your life

You hear the kids screaming

You jump in and try to help

But it’s too strong

too dangerous

The ocean

 

Dream Trapped

By: Madeline

My eyes wander the open scene,

There was one soul to be found

And that was me.

 

To hear the sound of nothing

Wasn’t blank at all

But the sight of nothing,

Grew to a fear above all.

 

I look up to see

shiny dreams,

And wonder

Where am I might be?

 

I study around, like a fox at night

Until I gazed upon

This empty box

and…

BAM!

I was in my dream.

 

Thousands of my dreams

vanished here,

and I finally caught one.

The Water of Death

“Hey you guys should go down the river.” my uncle said

“Can we?” my dad replied

“I did, you don’t even need a permit.”

“We’re still going to check. Do you want to try it?” my dad said talking to my family

That’s when we decided to go tubing down the Niagara River. So the first thing we did is go to the info station and asked is there a way we can talk to the Niagara water Marshall. My dad and mom went there and came back and said we can without a permit. When  the next day came we go out and buy things we need. We needed a whistle to make sound if we need help, a water gun that will show boats that we were there and tubes. We got everything set and went down to the river we got a little floater for a cooler with snacks and rope to tie each other together.

I was so excited until I saw the water it was dark couldn’t see anything. I started second guessing it. But I couldn’t let my family down so jumped in my tube and I kept my feet and hands out of the water. Once I hit the water all you heard was SPLASH! After 5 minutes or so it was relaxing. Until a boat came by we had to grab our water gun and shoot it up in the air even though it was in the morning.

The shocking part is the water was as cold as ice. But after a little you got use to it. We went down the river we ate some snacks and put the wrappers back in the coolers so we didn’t litter.  But one of the scariest parts was when my dad wanted to lay in his tube so he struggled around then he said he just touched something with his foot. I don’t know if he was lying or not but I still got scared.

Once we came up to our drop off there were parked boats everywhere and since I was the smallest I wasn’t the strongest. I tried and tried to swim to the dock, but I couldn’t I started getting nervous. But then my mom came to my rescue and grabbed a hold of me and helped me to the docks. Once we got up we headed to the car and I thanked my mom for helping me. That’s my courage story of me coming over my fear of the dark water where you can’t see anything.

Do or Don’t

If you have no fear of talking in front out a large crowd without preparation or improvising a solo because you forgot it; props to you. Stepping out of my comfort zone, especially in public is always a struggle for me to get past. People try and give me strategies for going up in front of a group of people, like imagine everyone’s in their underwear or stare at one spot in the room. It’s not that I’m scared of the people watching me it’s what they think about me, when they’re judging me. I try to play but only a squeak of my instrument comes out along with my face bursting out into a lavish red and sweating profusely. I put some of my hardest work into my tone and solos but when it’s time I break under the pressure. Grades and all of these numbers that rate me and are supposed to the reason I do well or fail in life. Why do I even try?

Music has been a necessity since I first touched a trumpet in 4th grade then it grew to two instruments and approaching three. It would be a vent for me if I was mad, sad or depressed in anyway. It’s a counselor you don’t need an appointment for. Most days after school instead of eating, sleeping or homework, I would go and play music; much to my family’s dismay. If was happening to feel stressed in any way or form the words woven by the music would pull the pressure of my shoulders.

Then when I get in front of people that all changes. My head’s a mess of thoughts and my face is twisted in concentration. “Am I playing the right notes?”, “when am I supposed to stop?”, “is it good enough?”  The notes flow out without me even thinking about it, years of practice assure that I know the notes. I only wanted the solo because I was the only who practiced it, but I was still way too afraid to mess up. Then a thought hit me like a rock, “If my teacher allowed me to do this why can’t I?” He had enough faith in me so why don’t I?

Music will always be a home to me and it will carry me through the hard times. It speaks to me better than anyone. The fear is just like a spit valve I need to clear and clean.