The Roots for My Unconditional Love for Dogs

People tend to have pets because they’re lonely or just want a furry animal walking around their house. There are a variety of different animals for a person to choose from. However, I chose a dog as my best friend a very long ago. Whoever said pearls was a girls best friend clearly did not own a dog. Plus, they’re SO CUTE. Dogs over anything, any day. Dogs come in a variety of sizes, and breeds. Some people like small dogs as “inside dogs” others like big dogs to call “guard dogs”. Even the policemen like their K-9 Dogs. I love dogs but personally the dog that made a difference in my life was my first dog, Blaze, a Boxer Pitt mix. What did Blaze do to print his paw in my heart? Why is he the cause of my love or obsession for all dogs? Blaze taught me a lot of things. Ironic I know, getting lessons from a dog, sounds like a bizarre movie. He was the type of dog to say “Let’s have fun” on my sad days. Blaze came at a time where a three year old shouldn’t have been struggling that she ends up at a hospital because of a Cardiac Attack. My Hispanic parents weren’t ready for me and at three they broke up and were in process of divorce. I was handed off to an “aunt” The most beautiful African American woman I have ever met in my life. Due to my father’s schedule, it was easier that way. My father's money spoke of presence than him as a person, and my mother? Who knows. My therapist one day had her dog come into our session knowing in her heart that something had to trigger me to speak. She was right, soon after I had a therapy dog, Blaze, to help with my Anger Management and Stress. He was trained to sense my emotions and my next move even before I knew what I was feeling or about to do. Blaze was my big bundle of Joy. He protected me and was “Stuck to the hip” with me, as I was to him. I refused to go anywhere without him. I used to get upset remembering I lived with no parents. I’d hit things bruise myself, breathe fast that my asthma would act up but with Blaze, He’d pin me to the ground, applying pressure on me, forcing me to calm down, long enough for him to get my aunt, who would calm me and hook me to a breathing machine. Blaze and I would go on walks, runs, or just outside but do  anything to distract me. It felt as he took care of me instead of me to him. For all I did was feed him and bathe him. But he gave me a smile, made me laugh again, I wasn’t just breathing, i was living. And having fun with my best friend. Blaze was a key factor in my family coming together. I don’t usually believe in happy endings but in my case it happened. My mother and I met for the first time over five years because of dog. Some of my friends have been able to noticed how different, how happy and cheery she is when you present a dog to her. However sad it may sound, she visited because she had heard about Blaze, that brought us together though and I don’t regret it. Soon after, I was back home living with parents and my best friend. Blaze was not my whole world, but he did make my life whole once again. Divorce papers were no more and we were a happy family again. Blaze more than likely had no clue what he was doing, but I did and I loved him for it even more. We added one more dog to our little family. His name was Rocko. We knew that Blaze was getting old and he was probably annoyed at having to play with me constantly. For me, Rocko was a way to secure my family together, however weird that may sound but then again, it’s not like I lived a normal live exactly. Blaze was an amazing dog who stood by me till his last days. To this day I still own a dog, not in a way of ever replacing him, but because i know that a dog loves unconditionally, and their only ever mistakes is chewing on things and having little accidents. For however irrational they can be at times, they only know one thing, and it’s you as their owner. I have a very important question that I’d like for you all to think about. My question is: Do you choose your dog to be your pet, or does the dog choose you to be its owner? Because you can choose the dog, find the perfect size, the best breed, the right color, and an awesome name, but if the dog does not like you, then what’s the point?

