Don't usually brag about my kids but this time I just have to share. Read what my daughter Nina (15) just wrote. It's an assignment for Honors English. Sooo proud right now......BTW, the two dogs are Hope (our Golden) and her best friend in the neighborhood Tillie, a black Lab. The birds exist too - they've built a nest just outside her bedroom window. She's a wonderful writer, with hopes to go into Journalism at Ohio University.
Color
As I gaze out my window,
I see a group of birds happily warbling,
All of different colors,
One bird red,
One bird blue,
One bird brown,
The three beautiful birds look to be great friends,
They all blithely sing together on the branch of a tree,
They do not fight,
They do not name-call,
And despite their differences,
they do not judge.
As I gaze out my window,
I see two dogs joyfully playing together,
The first dog is golden,
The second dog is black,
The pair of animals mirthfully amuse each other,
They run and they chase,
They look as though they genuinely enjoy each other's company,
Although they appear different,
Appearances don't matter to them.
As I gaze out my window,
I see a person being mocked and name-called,
This man is only innocently walking through his neighborhood,
He has done nothing wrong,
He thinks no different,
He acts no different,
He talks no different,
Yet these people choose to be cruel for one reason only,
Skin color.
As I gaze out my window,
I look back at the two dogs blissfully playing,
I look back at the birds cheerfully chirping,
These animals do not judge by color,
They accept everyone for who they are,
Outside appearance doesn't matter to them.
As I gaze out my window,
I wonder why,
if animals can look past color differences,
Then why can't we?
Poem my daughter wrote!!!
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Miss Mary
Poem my daughter wrote!!!
Last edited by Miss Mary on Wed May 14, 2003 8:21 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Skywatch_NC
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Miss Mary
Eric - we're certainly doing something right. This one's going in the baby book......I had tears in my eyes, honest. Jim kept saying, here's her poem, read it. But I was doing dishes, didn't have my glasses on. Next time I will drop everything - I sat down with a thud as I began reading it.
And yes Eric, it does sadly remind me of our stressful times in Cincinnati right now. Things aren't really better, but actually simmering. We need change here, and not down the road, now.
And yes Eric, it does sadly remind me of our stressful times in Cincinnati right now. Things aren't really better, but actually simmering. We need change here, and not down the road, now.
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wx247
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That is a great poem!
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The posts in this forum are NOT official forecast and should not be used as such. They are just the opinion of the poster and may or may not be backed by sound meteorological data. They are NOT endorsed by any professional institution or storm2k.org. For official information, please refer to the NHC and NWS products.
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GulfBreezer
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I second Gulfbreezer's opinion! Brag away Mary. That was a very touching poem. Especially for a person like me coming from a country that was based on racial differences. The poem really does strike a chord with me because South Africa is now known as the Rainbow nation 
A wonderful poem indeed
A wonderful poem indeed
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that was a wonderful poem!!! Sadly, it is the truth. We should not judge because of skin color, but should welcome all nationalities to our neighborhoods. Just because of the everyone has a different skin color doesn't mean we can judge them by the way they look. Looks don't matter...what matters is what they have inside.
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Miss Mary
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CINCINNATISUN
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Nina is very talented Mary, she expressed some
great feelings in her poem. When I was a Senior
in High School I wrote a poem about the relationship
I had with my oldest brother and my English teacher
was very moved and he read it outloud for the entire
class. Hope Nina's teacher does the same with this poem.
CSUN ( Steve )
great feelings in her poem. When I was a Senior
in High School I wrote a poem about the relationship
I had with my oldest brother and my English teacher
was very moved and he read it outloud for the entire
class. Hope Nina's teacher does the same with this poem.
CSUN ( Steve )
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Miss Mary
CSun - I'm hoping her teacher reads it outloud. It's due Monday, she wrote it early b/c she's away on a school trip to Orlando (Orchestra/Band competition). Can't wait to see her grade though! Thing is though, she's in this very challenging Honors English Class and with kids who are very smart. She's smart too but feels like they are a tad or more smarter than she is. But her regular English class teacher last year recommended Honors English (advanced class) b/c she was easily getting A's and HE looks good to a prospective college on a transcript. Like that lengthy answer!!! To a question you didn't even ask....but yes I'm hoping her teacher will be blown away. He was very encouraged by the fact she even took this class. He said that took guts and she wants to work hard.
