Lexington Christian Academy › uploaded › PDFs › AboutUs › Cadence_2013.pdfCADENCE 2013 The Cadence is Lexington Christian Academy’s literary journal. It was created to encourage

Lexington Christian Academy

CADENCE 2013

The Cadence is Lexington Christian Academy’s literary journal. It was created to encourage and showcasethe literary gifts of our student body and it is published by the Publications Class of the Academy in conjunction withthe annual Fine Arts Festival.

The poetry, short stories, essays and cantos contained in this publication were selected anonymously from apool of middle school and high school submissions by a panel of student judges in the twelfthgrade AP English class.The “Teachers’ Choice” winners were selected by the English department to receive special recognition for excellence.

EditorsNaomi DuttweilerRachel Gamelin

Cover ArtistsNaomi DuttweilerRachel Gamelin

StaffMarcus MadausEmma SharonElizabeth NalungaCaroline NilandMwendwa MutukuEdward WuWincy YuTim CadieuxNina SurabianIsabella DassauCharles FangTony Ding

Student Publications FacultyMrs. Amy ChaneyMrs. Mary Bulger

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Table of Contents

Middle School Faculty Choice: Lightning by Harley R.........................................................04Best of Grade 6: River by Megan F..........................................................................................05Best of Grade 7: dunkin’ donuts cup by Michelle C...................................................................06Best of Grade 8: This place.... by Annika J..............................................................................07Upper School Faculty Choice for Poetry: The Harkening of Dusk by Benjamin F...............08Upper School Faculty Choice for Prose: Dear Future Roommate by Jaclyn F....................09Best of Grade 9: Rosy Triumph: Based on the young life of Hortense Clews by Michelle Z....10Best of Grade 10: Practice Room by Alexandra J....................................................................11Best of Grade 11: Climbing Up by Rebecca M..........................................................................12Best of Grade 12: Untitled by Abigail S..................................................................................13The Big Question by Justin M......................................................................................................14Friend by Kevina N......................................................................................................................15Thanks by Michelle Z...................................................................................................................15Having Hope by Angelina S.........................................................................................................16What Matters to You and Why? by Jaclyn F................................................................................17Pets by Megan F..........................................................................................................................17The Past is unForgiving by Corrie V............................................................................................18The Merciless Clock: A Kamikaze Journey by Meaghan H...........................................................19Canto XVI by Kelsey T................................................................................................................20The Games of Zeus by Stephanie A..............................................................................................23Eyes by Natalie C........................................................................................................................24Awake by Sarah H & Annika J.....................................................................................................24Rain by Megan F.........................................................................................................................24The Man Who Didn’t Steal My Hat by Benjamin R.....................................................................25Snow Day by Grace M................................................................................................................27Moses by Julia C.........................................................................................................................27The Judges Decision by Fikemi F................................................................................................28No God? by Scarlett O................................................................................................................29The Ball of Steel by Jillian B.......................................................................................................30Emerson’s Philosophies and the Natural World by Caroline G...................................................31Since Time by Cameron D...........................................................................................................33Summer Tales by Stephanie A.....................................................................................................33Sonnet #1 by Kevin L...................................................................................................................34The Final Peak by Jacob P...........................................................................................................34Home by Abigail S.......................................................................................................................35The Stars by Annika J..................................................................................................................35The Gruesome Deed by Fikemi F..................................................................................................36Canto XIII: The Chastisers by Alexandra J..................................................................................37All the Years by Jillian B..............................................................................................................41Breathe by Benjamin F.................................................................................................................42Nostalgic Freedom by Kevin L.....................................................................................................43The War and the Peace by Justin M.............................................................................................44

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Middle School Faculty Choice

LightningHarley R.

The lightning clashed and flashed

as the storm raged on.

The lightning struck

like a mighty hand,

forcing trees to CRACK and bow here and there,

then it was gone.

Like a thousand lashing whips at once,

the lightning collides with the trees.

Creating a dazzling show from Heaven

carefully, as if it was molding a delicate sculpture.

With a CLASH and a FLASH and a BOOM,

the lightning was satisfied,

and disappeared in a split second.

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Best of Grade 6

RiverMegan F.

I race down the countryside

and run free through the fields.

I love to frolic in the meadows

and sing my song of joy.

I turn somersaults and cartwheels

and laugh at the world.

I flow down the hills,

calling all to join me

as I whisper ancient secrets,

and dance down,

down to the shore below

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Best of Grade 7

dunkin’ donuts cupMichelle C.

i see....rags

torn clothes

and a scared face

sorrow and grief fill his eyes

like water in a cup

clink clink

mumbles words

i take out my money

and put it in

his dunkin donuts cup

upward creases form on his face

and i am touched

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Best of Grade 8

This place...Annika J.

This place could swallow the world.

I’ve known it all my life,

but I’ve never known it as

quiet.

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Upper School Faculty Choice for Poetry

The Harkening of DuskBenjamin F.

Bring me to that foreign time.When the moon steals the soul of the sun.When blue turns black and the stars cry for peace.When the ink of night permeates across the endless sky of day.When love means little and an empty heart is a joyous one.I yearn for that foreign time.It is ancient, like the bones of my spirit.Flawless, like the love I sought for with pain.It does not sear, but soothe.It does not harm, but heal.It quells the passions of primal times,In which others revel happily, like animals in heat.It beckons to those who wish,To drown in night and die in bliss.I am a denizen of such a time.This world is not the one I loveI wish to cease to be in that foreign time,And for no one to shed a tear.I crave the silence of that land,Where a whisper is as forceful as a shout,And the quiet ones have the best things to say.I want to live without warmth,So that it shall never leave me before I meet my death,For I can feel no pain from losing what was never there.But you, a resident of the land of joy,Must never cease to feel the happiness of love,Must never harken to the breaking night,And leave that place where you rightfully belong,Lest you become a hollow shade such as I,And all the others in the land of woeless ends.

Bring me to that foreign time,So I may die in a sea of tears and moonlight,And where I can fade away,Into the ashen void of dusk.

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Upper School Faculty Choice for Prose

Dear Future RoommateJaclyn F.

