Writing Catch Up

3/17/09 Topic: Poetry

The Life Boat
by Shauna Berglund Immel

Life is like a Cruise Ship.
Like the Carnival Line.
Exciting and fun.
Sailing over the waters with ease.
Without a care in the world.

Dolphins jump in the wake.
Like a marching band
leading a float in a parade.

Waves break against the bough (bow?)
Turning water into mist
like confetti falling.
Dancing in the salty air
like fairies in flight.

I stand at the helm,
taking in the beauty of the beyond
and pondering the endless possibilities
as far as the eye can see
Like the ocean.
The places I can go.
The things I can see.

I breathe in the scent of the sea
slowly
Savoring the salty aroma

The salt air tickles my face
as we sail head on into the wind.
Full speed ahead.

But the ocean
and Mother Nature,
like life,
are unpredictable.

Clouds move in like shadows
as the solitude of the still blue sky
turns to chaos.

The wind,
once a soft, warm breeze,
picks up speed
and the wet sprinkles on your face,
which once felt like soft kisses
now sting like a swarm of bees.

The seas swell
and the ocean waves,
once like a steady, mesmerizing heartbeat
Slap the side of the ship with force
Tossing it around
like a toy ship at odds
with a raging, swirl of sea.
So small and fragile.

No match for the strenght of the sea,
The ship takes on water
Like the weight of the world.
Beginning to go under.
Sinking deeper into the abyss.

Until all that is left
is but a tiny rowboat
adrift in the storm.

3/10/09 Focus: Voice/Perspective
Prompts:
1. write a scene from "Cinderella" from the Step Mothers perspective
2. Write a scene from "The Three Little Pigs" from the Wolf's perspective.

Miss Step
by Shauna Berglund Immel

She's so pretty and sweet and nice. Why is she so beautiful and my own daugther's are so hideously ugly? It isn't fair. Why can't my daughter's be as pretty as her? I hate her. No one should be so sweet and fetching. It's a crime I tell ya.

Oooooh wait, is that the castle bell I hear? I wonder who it could be?
"Cinderella!
CinderELLA!!
CINDERELLA!!!!!"

Just then a vision of pure innocence and beauty walks into the room. A hush falls over the air.

"Yes Stepmother?"

"Are you deaf child? Can you NOT hear the castle bell? Get the door!"

Fortunately for her, looks is all she seems to have. How stupid can she be?

Ooooh, who's this dashing man, strolling toward me with a scroll in his hand? He looks so royal. I wonder if he's connected to the prince?

I wonder if he has money?"

To Be a Teen
by Shauna Berglund Immel

She's yelling at me again. I wonder what she wants me to do now. She always wants something. I swear that woman never shuts up. I just tune her out. I have this awesome technique of answering her without having to take my eyes off of my video game screen or stop reading my book.

She's always interrupting. Why can't she just leave me alone and let me be in peace? I KNOW I have homework. But I don't know WHY I have to do it BEFORE I can play video games.

Mom is always getting on me about something. Take my room for instance. I don't see anything wrong with it? What's a few wet towels and dirty socks on the floor? Makes it easier for me to get dressed in the morning.

And who cares if I have piles of books stacked everywhere, teetering in towers spilling onto the floor? She says she can't dust or vacuum if my shelves, dressers and floor are covered in piles. Who needs to dust? Who cares if I'm allergic to dust? I don't. Why does she? A little dust never hurt anyone. And I know this because I'm 13 years old and apparently I know everything. That's what people keep saying to mom to console her. Telling her to "Just wait, he'll come back to you when he's 21."

Where do they think I'm going? I'm not going anywhere. I like it here. This is the life; mom feeding me and cleaning up after me. Kind of like my own personal assistant, like Igor.

If only she'd stop yelling at me.

3/3/09 Focus: Imagery

prompts:
1. Describe a sinister teacher skating inside a garage.
2. Describe a giant pumpkin running through the classroom

It looked like one of those big, huge, blow up balloons you see floating in big parades or advertising at car dealerships. It was big and round and orange! Plump, with ridges swelling around it's diameter. On top sprouted green vines, like tendrils falling down across it's face.

It loomed above me and I noticed it's vine like arms and legs as it ran past, disrupting Mr. Peter's algebra class. The class had been quiet as we struggled with today's math quiz, but like the welcome distraction of an unexpected fire drill, the class erupted in screams and cheers as he ran past.

prompts:
1. I want to name myself... (using random words drawn out of a hat)
My words: daisy, patterning, onyx, buckle, enchanting

2. A man wakes up in the Indian Ocean, naked and clinging to a a boat, a hotel key card clenched in his teeth. What happens next???

I've always hated my name. "Shauna" just seemed so unusual growing up. I always wanted to have a more normal name, like all of the other Julie's, Jennifer's and Lisa's in my school. Maybe something more along the lines of "Daisy". Sassy like Daisy Dukes on TV. Daisy just feels so much more feminine, pretty and girlie to me than Shauna does.

Surely people would be more drawn to me like they are to the fresh, sweet scent of the flower itself, dancing happily along the flower beds parrelling the tree lined side walks on a sunny day. Unable to resist my enchanting aroma as they skip happily to school each day, being careful to not step on the cracks for fear of breaking their mother's back.

With a name like "Daisy" one would certainly feel more beautiful. There is just something so simple and poetic about the word. Like the simple joy that a single, round, yellow happy face symbolizes. Surely, if one's name were "Daisy", one would have to be happy and content.

More to come!! I'm soooo far behind!! Sorry!! Some of these are not my best work (the prompts are KILLING me!!!) but there are a few good ones. Enjoy.

xoxoxo
Shauna