My Youngest Sister

I have two little sisters. The youngest one is in kindergarten. She is always running around and being that little pain that will not stop talking. Of course, my instant reaction is to roll my eyes and pray she will shut up because I might be able to then hear myself think. She is a little daredevil that really is not afraid of getting hurt. She amazes me in how quickly she learns things on her own and will exceed the expectations you would normally put on a five year old. My youngest sister never stops asking questions or trying to get you to listen to her stories. She wants to tell you just about everything that happened during her day, every day. She never pauses when starting a conversation in which she expects you to obviously to join in on. She speaks out on what she sees and tells her opinions on everything. If she isn't talking, she is singing or maybe even just making random noises. Yeah, she never ceases to take a breath once she starts, but the more I think about her ongoing stories the more I wish I could still be that way. I overthink pretty much every single thing that pops into my mess of a mind. If I know the answer in class and my brain is just begging me to say it aloud, it rarely actually ever comes out. If I have a story about my day that I think is pretty dang interesting, it rarely gets told. If I have a song stuck in my head or hear one playing that I would really honestly love to just yell out the lyrics along with, you can forget about that happening if I see more than a couple people around. Don't get me wrong, I have quite an attitude that gets put into use often if needed to help get a point across I want to be made. I can defend myself, and nobody will run me over. When it comes to just putting myself out there and letting others hear what I really have to say is hard. I have always had the shy part of my personality to deal with in so many cases. If something is bothering me, I almost never get it out to someone who asks. Definitely never fully explain what it is and why. I feel a sense of pressure to say what someone wants to hear, instead of what I want to come out of my mouth. I lack confidence. I have known this for quite awhile. I have learned to put myself out there and jump in some cases, even when my insecure mindset points in the opposite direction. People laugh or look at you like you are missing something in your brain, but really when you speak out, rant, and tell stories from the simplest ones to the ones that make everyone stop and think, you are regaining that part of yourself and letting others see it. You stop overthinking for that moment and take a positive step forward. Difficult for me to put into action the majority of the time, but ultimately has me leaving with a smile afterwards. Basically, I want to be a five year old.

Hunting using a shotgun Vs using a rifle

When hunting their are many different guns and bows you can use but i'm going to be talking about the differences between the shotgun and the rifle. I have personally used both of these guns and I like them both very much but the way you hunt hast to be very different. When using a shotgun you're probably hunting either squirrels or going dove hunting but you can also use them to go deer hunting if you use slugs which is a time of ammo for them but the only problem is they don't go very far so you haft to get very close to the deer which can be very hard but it can also be fun trying to be really quiet and sneaking up on a deer. With a rifle you're most likely going to be doing big game hunting which is like deer and hogs and animals like that. The rifle is really nice when deer hunting because you can be on the other side of a 300 arc field and still be able to take the deer down. When I do deer hunting I normally use my 30 06 which is a very powerful rifle and when I do squirrel and dove hunting I use my 12 gauge shotgun. Both guns are great for hunting and either one would get the job done.

Going hunting early in the morning.

When going hunting really early in the morning there are many things to consider. You might as well go ahead the night before get your gun and clothes ready because at 5 am you're not really going to feel like it. It might also be a good idea to set a couple alarms because you might sleep threw the first couple. You should also pack very warm clothes because sitting out in the stand first thing in the morning and not being able to move around very much you will start to get very cold. I would also pack something to cover your face and also don't forget to pack a couple pieces of orange clothing so other hunters can see you and don't mistake you as a deer. Make sure to bring a snack to and maybe a cup of coffee because after about an hour you're gonna be getting pretty hungry. When I go out in the morning I normally go out from about 5:30am to 10am and then I come back in and eat a big breakfast and just hangout for awhile before we go out for the evening hunt. I honestly prefer going hunting in the evening just because you don't haft to get up first thing in the morning and you normally have eaten a good bit before you go out so you don’t get to hungry.

Cummins vs Duramax

Cummins and duramaxes are both great diesel trucks but your always gonna hear someone saying that the other sucks. These two diesel trucks have been the top of the line for diesel for a long time. I personally own a cummins but my dad has a duramax so I can speak about both with a bit of experience. The duramax is a bit more expensive than the cummins but not by much. I personally like my dad's duramax better then my cummins just because of his transmission. But I honestly like the engine in my truck better I think cummins is one of the best makers of motors on the market but that's up for debate. There are many different thought out there so you will just kind of haft to make your own mind up. I honestly just wish the two truck companies would join together just just make one badass truck, but that's never going to happen because everybody love money to much.