Dear Future Roommate,

I don’t think that being a grownup is everything it’s cracked up to be. No, don’t worry, I do valueindependence and maturity and intelligence, and I’m excited about starting college. I just don’t thinkwe should give up the wonder of childhood when we become adults; if anything, all the new thingswe’re learning should make us more amazed at the world around us. I was on an airplane flight once,and there was a little kid in the seat in front of me and a businessman across the aisle from me.When the airline stewardess announced we’d reached cruising altitude, the businessmanimmediately pulled out his laptop and started taptaptapping away. The little kid was looking outthe window, shouting, “We’re flying! We’re flying!” So you’re an adult and you understand lift anddrag and thrust. So you understand, chemically, how the fuel reacts to create the propulsion neededto send the airplane into the sky. That doesn’t make flying less magical. Don’t you find it amazingthat the forward movement of the airplane past molecules much too small to see creates enoughforce to lift a craft hundreds of times more massive than you up above the clouds? Clouds whichyou, the adult, know are nimbostratus clouds that are almost certain to bring rain. Rain which littlekids will run around and play in, which farmers will give thanks for, and which we, the almostadults,know is necessary for life; that’s why we’re looking for water (rather than iron or something) onMars. But if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to take advantage of that “almost” and go out in the rain.Studying the rain doesn’t disqualify me from the thanks of the farmer or the joy of the child. Besides,playing in the rain is fun.

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Best of Grade 9

Rosy Triumph: A short story based on the young life of Hortense ClewsMichelle Z.

Lilli took a deep breath as she took a seat in the train. She placed a parcel in the shelf above her. Her brother, Peter, wasvery fortunate to have her as a sister, because she had somehow convinced their parents that she needed to be in a small townacross the River Dyle without specifying her reasons. She shook her head at the thought of the things she’d done for herbrother’s cause.

Lilli had gone to the small town in order to receive a package containing important documents for her brother’sPartisan group. “Watch out for the Gestapo,” the deliverer had warned her, “It’ll be bad if they get their hands on these.Especially for you, young lady.” Lilli sighed. She had done enough courier missions for her brother to know the dangers ofthem. Those warnings began to sound very similar to her mother’s nagging.

Once the train began moving, Lilli leaned back in her seat, hoping to relax. Her hopes quickly evaporated when shenoticed a guard walking down the aisle, checking bags and items. Quietly, Lilli stood up, took the parcel above her seat, andheaded into the next cart from the back door. Placing her package in the top shelf of the new cart, she looked around for anempty seat. Hopefully the soldier wouldn’t check this cart. But to her horror, she found herself in an entire cart of Gestaposoldiers. Their dullcolored uniforms did not provide good camouflage for Lilli’s blue dress as she nervously took an emptyseat by one of them. What had she gotten herself into? She wanted to slap herself for her stupidity. Lilli took a deep breathand reminded herself of the mission. If anything happened, she had to divert attention from the parcel, which if found, wouldlead to the Partisans’ demise. Noticing the stray blonde curls in front of her face, Lilli wondered if she could receive some sortof sympathy if they thought of her as German. Her physical appearance wouldn’t deny it.

In the seat next to her, the intimidating Nazi asked in crude French, “What brings you here to the firstclass?”“It’s okay, I’m German,” she replied in German, hoping her Belgian accent wasn’t intelligible.The soldier raised his eyebrows in a moment of surprise, but then smiled. “What brings you here?” he asked more

amiably in German.Lilli fabricated a lie, “I recently moved to Belgium for my father’s business. I decided to visit my grandmother in the

village, but I must return to my family in Louvain. I’ve never gotten used to trains. I haven’t been feeling so well since thetrain’s been moving, so I came here. It seems much more peaceful than the other cart. I’m sorry I just entered in here...” Sheimmediately averted the gaze of the Nazi and felt the heat in her face. It must’ve been a deep shade of red. Lilli hated lying. Shewas never good at it because her face would immediately blush when she did.. Luckily in her current predicament, her flushedseemed to suit her selfdiagnosed motion sickness.

The soldier nodded, shifting slightly away from her.. “I understand. Feel free to stay and rest here in this cart until wereach Louvain,” he gave her a small smile, which she returned. Now she really felt sick.

“Thank you very much, sir,” she replied in a soft voice. Lilli quietly slid back in her seat as she listened to the repetitivesound of the train on the tracks: chkchk chkchk chkchk.. She couldn’t feel calm and constantly worried about the package onthe shelf. She didn’t even allow herself a glance at the parcel, for she feared that even the slightest look would raise suspicions.Even if the soldier sitting next to her did not consider her suspicious, the others in the cart might’ve been watching her. Herface remained red as a poppy for the rest of the ride, and her constant fear in the cart truly made her stomach churl.

At what felt like the pace of a snail, the train finally reached Louvain in what had felt like years.. Once the train hadstopped, Lilli hurried and got her package above the seats. She wanted to run out there as fast as she could, but before Lillitook the opportunity to do so, she cried, “I think I’m going to throw up,” and she really believed it. Soldiers who were standingin the aisle quickly stepped out of her way as she sprinted out of the train and onto the platform, where her brother waswaiting for her. Lilli quickly gave him a kiss on the cheek and embraced him. “Peter, I thought I’d never see you again,” shetold him, while handing him the package, glad to be rid of it.

As they walked home, Lilli told him, “Sometimes I wonder why I wanted to be your delivery girl. It’s absolutely insane.”She gave a small laugh in disbelief. How in the world had she survived? How did she get away with it? At the thought of herrecent events, Lilli laughed aloud. When Peter inquired her laughter she gave him a simple grin, “You’ll never believe whathappened to me in the train.

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Best of Grade 10

Practice RoomAlexandra J.

Walking up to that door is always a moment of truthBehind it lies a world in silenceWaiting to be filled with soundOutside it lies the world of dutiesLearning, studying, all demands.

