Creative Portfolio 1st Semester 2014-2015

Ten of my best work this semester:
1. The Boy With The Red Glasses
          He sits on the hard, cold cement and watches everyone hurry along toward their different destinations. They all have different expressions on their faces, each of them live a life completely unlike the person in front of them. A man with blue pants passes him and pats his head. No one really cares that a small boy of his age is sitting in the square. They all assume his mother is close by.
          He looks down at the yellow sunflower in his hands. The sun illuminates the petals. His red rimmed glasses slide a little down his nose. His mother said she would be right back. He had watched her purple skirt disappear into the crowd just minutes before. She had given him the sunflower to keep him occupied while she was gone. It had worked for a little while, but his little mind began to wander. He wanted to follow the man with the blue pants.
          He stands up and begins skipping along behind the man. He doesn’t get very far before the man with the blue pants vanishes. The little boy is alone, the crowd of people swarming him. Men with black pants, brown pants, women with orange skirts, pink skirts, green skirts, block his view of the outside. He looks down at his flower. One of its petals had fallen off while he skipped. He turns around to try and find it, but all he can see is feet. His little green eyes fill with tears as he realizes he is lost, and his flower is broken. His mother would come back at any moment, but he wouldn’t be there.
            A woman in a grey skirt stops in front of him. She reaches out a hand and smiles warmly. She seems friendly so he takes her hand. She leads him into the crowd. He looks around at all the people trying to find his mother, but her purple skirt isn’t anywhere to be seen. After a few minutes of holding the woman in the grey skirt’s hand, his mother’s purple skirt comes into view. She lifts him into her arms and happily asks where he had run off to. She lifts her hand and shows a yellow petal laying in her palm. The little boy giggles and holds the petal close. He found his mother, and his flower had all its pieces. His day is saved.
2. Mona Lisa
          Her eyes are deep, her smile pressed in a small line. She knows something. But she'll never tell. Her mind is locked and her voice is silent. She gazes out at him and everyone that passes. Her face bears no sign off what she is thinking. The emotion in her eyes and on her lips never changes. The secrets she knows could turn cities upside down. They could be the end of her, the end of him, the end of them. She knows that power that she holds, but she never uses it. The mystery of what's behind those eyes fascinates him. He loves her, but that too remains unsaid.
3. Depression
          Today I met with Depression. An old familiar friend. One who visits a little too often. They sat in the corner and talked to me while I went through my day. Certainly not good company as all they could bother saying was insults and lies. As the day began to turn to night Depression got a little brave. They began yelling and grabbing at me. I felt trapped by their grip on my arms until I fell asleep. The next morning I could still see Depression lingering by the door. But today I didn't invite them in. Still aware of their presence, but not wanting to talk. I had a new visitor coming and I wanted them to have all my attention. Love knocked on my door and greeted me with a warm hug. I felt safe with them so close. Depression looked in from the outside with jealousy, and tried whispering doubts through the window. But for this moment ignored them. I only had room for Love. I wasn't going to let anything destroy my time with them.
4. Freedom
          The city lights fuel our energy as we walk down the sidewalk. Stars are shining somewhere over our heads but we cannot see them. Tonight we are escaping the normal lives we are used to. Tonight we are just going to have fun. The streets are alive with traffic and even though its nearly three in the morning, everyone seems to be awake. The buildings tower above us, with every door that opens I can feel them breathe. Tonight we would have fun, letting every care escape our minds.
5. Remember, Remember
          Remember, remember the times when we were younger. Back when things were simple, and things were fine. When the worries overcame us and we fell apart. But even when we give up all hope there is space enough to grow. We aren't completely lost, things are just different. A little more twisted. The promise I made that I'd love you forever, I meant it I swear, and I'll mean it forever. You are my safety, my comfort, my home. Your eyes are the oceans that put my head in the clouds. Even though we've been torn at the seams, I still hold on to the small strings.
6. My Brain
          Trapped under layers of bone it breathes. Everything I am is held up by its arms. Comfortable it sits in its cage. It belongs there, giving me life. I blame it for my troubles and pain, but I know it's truly innocent. I owe my happiness to everything it stands for and believes.
7. Gone
          I stare at the red rose. Its color against the grey surround it burned into my eyes. Sitting in the grass, oxygen is becoming hard to let in. There stone in front of me reads your name and I can't help but feel empty. You and I were meant to be forever. We thought we had all the time in the world, but with one second you were taken from me too soon. The little girls next door keep asking when you'll be there to give them m&m's like you always did. We all miss you and feel you absence. My heart is beginning to shut down. I lay my head against the cold stone. I'll love you forever. Death smiles from near by knowing he caused me sorrow. I just pray he will let me join you soon.
8. Stardust
          The galaxy is so close you could touch it with your fingers. The sky a mess of color and white dots of life. I live among the stars dreaming of what could be. I rarely come down to Earth. I only have one reason to and that's to be with him. He pulls me to the ground where I guess you could say I really belong. He doesn't want me to disappear into the starry world. A phase he calls it. He's worried my mind will turn to stardust and he'll no longer be able to hold me in his arms.
8. Death
           Sometimes life decides to reach up and grab me by the ankles. It whispers about my past and threatens to bring it all back. I try to going, dragging life behind me, trying to move on. The grip only gets tighter and I feel trapped in its dark grasp. I trip and fall into memories and pain. Life tries to take over, grasping at my arms, holding me back. I cry out for something to save me, an escape from this nightmare. A soft voice enters my ear, calling to me wanting to lift me from the dark. I reach out for it, wanting to be in its arms. Life puts up a fight, not wanting me to go. I beg and plead and pull myself away. I am released. Light fills me. Relief fills my bones. I am free from life.
9. Viper
          She is tall, beautiful, independent. With the power of the viper, she is good and evil combined. One minute she has green scales and wants to save the world, but the next minute they turn black and she wants to destroy everything in her path. You see, she is hero and villain in one. Constantly fighting with herself.
10. Cold
          Standing outside on the steps I watch cars pass by. The air is crisp and bites at all my exposed skin. The flagpole clinks as the chain sways in the subtle breeze. Ice has made its home in the cracks on the stairs. A thin sheet of crackled glass.


Essay Questions about this year:
1. My biggest challenge with creative writing this year would have to have been my confidence. I didn't feel like anything I was writing was very good. Reading back over it though, I should have had more faith in myself. It really wasn't that bad.
2. About myself and my writing I have learned that I put a lot of what I am thinking into what I write. I learned that I really need to sit down and write more to give those thoughts a voice.
3. About the writing process I have learned that always sitting down and writing some everyday makes my writing better. Practice makes perfect. And practice helps me find my voice.
4. I noticed some growth in my writing by seeing how much my writing has changed over the past year and even longer than that.
5. Thinking about my writing, I always heavily critique myself. I can't think about it too much or I completely take away the magic of it.
6. My attitude about writing has changed since the beginning of class because I kept thinking I wasn't good enough, but that's not true. I'm way too hard on myself.
7. My least favorite aspect of writing is actually sitting down and making myself write. Sometimes I really really just don't feel like it.
8. I can continue to grow as writer by continuing to practice. I really want to make some goals to write a lot more.
9. I used colors to select the criteria for my final project. I love all the different colors and what they could mean. So I put them all in poems.
10. My blog is my writing, and some parts of my life reflect in every single piece of my writing.
11. I will always continue to use writing in my life. It's one of my favorite things to do. As stated above I want to make goals to continue to write more.