Peer Created Poem

The Nicole
ABAB Rhyme
17 lines
3 stanzas
about any living thing

Grazing in the field
Head down, eating the grass
No reason to yield
Time continuing to pass
Trees, blocking the sun like a shield
Silent like a normal school class

Running through the leaves and wood
Escaping the sound of a car
Not knowing if the intruder's intentions are good
But trying to get very far
Going as fast as it could
Away from the road and tar

Covered in thin brown hair
With a tail as white as snow
Never a spot that is bare
And antlers for show
The deer is an animal for which we should care

Haiku

1st draft

Breathing in and out

Feeling the ground underneath

Speeding by the others

2nd draft

Left foot after right

Speeding up, pain swelling up

Pushing till the end

Final

Inhale, stride, exhale

Feet flying through the terrain

Going for the best

Poem

Homework is the Worst

Homework is such a chore

It really is a complete bore

Sitting at home doing lots of math

Instead of being with friends, having a laugh

Homework is such a buzzkill

The act has no thrill

Can't have any sort of fun

Until the deed is done

Homework is such a pain

Always so dismal and plain

You must have no brain in your dome

If you enjoying taking school to your home

Synecdoche

You are difficult to maintain. I lose you when I speed up but regain you when I slow down. You muffle the sounds around me, including the pounding of my feet on the ground. I have less of you when I am sick. However, you are one of the most important aspects of my ordeal. The oxygen you give keeps me going.

Dual Narration

Day 47: October 28th, 2014

Everything seems to be in order. The cell blocks are clear and clean. The inspector will surely be happy with the conditions of the prison. This is the second time this month we have been visited. To be honest, we almost didn't finish preparation. However, everything was straightened out successfully. This building is the best of its kind. The prisoners should feel privileged to be held in such suitable conditions. I will surely be promoted for this fine job.

Oct. 30, 2014

If anyone finds this, don't believe the lies the guards are telling. They only keep this prison looking good when they need to. The only reason it looked so nice a couple days ago was because an inspector was coming. Any other day, this prison is a total dump. Our cells are normally filled with dirt and dust. Our beds are nothing more than a thin sheet and a wooden board. Along with the cell, the food they feed us is hardly edible. There is definitely no nutritional value in the slop they feed us. If we don't get help soon, we may all go crazy.

Angry Letter

Dear Bishop Feehan,

For a school with such positive reviews, I find many flaws in the way the school is run and classes conducted. Some of these flaws encouraged me to transfer to Norton High. First off, six forty five minute classes a day is not a productive schedule. Very little work is accomplished in such a short amount of time. As a result, more homework is issued each night. Doing six classes worth of homework a night is a strenuous schedule. It is made even worse if a student participates in a sport, which I did. The homework would often keep me up late at night and even into the morning. Secondly, the religious courses are mandatory and graded improperly. Even though the school is Catholic, a student should be able to pick if they want to take the course or not. During my time at Feehan, I met multiple classmates who were not Catholic. Also, the classes should not be graded the same as an academic course. It should simply be a pass or fail grade. Students who do the work should be rewarded. Lastly, mandatory iPad use was perhaps the worst part of the classes. Often during class, I would be extremely bored. To remedy this, I would search the web or play a game. Although it was entertaining, it took me away from the class and led to me not retaining information. If these deterrents were not present, I may have remained at Bishop Feehan. However, that was not the case.

Signed,
Alex Domagalski

Timed Prompt: The Outbreak

            It was Christmas Eve. Fog stuck to the tarmac at Lindbergh Field. The airport was completely silent. Luggage, bags of food, and newspaper littered the boarding area. No one was prepared for what happened that fateful day.

            It was exactly five years ago, a completely normal day. Flight 4692 was on its way back from a remote location in Africa. On the plane, doctors and nurses were the only passengers. They had been sent to help people in need of medicine. Their mission was successful, and everyone on the flight was happy that they had helped. If only they had known the consequence.

            On the flight back. All those on board were partying and celebrating the upcoming holiday. Food and drinks were passed around. However, this happiness was short lived. A sickly man had locked himself in the bathroom. He had been sneezing quite frequently and decided to take some medicine. Unfortunately, as he left the bathroom, he coughed on a cart with food that was passing by. In a split second, he had doomed the whole flight.

            Back at the terminal, family and friends waited for the planes arrival. After three months of waiting, they would finally see their loved ones again. As the plane touched down, the crowd began cheering. They all gathered at the doors with excitement. They could not control their excitement. Finally, after much anticipation, the doors opened. That was the day Ebola reached America.

PS: My prompt goes along with the article. My story doesn't end happily. It ends with tragedy.

Play

Best Served Cold

2 friend find each other on Facebook. After 17 years, they decide that they both want to go to a local bar to get drinks and catch up with each other's lives.