Cy - yup, 15 but soon to be 16. She took to reading and writing early on and devoured both. When asked to write a 2 page paper, she'd write 5. She just gets going with pen/paper.
JQ - thanks for the kind words, but Nina doesn't even know I shared it with all of you. She's your typical teen when it comes to things like this. Can hear her reaction - you what, shared it on your message boards? LOL She'd just roll her eyes I'm sure. And I'd be that strange, but you know oh so proud, mom again. Between you and me, another reason I posted this poem, was I thought we could use an example like this around here. That's all I'll say JQ.....but I'm sure you know what I'm getting at.
Cy - yup, 15 but soon to be 16. She took to reading and writing early on and devoured both. When asked to write a 2 page paper, she'd write 5. She just gets going with pen/paper.
JQ - thanks for the kind words, but Nina doesn't even know I shared it with all of you. She's your typical teen when it comes to things like this. Can hear her reaction - you what, shared it on your message boards? LOL She'd just roll her eyes I'm sure. And I'd be that strange, but you know oh so proud, mom again. Between you and me, another reason I posted this poem, was I thought we could use an example like this around here. That's all I'll say JQ.....but I'm sure you know what I'm getting at.
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Rainband
That needs to be published..Mary brag all you want your daughter has an obvious gift..That poem gave me goosebumps..IT WAS AWESOME!!!! I wish the premise of it was evident in our everyday lives..alas it did give me a glimpse of what a perfect world would be like!! 
Thanks 
and be sure to thank your daughter too!!!
Sincerely
Thanks and be sure to thank your daughter too!!!
Sincerely
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Miss Mary
You know....I might show her this thread when she gets back from her trip. Maybe.....I'm already the uncool mom, so why not?!!! It would be nice to see such positive response too.
We routinely have discussions on why the world can't be a nicer place. A just world for everyone. She'll ask me if I could change one thing, what would it be. After some serious thought one day, I said I'd end abuse. Think about it....that could be mean child abuse, animal abuse, spousal abuse, abuse in the working world. She liked my idea. Nina is a deep thinker so I'm not surprised she wrote like this. Her favorite show right now is American Dreams. She's very caught up in that storyline and time period. An excellent show, BTW - a show apparently we all should be watching, or however NBC phrases it. I wish the world could be a better place. If each and every family does their part.......if only. Stories such as Laci Peterson really hit me hard recently. Our world is so sad at times. Almost unbearable.
We routinely have discussions on why the world can't be a nicer place. A just world for everyone. She'll ask me if I could change one thing, what would it be. After some serious thought one day, I said I'd end abuse. Think about it....that could be mean child abuse, animal abuse, spousal abuse, abuse in the working world. She liked my idea. Nina is a deep thinker so I'm not surprised she wrote like this. Her favorite show right now is American Dreams. She's very caught up in that storyline and time period. An excellent show, BTW - a show apparently we all should be watching, or however NBC phrases it. I wish the world could be a better place. If each and every family does their part.......if only. Stories such as Laci Peterson really hit me hard recently. Our world is so sad at times. Almost unbearable.
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WidreMann
Yes, yes, the animals are all nice creatures, happily living together in harmony, whilst we humans are hateful brutal people who never care about each other.
What is this? The myth of the noble savage. The myth that everything in nature is good and pure and that humans are base and corrupt, especially modern society.
In fact, animals are just as conflict-prone, if not more so, than we are (often I see my cats spar over the food bowl, or just coming into contact with each other or neighboring cats - i.e. turf wars). It just happens that our conflicts are so much more complex and longer lasting than theirs. However, humans also have something that animals don't have, and that is an escape from conflicts using our minds - language and logic and complex emotions. We have sympathy, we can and do help others in need with no direct gain for ourselves. We try to construct governments that give the most freedoms and liberties to the most people all the while protecting the underpriveledged. We can solve problems using logic and reason. We can better ourselves and our world by simply imagining new possibilities. Meanwhile, animals do the same things they have been doing for however long they have existed (not going to start an evolution/creationism debate here), and they will never break the cycle. So who's better? Humans or animals? The answer is undoubtebly humans, and not nature. While we have the capability to do wrong, we have the capability to do right on a scale that no other thing or creature in the known universe can do. So let's stop the self-flagellation and do something more productive, like actually come up with ways of helping us get along (beyond simply saying "everybody, get along!" - humans aren't that simple; or "look, the animals get along just fine, why can't we?"). And as far as going about fixing those problems, serious and deep consideration must be given to the problem. Morals and ethics aren't simple, they aren't clean and clear-cut. The truth is, there isn't an easy way out. We can't look to nature because 1) we are above nature and 2) nature isn't perfect either.