Snowboarding vs Skiing

Most people say that it's easier to start skiing first and then switch to snowboarding. So that's what I did I mastered skiing and then I switched to snowboarding. I haven't quiet got the hang of snowboarding yet but i'm getting their. In my opinion skying was a lot easier to get the hang of but snowboarding is more fun. So it just really depends on your style. If you have ever skateboarded you could probably pick up snowboarding pretty quick. But you will haft to still figure out which foot you like on the front which will take awhile to figure out. If you have every roller bladed before you can probably pick up skiing pretty quick. But honestly you can pick either one and if you try real hard you will pick it up pretty quick. but it's not going to be easy you will probably end up falling down a lot and getting some bruises but as long as you keep at it you will pick it up eventually. If you want to pick it up really quick it would probably be a good idea to take a lesson or two.

Killer Poems: Hannibal Lecter- The Cage

Day in

Day out

I’m caged within

I hear them shout

They act like primates

They have no class

They are inmates

Showing their ass

They disgust me

They are a disease

Their evisceration would give me such glee

Especially to the sound of their pleas.

The guards treat me like a beast

A hurtful thing to say the least

I was not at fault when the nurse was rude

Her actions were the cause of what had ensued

She spit in my face and called me vile words

So of course her screams needed to be heard.

So now I’m in max security

A disgrace to my refined taste of purity

I understand cannibalism is a crime

And I understand I should do my time

I am abhorred

To here I must stick

But I am bored

This place makes me sick.

A beautiful smell

It does not cease

I meet an obvious childhood southern bell

Her name is Clarice

My neighbor hits her with his seed

He will soon beg and plead

But right now I hold out a handkerchief

On her face she gives no sign of relief

She rejects the gesture

She goes straight into her inquiry

I begin my lecture

I won’t let it be easy to question me

I comment on her perfume

An elegance my nostrils consume

I mock her accent

Pointing out its a false sense of ascent

She asks of Buffalo Bill

A man who eats garbage and swill

I give her hints

Once she begins to squint

Then I make a crude joke

My laughter is choked

She leaves irritated

Her mood I made exacerbated

Once again I’m all alone

My actions I continue to atone

But her presence has lit a fire in me

The light of the  sun and the radiance of her face I must once again see.

Killer poems: Brother

The camera rises

I feel a surge,

I have an urge.

A dark thought emerges

I make a smile,

A thought of purges

My brother nervous all the while.

The lightning surrounds us in the sky

The cameraman is wondering “why?”

My hair starts to rise

It’s taking it’s true form

My brother cries

My hair’s in the form of two horns.

There is a flash

One like a heavenly light

One meant to turn all in its path to ash

It’s so bright.

My brother makes a scream

This isn’t a dream.

He yells

Not understanding this hell.

I just stand, cold in thought

Knowing what I have brought.

Only I understand this power

This is my lightning shower.

Murder

Police brutality is real ! I don't care what people say or think but a real close family friend was murdered last night by Hickory Deputy. I could go into detail about what happened but everything is under investigation. My heart is heavy this morning and make the matter worse , they brought him to the hospital I work at in the ER. To hear that his daughter was crying to save her daddy. He was a innocent bystander. He got shot a couple years back by hickory police 12x and was innocent on that account too and there is a lawsuit for that on going case so see his body couldn't take anymore gun shots. I'm very angry and upset. Yes , he was a black man. Myself , raising a black son makes me NOT trust a soul on in the world to be honest , this is a blog and I'm speaking my mind but I'm not going to say to much because everyone is younger than me and will NEVER understand where I'm coming from but had to get that out of my system. So while ya'll are having a good day a wife , sister , father , etc. family is grieving. Be thankful to be alive today

Life of a dog.

The life of a dog is a simple one they wake up, eat some food go outside and use the bathroom. They then play with their toys for a few hours and wait on their owner to return from work or wherever. They then wait for the owner to take them to the dog park or maybe for a hike. After they get done doing whatever it was like a hike or go play at the dog park they normally come in the house and eat and go to sleep for a few hours. Until later tonight when they will be filled with energy and ready to play again. After a few more hours of sitting and playing or just petting them and watching tv, they have to go out again and use the bathroom again. Now they're ready for bed and to do it all over again tomorrow.

