pointytoes's Journal

I'm at writing camp right now! It's so amazing, and it's sooo much fun!

I don't feel much like going over the whole schpeal right now (Mia, I sent you an email!!! You should have gotten it!). But I thought it'd be cool if I posted some of the writing I've done so far.

I'm not going to post any of the story or prose writing I've done; just a few poems I've squeezed out.

First, we went to this place called the Japanese Garden. It's this really beautiful place that's supposed to be like a Japanese Garden (duh). It fullll of nature, which is, of course, a great inspiration for poetry. Here's the first poem I wrote in the garden:

Shhh, says the water

As it splashes down from rock to surface.

Stop a moment, it says.

Be quiet and listen.

Listen to what’s around you.

Do you hear it? 

Look, says the water

As a breeze makes it curl and the sun makes it glimmer.

Stop a moment, it says.

Close your eyes and watch.

Watch as nature unfolds before you.

Do you see it? 

Feel, says the water

As it smears the reflection of thirsty eyes.

Stop a moment, it says.

Reach out and touch.

Touch the life that surrounds you.

Do you feel it?

Then this next one is a poem of a series of haiku. If you don't know what a haiku is, it's basically a three-line poem that follows this system:

Five syllables

Seven syllables

Five syllables.

So here's the haiku poem:

There is no silence.

Always a trickling stream

And running water. 

There is no silence

When the world craves ceaseless noise

And constant friction. 

There is no silence

Among the living, dancing

Creatures of this earth. 

There is no silence

When the world calls for more,

Endlessly wanting. 

There is no silence.

Nature is always singing.

“Come and join my song.”

 There is no silence

In a world always moving

But there can be peace.

And lastly, we had a songwriting workshop, where we basically picked a quote from our favorite book, and wrote a poem that had a rhythm to it, so we could later make it a song. (I've already begun writing the melody; it's going pretty well. I've tried writing songs before, and it's always failed! But this is going ok.) It's obviously not completed, but it's just a few verses or something to get the idea across, and I'll change it up later. Here's the first draft:

By the way, the quote was from Pride and Prejudice, and it was "My courage always rises with every attempt to intimidate me."

My courage always rises

When they try to push me down

Because I know who I am

I know what I want

And I will not be tossed around. 

Sometimes I feel the world

Pressing down against my shoulders

But when I know who I am

When I know what I want

I can find the strength to move boulders. 

There are people in your life

Who’ll try to keep you small.

But when you rise to the challenge,

You can push away them all. 

Sometimes it’s hard to know

If the path you’re taking is right.

You just have to trust your heart

To guide you through the night.

That's pretty much it so far. Yeah. It's really great. I've met some amazing people here. Oh, and I spent two hours yesterday in the LARGEST INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORE IN THE WORLD, called Powell's City of Books! "City" is no understatement! It's soooooo huge! It's a block in width and length, and four stories high! It's so big! They hand out maps at the entrance because it's so easy to get lost! I spent about 45 minutes going up and down the fiction aisle just looking at books that seemed interesting, and I only got to J! I bought 7 books yesterday. I ended up spending 40 bucks! But the great thing about it is they're all so cheap; 7 books for 40 bucks is a good deal!! It's amazing!!!!