I guess I haven't addressed the heart of the poem which is racism. It is a noble goal to end racism, for sure. But this silly contrast with the animals is simply naivete masquerading as some type of world-changing epiphany. Racism won't be cured by looking to the animals. In fact, racism very often goes beyond skin color and moreover is part of a larger problem, which is xenophobia or otherwise any distrust of those who are different. The best we can do is make sure that racism isn't institutionalized (and that can be fixed).
Post scriptum: So this isn't meant to be invective directed at the author, per se, rather moreso directed at the poem itself and the particular beliefs therein. It is, in my opinion, oversimplifications that cause many of the world's problems. People often fail to consider the full range of consequences for a particular course of action or belief system and end up stepping all over somebody else: the beginning's of conflict.
What is this? The myth of the noble savage. The myth that everything in nature is good and pure and that humans are base and corrupt, especially modern society.
In fact, animals are just as conflict-prone, if not more so, than we are (often I see my cats spar over the food bowl, or just coming into contact with each other or neighboring cats - i.e. turf wars). It just happens that our conflicts are so much more complex and longer lasting than theirs. However, humans also have something that animals don't have, and that is an escape from conflicts using our minds - language and logic and complex emotions. We have sympathy, we can and do help others in need with no direct gain for ourselves. We try to construct governments that give the most freedoms and liberties to the most people all the while protecting the underpriveledged. We can solve problems using logic and reason. We can better ourselves and our world by simply imagining new possibilities. Meanwhile, animals do the same things they have been doing for however long they have existed (not going to start an evolution/creationism debate here), and they will never break the cycle. So who's better? Humans or animals? The answer is undoubtebly humans, and not nature. While we have the capability to do wrong, we have the capability to do right on a scale that no other thing or creature in the known universe can do. So let's stop the self-flagellation and do something more productive, like actually come up with ways of helping us get along (beyond simply saying "everybody, get along!" - humans aren't that simple; or "look, the animals get along just fine, why can't we?"). And as far as going about fixing those problems, serious and deep consideration must be given to the problem. Morals and ethics aren't simple, they aren't clean and clear-cut. The truth is, there isn't an easy way out. We can't look to nature because 1) we are above nature and 2) nature isn't perfect either.
I guess I haven't addressed the heart of the poem which is racism. It is a noble goal to end racism, for sure. But this silly contrast with the animals is simply naivete masquerading as some type of world-changing epiphany. Racism won't be cured by looking to the animals. In fact, racism very often goes beyond skin color and moreover is part of a larger problem, which is xenophobia or otherwise any distrust of those who are different. The best we can do is make sure that racism isn't institutionalized (and that can be fixed).
Post scriptum: So this isn't meant to be invective directed at the author, per se, rather moreso directed at the poem itself and the particular beliefs therein. It is, in my opinion, oversimplifications that cause many of the world's problems. People often fail to consider the full range of consequences for a particular course of action or belief system and end up stepping all over somebody else: the beginning's of conflict.
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Mary...Hehe i know exactly what you're getting at! A nice indirect statement. hehe smooth move
But she truly is a good writer. Lol i guess it was best you didn't say anything afterall hehe...but even if she rolls her eyes to your face its gotta make her feel good. Thanks
Widremann...good points you made but i believe there are many people who can't look at situations the way you do. I guess its better to draw analogies to look at the bigger picture...rather than drawing the analogy and looking at it literally as a man vs. animal thing. What she says can be taken as a more universal version of what you said.
But she truly is a good writer. Lol i guess it was best you didn't say anything afterall hehe...but even if she rolls her eyes to your face its gotta make her feel good.
Thanks
Widremann...good points you made but i believe there are many people who can't look at situations the way you do. I guess its better to draw analogies to look at the bigger picture...rather than drawing the analogy and looking at it literally as a man vs. animal thing. What she says can be taken as a more universal version of what you said.
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