College vs high school.

When your going thru high school you just can”t wait until it's over but what you don't realize is that when your done in high school you either gotta get a job or go to college. Don't get me wrong I hated high school but now that i'm out I realize how easy we had it. College is a howl new ballgame the freedom from your parents is nice but all the extra homework and all the papers start getting old after while and start stressing you out. Sometime I wish I could just go back to never having any homework and just hanging out in class with my buddies. I also really miss the football field and going to practice. But know i'm going to work instead of practice and writing papers instead of just chilling with friends. But I do love college and all the freedom and becoming your own person. You also get an actual taste of the real world without actually being in it. College is the place you're supposed to figure out what you want to do with your life but, that's not always the case sometime you never really know until you get out and try a bunch of different things. It's not easy figuring out what you want to do with your life but ones you do college is gonna help you get their.

Growing up on a farm.

Growing up on a farm is a very interesting childhood. I was exposed to many different things while growing up. We have 4 different farm locations the one I grew up on was located in Fairview NC which is where we build chicken trailer and raised cows. I was always running around on the farm with my dad doing different things. Every year before winter we always raised pigs all year and around that time is when we took them to be slaughtered I was probably around 6 years old the first time I saw this happen. I always loved working the cows with my dad until I turned 10 and he made me castrate a cow he said it was time for me to learn the family cow business. After that I didn't like it so much but I still helped out and did my part. I've been driving four wheelers sense I was probably about 5 years old and i've been driving trucks and tractors by myself senses I was 10. Growing up on a farm you gotta be tough you're gonna get beat up and just wanna quiet and go live in a nice little apartment in the city but you can't because their are too many people relying on you. I've seen my dad get up at 5am go out and work the field for a few hours be back by 7:30am to take me to school and then not get back home until 7pm that night being a farmer is no joke and their few that can do it. I look up to my dad more than anybody I've seen him work his but off and just keep going.

Having a dog in an apartment.

Having a dog while living in an apartment is great, expect when you haft to walk around picking your dog's poop up. I love taking her on hikes and to the dog park and it's a great way for me to get outside and it's a great way to meet new people around your apartment. It does get a little annoying when she wakes you up at 8:00am every morning having to go to the bathroom. But it's not too bad she sometimes sleeps in if you're lucky. It can always be a pain when she get’s all muddy and you haft to wash her off in your bathtub but she's so muddy it actually clog your drain and you haft to go by some drain solution to get in unclogged. I hate that I haft to pay an extra 200 dollars and then 25 dollars a month to keep her with me but I understand.

Skiing Trip

I can remember all the way back to 3rd grade when we went on a skiing trip to App ski mountain. We all went as a class field trip and we had a blast. I can remember the squad. It was Jacob, Josh, Lee, and I, all we did was cut-up and joke around. I can remember how we all go to school all excited and everything, which we all were supposed to pack our lunches. And of course...I left mine as always. It never failed I always forgot something. But anyways we loaded up on the bus and headed down the road. I wanted to sit next to Jessica, because I always had this big crush on her. But she ended up sitting with Lindy straight across the bus. Which I guess was just second best. But anyways the bus ride didn't seem long at all I guess because all we did was talk and socialize. But once we got there it seemed like FOREVER to get everyone rounded up and everyone to get all their equipment. But we finally did it. Everyone got a little practice lesson. Which I thought I was too good for, but really probably needed it. The main rule they taught you was to make a pizza or a triangle to slow your self down which I found out didn't work like I thought it would. After our little 30 minute lesson, they let us turn loose. We went on some of the smaller slopes at first to get warmed up. The thing I hated the most was trying to get on the chair lift. I liked to ride it, but it was hard to get up on it and hard to get off of it. But all of us guys stuck together through it all. The we decided we go hard and go down the big apple, which is the biggest slope they had.We all went down a flying. I fell a couple of times and they fell a couple of times, but we all made it to the bottom. None of us mountain boys knew how to ski at all, it was hilarious. So now we thought we had everything all mastered and that we could do it all. I can remember one time we went down Lee got off course and ran into a tree. It was hilarious, he went way off course and ran right into a tree. It was so funny. But we went on the slope several different times until it became a race to beat each other down. But we ended up getting separated from each other. Well I didn't think nothing about it because we were all still on the same slope. But from time to time I would still see some of my classmates, so I didn't think nothing much of it. Even know we all were supposed to stay in groups of at least 3. But eventually I wasn't seeing anyone around the area. I went down a few more times by myself and I still never seen anyone. Then finally when I got to the bottom, my teacher, Mrs. Cable came out and yelled for me. She was asking where Have I been, because they were all getting ready to leave. Turns out everyone was already on the bus and they were taking a head count and seen that I was missing so she came looking for me. I had to hurry and return all of my equipment and hurry to the bus. I got on there and everyone was looking at me like I was stupid. I went back to my seat with Josh and looked over at Jessica, and she didn't look to disgusted like everyone else was. So to me I was still happy. Once I got sat down and looked over at the corner of the seat, I seen my lunchbox and that made my day. By this point in the day I was starving. I can't remember what mom packed for me, but I can say that I ate all of it for sure. I shared my lunch with Josh because he was hungry too and that's what buds do.