(Julio enters the bar; Dimitri has already found a table and ordered drinks for them. Dimitri waves to Julio)

Julio: Dimitri? Is that your?
Dimitri: Yes!
Julio: Didn't recognize you with the beard..
Dimitri: Ah yes. I decided to grow one awhile back. Why don't you take a seat
(Both take a seat at the table)
Dimitri: How have you been? Haven't seen you since the office days.
Julio: I've been alight. Been hopping from job to job. How about you?
Dimitri: Great! My boss just gave me a raise.
Julio: Wow. You're life must be great (under his breath) that should've been me.
Dimitri: Of course! Great job, big house, and loving family. Speaking of family, have you finally settled down?
Julio: No. I can't keep a relationship for more than a month.
Dimitri: That's a shame. How about we order some dinner.
(Both of the men order their food)
Dimitri: Oh, I just forgot. I left my wallet at home. Do you mind covering this one bill for me, old friend?
Julio: Sure... (Thinking) Mr. Rich can't even pay for his own meal. I would never do that if I had his job. 
Dimitri: Thanks man.
(After a few hours at the bar, the two men order 2 steaks each and 8 drinks)
Julio: (To waiter) I'll just have the check please
Dimitri: Well this was a good time.
Julio: Agreed. (Mumbles) My life would be better if you hadn't taken my job. You didn't even deserve it.
Dimitri: Did you say something?
Julio: Oh. No. I was just figuring out the tip.
Dimitri: Alright. Thanks again for taking care of the bill.
Julio: No problem (Thinking) you're the only one who's going to be paying tonight.
(Julio gets up)
Julio: I'll be right back. Gotta go to the bathroom.
Dimitri: Alright pal.
Julio: (Thinking) I'll show you "pal". 
(After 10 minutes, Dimirti goes to check on Julio and see what the hold up is)
Dimitri: (Entering the bathroom) Julio? You alright?
(After searching the bathroom, Dimitri checks outside. The bartender, thinking he is leaving without paying, yells at him to pay the bill. As Dimitri reaches the table, he sees that he has a text from an unknown number. It reads "revenge is a dish best served cold")
End

Peer Review

Jacob VanDenBerghe: Very comical descriptions and imagery.
Chris Casello: Descriptive diction and sentences flow well.
Sean Eykel: Humorous and writes as if talking to someone in person.

Short Story (Test)

One day, a man walked into a small Southern town. He was average height with a bald head. However, he appeared to be out of place. A black suit, black pants, and black dress shoes were all that he was wearing. As he reached the entrance to the town, he stopped and observed the welcome sign and the area surrounding it. As soon as he finished, he continued his march through the quaint little town. Looking left and right, it seemed as if he were scanning the town's design and layout. Of course, this occurence was peculiar to the townspeople. They watched from their windows, confused, yet excited about this new visitor. But, no one dared leave their house and approach him.

As he approached the end of the town, his stride began to slow. Once he reached the towns outer limit, he stopped, turned around in a perfect semicircle, and retraced his previous steps. Still, everyone in town watched in awe while this stranger intruded. Just as someone had opened their door, he reached the entrance he had started his short journey on. Just as the man who had left his house was about to call out to the man, a bright light flashed throughout the town, dazing all who had watched. When the senses of the townspeople returned, the man was gone, his trail of footsteps vanished, and their memories of the event wiped clean.

Self Deprecation

My main problem is my minor OCD (Obsessive-compulsive disorder). It's not visible to others, but I have my tendencies.

Firstly, I used to check my alarm clock multiple times a night. I knew that it was set, but my brain wouldn't let me go to sleep without being COMPLETELY sure. For a majority of the night, 6:00 A.M. is all that I would see. It caused me to fall asleep a lot later than expected. I would wake up most days feeling more tired. This was a main problem a few years ago, but has diminished since then.

Another problem I had was making sure my watch was on perfectly. If it was even a little bit off, I would have to readjust it. I'm not sure if it bothered me because I wasn't used to wearing a watch or not, but it didn't really matter to me. All that mattered was trying to figure out how to stop. This was one of my shortest-loved tendencies. Once I started running and it constantly moved around, I didn't notice it as much.

Lastly, the problem I had and still continue to have is constantly checking if I have all my homework and binders for the next day of school. It's annoying constantly having to open my backpack, check the binders and books, and close it up again. However, it has made me more prepared for my classes. I rarely miss home works and always have the right binders for the right classes.

2nd RAFT Scramble

As he looked down from the top of the pole, rain pouring down on him, he realized how bad the situation was. With no one in sight, he realized that he would be stuck for some time. To think, he was just tasked with simply hanging up a new flag. In desperation, he attempted to grab hold of the rope. However, it would be difficult since it had been thoroughly soaked through by the rain. After some thought, he made the move.