I reach for the handleIt’s locked It’s openI suppress a sigh and turn away I throw open the door and flip the switchBack to the hallway Running into the small room

Plopping myself on the benchOpening my book Rustling my sheets of music

I sit downand wait to be sucked within

I lean back and look at the ceiling I pause, and close my eyesWishing I was there Basking in the silenceA song begins to emerge inside my head My fingers hover over the keys

Then The music courses through me And I feel something come alive

Some part, buried down deep, stirs when those old tunes playA part filled with intense emotion, untouched by anything elseA part untainted by society and what it thinks I should feel

A part that only know freedomAnd grants it when it’s sorely needed.

And for me,It’s in the music.

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Best of Grade 11

Climbing UpRebecca M.

Climbing up.No looking back now.Heart pounding,Knees aching,Adrenaline building,

All for one moment of glory—Sweet, sweet glory.Only one way to go:Up.

Halfway there,Anticipating what’s ahead,Knowing that the climb is worth it.Almost there,Still going up,Asking myself, “Why do I do this?”

A climb such as thisIs not only physically strenuous,But mentally taxing.It is not for the light of heart.Finally made it to the top.Face frozen,Legs sore,Arms tired,

But oh, is it worth it.I put my sled on the ground,And speed down the hill.My hat whips off my head,And a shout of excitement escapes with it.

The moment is suspended in the air,Waiting to fall.I make it to the bottomWith one intention in mind—Climbing up.

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Best of Grade 12

UntitledAbigail S.

The light’s not clear, but burning soft

Through skin and crackling pungent air

While all around is whisper still

And water senses everywhere.

The dimness of the sky deceives

But Wisdom dares not take a breath

For fear of stirring up a wind

And stealing Thunder’s thunder yet.

The sky is jealous of its cloak

But knows it cannot interfere

For clouds are out, and dark is nigh

The heavens’ roar draws ever near.

To sit in stillness, here and now

Is God’s indulgence to the leaves

Whose stormtossed ramblings echo high

When angels weep, and Heaven grieves.

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The Big QuestionJustin M.

Why does God allow sin in the world? What is the purpose for all the temptations in the world if many ofthem are going to make you do a horrible deed? If God can take all away this sin and wrong doings then why doesn’tHe? These questions have often appeared in my life and not until I began to think long and hard was I able to answerthem. The purpose of sin is so that we can learn to rely and put our faith in God more!

God is a God of love. He loves his children (us) more than anything in the universe and would never mean todo us harm! Then, why is there sin in the world if God loves us so much that there is no end to it? To answer thequestion I first thought back to the beginning of time, the time of Adam and Eve. Back then, the world was a perfectworld. There was no pollution, no hate, and most importantly no sin! God only gave Adam and Eve only one rule thatthey should never break, to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. In their world there was that onlytemptation, the tree of knowledge of good and evil. As curious as they were, they still put their faith in God for Hisonly intention was to protect them, and never to harm them. One day Adam and Eve came across a serpent near thetree of good and evil. The Serpent said,” When you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God,knowing good and evil”(Genesis NIV). The serpent’s words tempted Adam and Eve. What the two of them mostlikely thought was: Being like God? That would be amazing! I wonder why God commanded us not to eat from thetree? The temptation was so great for them that they took the fruit willingly and ate from it. By taking their faith outof God and putting it in the serpent’s word’s, they were cast out of the garden. Some temptations are impossible toresist without the help of God.

By Adam and Eve taking their faith out of God, and putting it in the serpent, they were cast out of theGarden of Eden because they gave into a temptation. They sinned. We know what happens when you take your faithout of God, so what happens when you put your faith in God and always keep it with Him. I thought back to the storyof Job. Job was a very rich, blameless man with lots of cattle, sheep, and children, he couldn’t be any happier! Then,one day in Heaven, Satan appeared and challenged God saying, “If you take everything away from Job, one of yourmost loyal servants, I bet he will curse Your name.”

God replied saying, “you may do whatever you want to Job, but you may not kill him.”So Satan plagued Job by killing all of his children, taking his cattle, sheep, and gave Job boils from the sole of

his foot and the crown of his head. His wife and his friends told him to curse the name of the Lord and that he musthave done something wrong. Through all of this, Job never cursed the name of the Lord. Job put his faith in Godknowing that God only had good plans for him and not evil plans. By putting his faith in the Lord and not giving intothe temptation of cursing God and sinning, God restored all that Job had before he was plagued by Satan andmultiplied it by two.

So after seeing what happens in these biblical stories when you take your faith out of God and keeping it inhim, you begin to wonder how does this apply to your own person? One time there was group of guys that werehighly popular in my old school, and was infamous for being extremely mean to others, such as their own friends,strangers, even their own teachers, and asked me if I wanted to hang out with them. At the time I didn’t see theharm in it, but soon realized that they were jerks that thought of themselves to be so great. Many times they wantedme to join them in being mean to other kids. I thought to myself, do I really want to be like Adam and Eve? Do Iwant to take a bite of being cruel and suffer the consequences of it? Or, do I want to be something like Job, someonewho keeps their faith in God, that He only wants to prosper us and not to harm us, to keep faith in God to helpdiscourage the temptation of being mean? I decided to take no participation their meanness. I decided to be likeJob!

*In this essay I have included Biblical stories and one of my own experiences to answer the question why we areprone to sinning. God created the temptation, the option to sin so that we can learn to put our faith in him. So thatwe can grow spiritually to be more Christlike, for that is what God really wants from us. We need to depend on himmore, and He will carry us if we allow Him to. God created sin, yes, but he made made it an option, not a must.

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FriendKevina N.

How could I let our friendship go,I let it fall apartHow could I stop keeping in touchAfter promising that I wouldHow could I let something come in betweenOur perfect friendshipI love you because you're my friendI will never forget youBecause I know you will never forget me.

Thanks to YouMichelle Z.

I can’t believe it’s beginning, feelingthat I can finally fly, ahead of cities,

below the bright sun, and feeling freedom.The shackles that chained me have been released,

and now I can run, dance, soar, fly, be free.My limits are far past the sky above.

No hiding, the world should know this is me,Released. Relieved. Alive. And around EarthI’ll run, find you, and give my love and joy,because this feeling can’t be felt alone.

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Having HopeAngelina S.

When I was young I lived without hope. Can you find hope again after all your hope has been lost? I didn’t think there would be a better life than I was living. My life was hard because I didn’t have a good school or a good place to worship God. There was never enough food and what we ate was always the same. So I didn’t know that there was a country that might allow me to live a better life than I was living.