Hunting

  It was opening day of muzzling of the 2016 season. Which was about 2 weeks ago. I was hunting for deer as always. But this time I shot something unusual. It was about 20 degrees that morning. I had to walk all the way to the top of the mountain. It was about too long of a dang hike to hunt. But when you have to put in work, that's usually where the big deer are. Some people will get lucky and shoot one from the truck, but not all the time. It takes me about an hour to get all the way to the top of the mountain. On top of all that, I had to wake up at 4:45... But I started up the mountain side and when I got right near my stand, I heard a deer in the leaves. I had already scared it, but the good thing was that it never saw me. I could best tell it was probably a doe or something. It blew a bunch when I means danger to a deer. So I was like you have got to be kidding me. But I climbed up in the stand anyways. I hooked my backpack down on the rope and climbed in. I got up and hung my backpack up and sat my rifle on the gun hanger. I continued to hear that doe blowing all the way around the ridge. So I figured for sure that I wouldn't see anything. But I got up in the stand anyways and decided to sit for the morning. I just sat down and got ready to put my coveralls on and I looked out the mountain and seen somethings black moving. Once I got a halfway decent look on it, I could tell it was a bear. It was bear season and if the shot came available I was going to try to make it happen. He came almost a run out the mountain, that I never could figure out why. He came on around until he was like 20 yards from me and I was afraid that he was gonna get by me. I got the muzzloader off the hook and held right behind his shoulder and fired. After the smoke cleared,  could see the bear roll of the side of the mountain. I just knew I got him. Well I waited about a hour, because I didn't wanna track a wounded bear by myself. So I gave him plenty enough time to expire. Well I climbed down and went over to where I shot him at. I found some blood and began tracking. The further he went the more and more blood I found. He was really starting to bleed good, so I figured not too much further and he would be laying. Well I kept tracking until I hit a laurel patch and I wasn't gonna go in that thicket by myself. So I decided to pull out and get some help. I got back to the house and ate lunch and went back. It took us an hour to walk all the way in there, but we finally arrived to where I made the shot. We tracked that bear for miles it felt like. We went a long long way and I told them boys that we would probably never find it. The further and further we went the less and less blood we found. Until it got to the point that we couldn't find any at all. So I was disappointed, because I've always wanted to harvest a bear. But it was an unfortunate hunt for me and being unable to kill this bear.

Being Yourself.

I wrote this for a project, enjoy.

Most of us grew up and go through life being told, ¨You always need to be yourself!” and “ Never be someone or something that you aren't! ” But that statement is, in some cases, easier said than it is done. Sometimes some people feel like being yourself isn't always right or the best thing to do.

For some people, being yourself is hard. For some people, being yourself seems like it’s impossible. At times, It seems like the only thing that being yourself will cause is more problems, so you keep everything to yourself and keep pretending to be something you’re not. It’s almost like you are wearing a mask.