School was really hard because the teachers didn’t care about teaching us. For example, they would come to class without being prepared, and drunk. So I didn’t learn anything at school. Every time I went to school I got spanked on my bottom everyday. So I hated it. I always wished for a better school that I would enjoy going to. I would get up in themorning and start crying because I didn’t want to go to school.

Church was really hard to understand because the church didn’t have Sunday school. We also didn’t have Bibles so we could not follow along. The priest didn’t not behave like Christ. The next day after preaching I would find them drinking alcohol. This made me not know if they were teaching the right thing or were they just making things up to just make people proud of them. I didn’t know if I could trust them. So I didn’t know where to find hope because my life wasn’t easy and didn’t knowmuch about God.

I lost my dad when I four years old. I was so upset that I didn’t know what to say when my life was turned upside down. I loved my dad more than anything. Even now, no one will take his place. I got my strength from him to get through hard times. He also taught me how to control my anger. It was as if I had lost my best friend, not onlymy dad. After my dad died, I lost any hope I ever had. I didn’t have a wall to lean on, just my brothers.

My oldest brother was 6 years older than me, and I didn’t want to make life harder than it already was. I had to grow up and not be a child anymore. I gave up hope of a better life because when I hoped and nothing happened, it was worse than life without hope. I stopped wishing for a better life. I stopped hoping for a better school that would have teachers who would not spank me just because I didn’t give them money or gifts. The racism towards us Tutsis from the Hutus at the school was painful and unbearable.

When I was nine years old I wanted to go to Congo with my grandparents because they told me that Congo had a good school. So I went with them thinking that my life was going to be better, but instead it got worse. I couldn’t sleep at the house, so I had to sleep in the bushes because it was dangerous. Also I had to walk two miles to get water and I had walk five miles to get firewood. I didn’t know why God created me to live in this sinful world. Since I didn’t get to go to school, I didn’t know if I should stop wishing for school. I always want to be like other children who had parents to tell them what to do.

Things started to get better as life went on. We got better food from the U.N. because we didn’t have parents to look after us. In 2007 we started to get papers from America saying we can have a family and go to a better school. I was scared to hear that we were going to a different country where we didn’t have any family or friends. I started to hope again because it was a different country and it wouldn’t be poor like Uganda or Congo. Parents would not have to work all day just for 5 cents, which was not enough for a family to live on. My life started to get better and better everyday. I start to imagine how I would learn English. I began to hope.

When I got to America I started to have hope again because my dream was coming true. Everything that I wished for I got to have, like a phone and electronics that a kid would want, and going to a better school. And I got to be a child again. Most importantly, now I have a family that lovesme, a church where I can worship God, and a Bible that I can read. Now I have a life that I had been hoping for.

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What Matters to You and Why?Jaclyn F.

Trees tie me to the places I love, and stand as witnesses to the ways I have grown and thethings I have learned in those places. the constancy of the trees in a place is the framework aroundwhich a house of memories is built. I think of the single palm tree on my grandparents’ ranch,which arches over their low house against the deep blue California sky. When I was a child, thepalm tree seemed to me as old and abiding as the hazy distant mountains. Under its arching frondsI learned my heritage not my ethnic heritage, but my familial heritage. I discovered gumption instories of my greatgreatgrandfather, who, when told the canning company would not accept thepeaches from his orchard, created his own brand and canned and sold them himself.

Other trees saw me begin to love the world as my own. The backyard of the house inMassachusetts in which I grew up boasted an oversized japanese maple the first tree I canremember climbing. As my daring increased, I graduated to the cedars on the west side of thehouse. I also began to notice the habits of the trees and learned to call them by their names: thecrabapple tree whose pink buds faded to white as they opened, the ash whose yellow leaves werethe first to drop every autumn.

The trees in the house where I now live have witnessed me beginning to act on what I havelearned from my heritage and on my love of the trees. The ancient dogwood in the front yard wasovergrown by weak offshoots which were sapping its strength. I borrowed a saw from my fatherand, perched on a ladder, pruned away the sickly parts of the tree. Several years ago on ArborDay, I planted three little sticks saplings, actually, of some unidentified varieties of trees. Now,two of them are beginning to bloom; they have grown into flowering pear trees and the third is amaple. They are twice my height and promising to be a framework on which to build futurememories.

PetsMegan F.

catsleek, agile

grooming, sneaking, pouncingpurr, meow, growl, bark

bounding, rolling, slobberinglovable, enthusiastic

dog

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The Past is unForgivingCorrie V.

My heart skips a beat and my blood pressure rises.

Cold muscles are clenched tightly by my side,

But I hold it back. (S)He Despises

Me. I am frozen—still he died

I try and run but my legs are caught in slow motion;

The past is unforgivable, yet I still try.

Nothing can break my promise or emotion.

Still, we keep on running—running to the end and running till we die.

Running because it’s the only thing we know.

It is haunting. It is present.

The pain is surrounding, and moves not slow,

But fast. It is simply the way he torments.

Stop and forgive the past,

But remember the lessons that will last.

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The Merciless Clock: A Kamikaze JourneyMeaghan H.

TicktockticktockI am powerlessagainst the clock. I have reached the point

of no return.And now I wait here,living in death’s shadow,for I am helpless. I am tortured.

Everywhere I feel pain.My body aches with bruises,my heart stings with grief,for I am hopeless. Lying in utter desperation,

trying to rationalize.When others went before me,how can I refuse?

My family,my loved ones,they must be protected.Shielded from shame,

Ticktock shame that will haunt them.ticktockI am powerless

Beautiful but brief, against the clock.our lives are like the cherry blossoms.I am a pink petal,swaying in the breeze.Desperate to hang on,when even I know it’s pointless.I will die in this war,

I am isolated, so I wish to die a hero.inadequate, But I cannot face this imminent death,with an inevitable end. with the heartless clock,For I am defenseless, ticking away,ticktock, chipping away,defenseless against at my existence.the clock.