Sadly, there are  people that are never able to be who they truly are inside due to things like family or their religion. But some people can. Some people can break free from the “chains and bonds” that are restraining them. Some people are able to find the courage and find all the strength to be be who they actually are. Finally being able to be true to yourself is a great feeling.   

So for me, my story started when I was in the 6th grade. So I  think I was probably around 12 years old at the time all of this started. From that time on, I knew that I wasn’t “normal,” so to speak. I knew I was different from most people that I knew at the time.

At the time, this worried me. From things I had heard, if you were like me you were bad or nothing but trouble. Like, this really worried me. I didn’t know what to do and I sure didn’t know of anyone that I would tell. So for a long time, I just kept all of this stuff..bottled up.

Keeping everything bottled up and internalizing all of your feelings can really start to affect a person. This was one of the biggest causes of stress at this point in time. I was constantly trying to figure things out myself and my feelings. This stress was really starting to affect me.

It wasn’t so much me worrying about myself. I knew that I was gay and there is no changing that. I was more worried about how other people were gonna take it. I was worried about how it would affect my life. I was worried about how my family was gonna act due to the fact of being pretty religious. From everything I had  heard, there was something wrong with people like me.

Getting back to the stress and worrying. Like i said, it was starting to get to me. If was keeping me up at night so I wasn’t sleeping. It was more than affecting my mental health, but also my physical health. I was sick a lot. It even started affecting my school work.

So, there come a time in some people's life where they have been pushed too hard. Well, about half way through the eighth grade, I found this “point.” I just could not take it any more. I decided that I had to do something. I decided that it was time to come out. First I told my friends, then I told my family.   

I told my parents. My mom, she took it okay. But with my dad, it was a different story. He was not comfortable with it at all. He kept asking questions like, “Are you sure?” and saying things like, “Maybe you are just confused.” Eventually, he became more comfortable with it over time as he became exposed to it.

After I came out, it had been like the weights on my shoulders had just disappeared. It felt like the chains that were restraining me had finally been broken. I was a lot happier. I got healthier. I had finally been able to be my true self. So this is what I am trying to say.

Do not be afraid to show your true self. Don’t let one thing ruin your life. Always be yourself. Pretending to be something you aren’t isn’t gonna help anything, it will just drag you to the ground. Do not let it beat you. You will be a lot happier if you are just able to be yourself. If everyone could be themselves, the world could possibly be a better place.  

Gun Control and Laws

It's so crazy how in the past few years there have been so many crazy people out there on killing sprees. Or maybe I was just too young back in the day to realize how there's so much evil and racism still present. Or maybe social media allowed us to see better what has been going on. Whether it's been like this for a while or people just started going crazy there's big talk about guns. Are they good or bad? There's people that want to ban all guns and not allow citizens to carry nor own guns because it is dangerous for them to do so. There's people who oppose this and think people should be able to carry guns on school grounds and have them in case there is a crazy person they will have a weapon to protect themselves with and may also protect others by shooting down the shooter which in certain situations that has happened. A former police officer was at  a church and when a shooting took place she was able to shoot the shooter and avoid any further harming to civilians. In my opinion people deserve their right to bear arms and I agree there should be background checks to see what type of person is being granted a permit to carry. Classes also should be taken, tests should be passed in order to obtain a carry permit. We are trusting people with weapons and allowing them to carry them everywhere. We're trusting them to make the correct decision if and when danger is presented for them to use the guns to protect us. We can only trust our government to do what is best for the nations and hope they think about us, the people. Hope they see the real issue.

I don't think guns are bad, I certainly don't think guns are the ones killing people. Guns don't shoot themselves. Just like cars aren't driving themselves and killing people and causing accidents (that may come in the near future given that technology is revolutionizing), but for now it's us as humans that are irresponsible and only acting within the present. We don't think about the future, we don't think about the consequences and the harm we cause others at times.

So yes I approve of guns. I approves guns being carried around but with proper training. You can't just give a gun to anybody and hope they make the right decisions. The government must keep track of all of those with guns.

Intro to NOLS

     In late spring of 2014 I graduated high school, beyond elated to cross that accomplishment off the life list. Long story short, I had been ready to get out of there since day one. So, I did. I’d decided to take a gap year by then and first on the list, NOLS expedition NCW-7/23. The National Outdoor Leadership School is the leading outdoor education school, offering courses of all skill levels, durations, and activities across the world. Rock climbing, mountaineering, canyoneering, caving, sea kayaking, whitewater canoeing and rafting, sailing, backpacking, skiing, snowboarding, horsepacking, fly-fishing, you name it they teach it, (probably in a country you’ve always wanted to visit). At the time I applied for the Pacific Northwest backpacking expedition I had never flown anywhere, heck I’d never even been in an airport. So there I was at the JFK airport in New York City, about to fly to Seattle, WA. A flight, bus, cab, hotel room, and van ride later I arrived the the NOLS Pacific Northwest headquarters in Conway, WA with nine other strangers who I’d be spending the next 28 days with, deep in the backcountry of the Olympic National Park. The following day we introduced ourselves, rationed food portions, evaluated gear, reviewed maps, discussed group dynamics, packed our backpacks, and one more van and ferry ride later we were on our way into the Olympics. We traversed steep backcountry terrain, snow fields, scree, and rain forests, forded rivers, hiked and camped in the best and worst, got lost, and found ourselves. We laughed a lot, cried a little, saw marmots, bears, elk and enough mountain scenery to last a lifetime. We traveled in a ~100 mile loop around Mt. Olympus, food resupplies provided by horse packers every eight to ten days, we never left the backcountry. It was a true expedition experience.
     The school program impressed from the start, it was run extremely efficiently with utmost professionalism and it was obvious many of the instructors at the base had over a decade of experience. I got to know our two instructors very well and loved them and their support. I recommend NOLS to anyone that wants to challenge and improve themselves, and to those who cherish the wilderness and love to spend time in it.

Killer Poems Short: Father

The married man sat in his chair

He looked down and ruffled his hair

He stood up and took a short walk

He picked up a gun, and prepared to stalk

He left the room, and spotted his wife

He raised up the gun and ended her life

He looked around, his daughter was watching

All she could see was the red gushing splotching

A siren arose, and crash went the door

He was tackled to the floor

He did not fight back, he did not strain

He just watched as his daughter processed this in her brain

She looked at him, tears in her eyes

And asked only one word, “why?”

Pondering Clay

Most of my poems have a backstory, as some of my previous blog posts will show.  This one, on the other hand, was an assignment in my sophomore English class.  We were told to write a poem using figurative language, but we weren’t given a topic.  That day I happened to be thinking about clay (because normal people spend their free time pondering clay), so that’s what I wrote about.  I was fairly happy with the results, and went on to read this in my second poetry slam.

The Potter

If you were to task a potter,

To sculpt an accurate human,

He would take it seriously, I’m sure,

And think about it through the day.

He would pull a chair to his window,

And look out over the world,

Determining what to use,

And how to proceed.

He may use red clay for the skin,

Glass for the eyes,

Porcelain for the mind,

And the heart would be mache.

The red clay would be soft in the beginning,

Easy to bend, simple to warp,

But as the fires from around it raged,

The skin would harden and become brittle.

Glass would allow the person to see out,

But also allow others to see in,

And as the ages passed, the glass cloudy,

The life seen lived would remain inside.

The mind would be white porcelain,

Strong under pressure, yet delicate to touch,

But porcelain is quite beautiful,

Depending on the hand that made it.

Mache takes time to perfect,

Layers upon layers at a time,

And if it is broken, splintered, or cracked,

It’s almost impossible to repair.

The potter looked in awe at his replica,

And realized he had sculpted himself,

His skin was warped and brittle,

His eyes holding nothing within,

His mind there, absent of blue paint,

And his heart, a single torn layer.

All of this, created by the hands around him,

But never by his own.

No more, he decided,

And placed his figure in the window.