I sufferin an atmosphere,of death,of defeat. I am losing my battle,With an unfaltering ticking, my struggle,stuck on repeat. against the clock. I have felt myself fading,

For I long ago became powerless, ever since that day.ticktock, When the question was asked

powerless against the clock.and I chose my way.

One last night But there was never a choice.But I cannot run, before my flight.cannot hide from the clock hands, I still cannot acceptthin and wide. what lies ahead.They are more powerful than I.Ticktockticktock I lost my fight against the clock.

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Canto XVIKelsey T.

KELSEY the PILGRIM and her guide JENNIFER headed to the Fifth Bolgia. As they made their way through afield, they came upon a GRIFFON who guarded the entrance. After discussing the reason for the Pilgrims visit,they made it to the pit of the SLANDERERS. Inside the pit there were shades being brutally tortured. Kelseyrecognized one of the sinners as REGINA GEORGE. After they saw REGINA, they found themselves at the River ofFear, a river that showed what the shades feared most. As they are about to leave, they pilgrim faints in pity.

We voyaged across a narrow rocked bridge which, as I stepped,my foot caught and I almost tumble down into the endless darknessif not for my guide, whose steady grasp clutched my wrist.

Soon we neared a vast field, full of vibrantgreen grass dotted with multitudes of colorful flowers, theirstems were gently bending and swaying in the hot, humid wind.

All of sudden, a thunderous noise erupted overhead and a luminousshadow casted across the ground before us and a large beast landed,its monstrous goldenfurred paws swiftly touched the ground.

I cowered back in fear, terrified by this winged beast.“Do not be afraid, for I am with you,” said my guide,“This griffon means no harm to us.”

I looked up into the shimmering yellow cat eyes of this griffonAnd it bared it teeth at me, “What brings you to this level of hell,You do not belong here, mere living human,” it roared questioningly.

“We are here on a mission,just passing through,” my guide explained.The griffon nodded its large mane covered head once,

Flapped its large wings and took off,soaring through the sky, leaving behind for me one soft,silky blacktipped feather, which I tucked into my pocket.

Continuing on through the field,I saw nothing more but field,No sinners visible.

All of a sudden I am pulled violently backwards by my guide.In confusion, I looked down and before me is a massive hole, sinking deepbelow, my guide has saved me from danger yet again. We descended into the dark hole

and on closer inspection I saw shades,each of which were being tortured.They had chains digging deep into their wrists

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keeping them bound to the dark earth in which they were encircled.Wild demons ripped them limb from limb and devoured the body parts whilethe shades spewed new limbs, only to get them torn off again.

Other demons whipped them until they are bloody and raw, the outer skin gone.Screams of pure agony filled my ears and the tears the shades cry sizzled and burneddown their cheeks, acid and hot, leaving deep marks on their faces.

One sinner specifically caught my eye.Her blonde hair was dirty and caked with blood,The french tips were shorted to the beginning

of her nail beds from clawing her itchy, burningcheeks with acid tears and smeared black makeup.Her pink mini skirt and shirt were shredded and bloody.

She looked up at me with a smirk and said “nice skirt,” which provokeda demon to tear off an arm. She shrieked “I’m sorry! I take it back!”I looked towards my guide and asked, “What sinners dwell here?”

“The ones who lived to slander,” Jennifer said. “Reginaspent her time socially destroying other people's lives by spreadingmalicious false rumors about others.”

“If only I had never let Cady sit with us,” she murmured.“Then Aaron Samuels would be mine.” Again a demonripped her leg off, muscle and nerves falling off the

place where the leg was connected. The demons sharp teethcut up the flesh, like hamburger meat ground up intohunks and placed into a sealed package to be purchased.

We voyaged to the other side of the pit andbefore us flowed a river, its color so crystalline and clearit was almost white.

Looking closer, I saw not my own reflection,but nothing, just water, as if I was not there.Then, a demon grabbed a shade and threw

them in the water. The shade looked into the waterand screamed, terrified. He tried to run out of the waterbut the demon pushed him back in. More acid

tears leaked out of the shades eye, obviously disturbedby what he was looking at in the water. Confused Iasked my guide what was happening.

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“This river is the River of Fear.Whatever is the shades worst fear is they see in the river.They hallucinate to the extent that they tear their eyes out.”

Just as Jennifer said this, the shade in the river screams a bloodcurdlingscream and gouged its fingers to the back of his eye socket, and rippedhis eyes out of his head. The demon quickly ate them.

“Let us move on from this horrid place,” my guide said,Yet before we could leaveI fainted in pity.

NOTES13. We voyage across a narrow rocked bridge: This shows that you can easily fall into the ways of slander.57. Soon we near a vast field: People who slander others often appear to be nice and innocent, when actually theyhurt people behind their backs.911. All of sudden, a thunderous noise erupts overhead: The guard of this Bolgia is a griffon, which is a mythologicalcreature with the body of a lion and wings of an eagle. The Achaemenids considered the griffon "a protector fromevil, witchcraft and secret slander.”13. Do not be afraid, for I am with you: Allusion to the bible verse Isaiah 41:1023. The griffon nodded its large mane covered head once: One head nod symbolizes the finality of the griffonsunderstanding, paralleling with the finality of hell.2627. leaving behind for me: The griffon left behind one feather is a symbol of its approval of the mission39. They have chains digging deep into their wrists: Chains are part of the contrapasso, in life the rumors thesinners created often chained their victims to a false persona that the rumors allowed others to believe about thevictim.4247. Wild demons rip them limb from limb: Slander is when people spread false rumors about others. Thiscontrapasso is, in life, slanderers rumors often rip the victims apart emotional and tear them up inside so in death,the slanderers will be ripped apart. They regrow new limbs because slander often happens over and over. There toplayer of skin is almost whipped raw because the rumors hurt the victims and the hurt is raw and painful. The tearsthat the victims shed are out of pain so in death these slanderers will be in pain physically from their own tears.49. One sinner specifically catches my eye: This sinner is Regina George. She is a fictional character from the movieMean Girls. She is the queen bee of the school and is the leader of the Plastics.57. She looks up at me with a smirk and says nice skirt: In the movie, when Regina tells a girl "Nice skirt", sheactually thinks that the said girl's skirt is hideous. This shows that even in hell, Regina does not recognize what shedid wrong and continues her bad ways.6566. If only I had never let Cady sit with us: Another example of how Regina has not changed.7786. Looking closer, I saw not my own reflection: The River of Fear. People who slander often do it to get a highposition in rank or in the social ladder. One fear is to slip down the social ladder so they hurt others to get their way.Some slanderers are vain which is where the reflections came from. Slander is spreading false rumors so the sinnerssee things that are not there. Their fears come to life through hallucinations. They see false things that are not actuallythere.9395. the shade in the river screams a bloodcurdling scream: The shade rips its eyes out since he thinks it is theonly way to escape the hallucinations. Yet this is a futile attempt since the shades grow back body parts. Slander isvery hard to escape. Slanderers often fall into a pattern of slandering others and the victims cannot escape the falserumors. This shows that the shades cannot escape what they see in the River since they could not escape theirslandering ways.99. I fainted in pity: Something Dante used as a way to transition into another chapter.

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http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fvillains.wikia.com%2Fwiki%2FPlastics&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNE4sXDwBAT0MCjoLNKLtl5meL4sjA

The Games of ZeusStephanie A.

My darling Helios, why does he fret?He knows that of him I will never forget.Yes, this Odysseus may devour my thoughts,But for Helios, the sun god, that king is no threat.

Of this I will show him, my dear Helios,I will show him that I love him the most.Odysseus will be sent to the land of Thrinacia.Odysseus, I will send to dock at that coast.

Once there I know well that his men are weak.Upon sight of those cattle, they will crave for some meat.But Odysseus is strong, and he has been warned,He would be willing to starve and not eat.

But Helios, he loves his cattle and sheep,How could I let him his bovine not keep?Odysseus is smart, of this he will not allow.He won’t be in charge if he is asleep.

Now of Odysseus, death he shan’t taste,yet of his crew, I must make waste.I must spare his life, yet please Helios.How must I do this, and also in haste?

When I set Odysseus off into deep slumber,his crewmen they will, those cattle plunder,The Overlord of Noon will burn with anger.But by then his cattle would have been torn asunder.

Helios will cry out to me aloud,and I will answer to him, my voice from a cloud.“Peace,” I will say, “make peace with this man,”but still my intentions will be hidden with a shroud.

For then Odysseus’ ship, I will destroy.He will think I have saved, like in Troy.But he will not know that I love Helios,He will not know that with him I just toy.

Because he cared my warnings not to heed,I will show I can do many a bad deed.Now he will feel the wrath of my fury,Though ‘twas his crew that decided to feed.

Both Odysseus and Helios, forever will love me,they will cry to me, Father Zeus, only.While I show no partisan, I am their support.Now they will listen to all I decree.

Odysseus is cunning, Odysseus has heart.But he doesn’t know that I too am smart.Yes, he is noble, but he isn’t divine.He doesn’t know that his love is an art.

Love must be played like a riskfilled game,How I played love brought me to great fame.My darlings they love me, they listen to me,My enemies, they fear, they hate my great name.

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EyesNatalie C.

I am Argus I am PolyphemusI have a hundred eyes. I have but one.I can see the world all at once. I can see three feet in front of me.Hermes killed me. Odysseus poked my eye out.

Heroes always spoil everything!

AwakeSarah H. and Annika J.

Brilliant light pierces my sleepThen it breaks meDark eternity growlsYet little morning comes through the nightA sweet breath of color lathers allEarly night brings the darkness once moreIf I had not known gentle morningI never know the warm joy of life.

RainMegan F.

Rain falls from aboveembracing the thirsty grounda gift from heaven

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The Man Who Didn't Steal My HatBenjamin R.

“He's crazy!” I screamed as I was running down the street. “He's absurd!”“Absurd!” the alley echoed, while I chased the man with my big hat sliding off his head.“Thief! Robber!” I cried with even greater rage, and the avenue repeated those same words with echoing

reverberation. “My hat,” I cried, “what will I do without my hat?!” So I began running even faster after the cursedvillain. “Villain!” I cried, and yet again the road reiterated that same word.

Meanwhile the man with my big hat was darting through the narrow alleys of our city. Tripping overboulders and nearly falling into sewages, he finally made his way to a bridge across our river, and would havejumped into the water if a policeman had not grabbed him by the legs, and dragging him to a safe distance from theriver, allowed him to freely disappear.

I flew across the bridge with sparks of malice falling from my shoes, but all of a sudden found myselfcrashing into the same policeman. I stepped aside without asking for pardon and wanted to dash forward, but hefirmly caught me by the wrist. “Why such urgency?” he asked me, “Where are you going with such speed?”

“The man!” I gasped, “The man! I need to catch him immediately! Please...”“What man?” the bluecoat interrupted. “The police can deal with such problems better than yourself! Tell me

his address, and we'll find him in a streak of lightning!”“What do you mean his address?” I choked. “I've never seen him in my lifetime, so how do you expect me to

describe his features when I did not even get to look at his visage? Sir, could you please leave me to myself!”“Calm there,” my interrogator told me, “calm. Write us up your case and pay us a cheap price, and the

criminal is in your hands! Just...”“It's too late!” I sobbed. Covering my face completely with my hands I fell upon the pavement on my knees.

“It's over!” I groaned, “I'll never see my hat again. No! Never!” I no longer tried to conceal my emotions.“Let him be, I heard another voice above me, “see how he's crying. Let him be.”I lifted up my eyes and saw another officer towering above me. Quickly I stood up from the ground.“Go ahead, mate,” that one told me, “we apologize for any unnecessary interventions.”I nodded, and quickly disappeared out of their sight.

“Parkers Avenue” I read under the lamp. This was my street. Despondently I headed to the old brick houseunder an old maple, where I and my colleague Harry Collins lived. Not minding to wipe my feet against the doormat,I slammed the door behind me. I walked across our hallway to the bleak kitchen, where I sat down and angrily beganto read the newspaper. I soon found it to contain nothing interesting, so I madly threw it on the floor.

“Good evening,” I heard Harry's highpitched and somewhat shaky voice, “are you, a... upset because ofsomething?”

“Why should I be upset?” I irately retorted, “Just leave me alone, Harry, will you please?”“Certainly,” replied the latter. He quickly stepped out of our bedroom (the door to which was located behind

my back) and walked out of the kitchen to the living room.I sneered and picked up the newspaper from the cold floor and resumed to read it in the disappearing

sunlight. Soon the letters became too dark for me to distinguish, so I laid the paper on the kitchen table and walkedinto the somewhat lighter living room. Harry shrank when he saw my sullen face, but I said: “Harry, let's finish ourbackgammon game.”

Harry momentarily agreed. “It's alright Harry, I'm not mad at you.” I told him. “The problem is that today,as I was walking down Old Crook's Street, someone darted from behind my back and grabbed my hat off of my head.He after managed to slip out of my hands and run away from me, and I did not get to see what his face looked like.By stature he wasn't very tall, and he was skinny: somewhat comparable to you. But understand me, this was my onlyhat: the most expensive of all of my possessions, even more costly than the newest of my books, since it was straightout of the store. It was the only item of apparel which I had about which I could brag to other people. If only I couldfind that thief and deal with him myself! I'd get my hat back, and make him buy a brand new one for you! What doyou think, Harry?”

“Oh! Yes!” Harry replied somewhat undeterminedly. “But, you know,” he swallowed and continued, “mylonglost brother has recently returned to town from jail. I forget what was his case, something like taking a hot bunoff of the counter and not paying, but the sentence was five years. Several weeks ago I was reading through the list ofreleased prisoners, and found to my surprise the name Edward Collins Junior. 'He's probably cold like this, inOctober, without shelter,' I was thinking lately. Prison has harsh ways, you know, so I wouldn't be surprised if Edreturned to stealing. So if he was the one who stole your hat...” Harry had to stop.

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“No! Certainly not!” I said, repenting of my earlier words. “Harry, I'll save for several months and get myselfanother hat, but surely I'll forget about this one. I can imagine how great is the need of your poor brother.”

Harry's dejected look made me feel even more miserable, so I immediately shut my mouth and continuedplaying the backgammon game. Harry made several mistakes characteristic only to beginners and quickly lost as aresult, while I felt still more sorry for hurting the feelings of my friend. Harry suggested to me dinner which hehimself didn't want, so I decided that I too was not hungry and went straight to bed. My colleague told me that hewould study for tomorrow and went back into the living room. After half an hour of unusual rustling he returned andquietly proceeded to his bed. He did not read as usual with his night light, but lay silent and immobile. Tired fromthe day's disappointing events, I quickly fell asleep.

The next day I woke up quite early (though I had probably slept a whole nine hours), but did not find Harryin his bed. I went out of the room, and saw a note lying on the kitchen table. Harry wrote that he was off for an examin the university. I was free that day. So I thought about going to the park where I could meet my friends, or to thelibrary where I could finish “Moby Dick” which I earlier could not wait to lay my hands on. But I remembered that Iwas left without my hat, and that wherever I would go, I'd be despised now by the upper class. Instinctively I wentback inside the bedroom where I found my wallet, and looked inside it. Several coppers still remained of my weeklyallowance, and I decided to remain without breakfast. I knew where I would go. To the pub on Centre Street, the “BigMan Joe”.

The sunlight no longer brought me joy because it simply illuminated my hatless head as if it were pointingout to others: “Look at this beggar! He can't even afford to buy himself a hat!” Therefore I looked only down undermy feet in order not to see the mocking faces of the passersby, and nearly missed the building on Centre Streetnumber 47, the pub called “Big Man Joe”.

I opened wide the door and went inside, and headed to the counter where I could get myself some whiskey,but suddenly, I froze. Standing at a table drinking beer while talking to another man, I saw the thief who stole myhat. His back was turned to me, but my own hat erected on his head. Surely it was my own, since I could even see theemblem of the company which made it sewn unto its back. This was no other than my stolen hat. The man who stoleit also seemed familiar, so I thought certainly, this must be that very thief.

Quietly and slowly I crept up to him and lifted up my hand behind him. Those around me looked at me withsurprise, but kept silent, awaiting something unusual to happen. Then in a streak of lightning, forgetting allconcerning Harry's brother, I seized him by the throat. His face immediately turned to mine, and then I froze again,awestricken, unable to believe my eyes. Before me, pale as death, and choking from my grip now stood my friendand colleague, Harry Collins. A few more seconds I continued to stand while holding him by the throat, but then Icame back to my senses. With disgust, I threw him on the wooden floor, to the excitement of my viewers. “Youwretched criminal!” I cried, unleashing my revenge. Kneeling beside him, I took him by the collar, and shook themiser harder than the hand of the entrepreneur who sold to me what was just stolen.

“I didn't steal it!” Harry shrieked hysterically. “Leave me alone!”“What didn't you steal?!” I asked him sternly, and shook him even harder by his collar.“Your hat! I didn't steal your hat!” he screamed, “Just let me go, I'll give it back to you!”So I was about to retrieve what was mine and leave his head unable to ever wear a hat again, but then I

reconsidered. I left my hat alone and said despairingly: “A rascal you are, so one you will remain.” With that I turnedand walked out of the pub.

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Snow DayGrace M.

The twirling, airborn, freezing flakes collide,

Creating blankets white, and whispers “peace”

To every person’s spirit soothing like

A dream. The reason is unknown to me,

And yet the wonder is intriguing. There’s

A tranquil feeling, vast contentment in

The silence. Hectic lives of people pause,

When snow’s beauty breaks their routine and pace.

But at spring it restarts; the speed of life.

MosesJulia C.

Goshdarn sheep.

You’d think they’d want to stay together, butNo.

One wanders off into the dark, into the darkness where I goTo leave the others, and myself, behind,

Led by the stars to guide me from the crooked pathInto the light of the moon,

Where the Spirit of the Lord hovers among the quiet, like aStill,

Soft,

Song.

Where the bush did not go up in flames

As all my doubts did.

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The Judges DecisionFikemi F.

On the one handthey cry out begging for justice.The ghosts of murdered victims plead for vengeance, for punishment.They say the law must be upholded, that evil can’t go free,that the hand of mercy should not see those who deeds are too atrocious to describe.

On the other handthey appeal for grace, claiming their soul has been drowned in sorrows,their heart thick with remorse.They insist that orders had to be followed,that the choice was not theirs to be made,that the cup should pass from them.

Yet there are those...Those who bewilder my brain, the ones who cause grief and anguish to my being.The people who causes me to ask if this is all humanity is.They are the ones who have no remorse, no feeling of regret, who show no shame.Their souls are full of black,and where their heart should be,is the corrupt greed and lust for power that burns through their veins.

How do I judge?Do I rule with mercy and forgiveness?Do I err on the side of grace and show compassion?Or do I become the ruthless judge whose defendants shall feel the Law’s force in the fullest?Whose sentences would slant no matter the after feeling?Who was I and did I have the right to judge another person's sins?

I was a judge who need to provide justice,yet I was limited by the law.The deeds left unseen and the deeds done long beforeremained hidden from the law and the one who upheld it

The law did not look for injustices and so neither did I.The law did not hear the cries of the people and then I didn’t either.The law did not smell the aroma of incinerated societies so I wouldn’t either.The law did not taste the tears of the weeping widow and so I couldn't either.The law did not feel the frightened child shake and so neither could I.The law is reason and free from passion, and that was what I became

And these are things I regret most.

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No God?Scarlett O.

How can people believe the proclamationthat there is no God?I imagine that they're living in a trance of confusion.

If there is no God,where do they originate from?How are they breathingat this very minute?How did everything on this Earthcome to be?If there is no God,why do they even exist?So many questions are stirredwhen this question is asked:how can people believe there is no God?

I can only imagine what it would feel like not to have God.I’d feel unrestbecause I wouldn’t know if anythingwould be okay. I'd be doubtfulabout if I'm importantor just a filler space in this world. I'd feel lonelywithout having anyone to lean on. I'd feel punishedwondering why bad thingshappen to me.I'd think an infinite number of thoughtsif I didn't believe there was a God,but none of them would be good ones.

I wonder how they can thinkthere isn't anyoneto take care of them.I wonder how they can thinkthere isn't anything more immense than themin control.I wonder how they can thinkthat there isn't anyone at allwho love them.It's despairing knowing that they thinkthey have nothing on this Earthexcept for themselves.

It makes me imagine,if there is no God,then why do they think they are placed on the Earth?Where do they think they are going to descendwhen they die?

What do they think will happen become of them?

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The Ball of SteelJillian B.

The ball of steel,

The foot of iron,

the electrifying determination.

Salty seawater sweat cascades down her face,

Mother nature’s cool fall breath down her back

chilling her spine into a popsicle.

The net of distressing fear,

the goalie of stonehard cold stone.

The grass of a thousand blades, pointed sharply at her cleats.

Her foot ready to bomb the ball into the top right corner of the net.

Her fists tightly shut, a vault closing in.

Head down, arm up, cleat swung backwards…

The minutes, the lingering seconds,

the bounce of her heartbeat out of her chest.

The referee’s arm waved high,

his whistle squished between his monstrous lips,

the sound of a shrieking whistle sounds

ready, set,

GOAL!

The ball rockets into the top right corner of the net,

her arms sailing through out the field,

her heart beating as loud as a drumfilled with excitement.

The score boards twinkling lights beyond the roaring crowd,

10.

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Emerson’s Philosophies and the Natural WorldGuannan (Caroline) G.

Nature is at the center of the works of Ralph Waldo Emerson who is one of the representative of Transcendentalism.In Nature, Spirit, and SelfReliance, he states his ideas about the natural world and uses his experience of the naturalworld to develop his philosophies of individualism, optimism, and mysticism.

The literature of Emerson reflects his philosophy of individualism. In SelfReliance, Emerson maintains that youshould “trust thyself” and “accept the place the divine providence has found for you, the society of yourcontemporaries, the connection of events.” (Emerson) In other words, when people cannot change the situation, theonly thing that people could do is to accept the fact and trust themselves. “What I must do is all that concerns me, notwhat the people thank.” (Emerson) These two sentences show Emerson’s idea of individualism that people do notneed to pay too much attention to extrinsic influence, such as “the place the divine providence has found for you, thesociety of your contemporaries, the connection of events.” What people would do is focus on their intrinsicimprovement and be concerned about themselves Further, Emerson not only expands his idea of individualism bystrengthening the idea that people should live alone and not be in touch with the outside world, but he also maintainsthat people should have their own opinion even though they live in the crowd. he writes that “it is easy in the world tolive after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but eh great man is he who in the midst of thecrowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.” (Emerson) In this quotation, Emerson’sindividualism is not just to live a life of physical solitude, but live in mental where you are not affected by othersopinions. So here, as in many of Emerson’s works, he describes his idea of individualism as being an independentthinker.

The philosophy of individualism is based on Emerson’s consciousness of the natural world. he feels that “standing onthe bare ground...the currents of the Universal Being circulate through me; I am part or particle of God...I am thelover of uncontained and immortal beauty. In the wilderness, I find something more dear and connate than in streetsor villages.” (Emerson) These sentences show that when he “in the wildness,” he feels that he becomes his own God.so, when people stay in the natural world writes Emerson, They will find themselves becoming more spiritual andmore confident. This feeling comes from people’s individually independent mind. Besides, Emerson strengthens theidea that “man beholds somewhat as beautiful as his own nature.” This also indicates that he believes everyone’semotion or feeling comes from their own mind and can be immersed in the natural world. Furthermore, Emersonbelieves that the “delight does not reside in nature, but in man.” Although nature can give people delight, but thefeeling of delight is individual which is not based on anything but only on one’s mind. Emerson commented that“nature is so pervaded with human life, that there is something of humanity in all, and in every particular. But thistheory makes nature foreign to me, and does not account for that consanguinity which we acknowledge to it.”(Emerson) So, Emeson thinks individualism is not only based on nature but also has its own connotation that peopleshould experience by themselves.

Emerson also maintains a lot of ideas of optimism in his works. In SelfReliance, it says that “good and bad are butnames very readily transferable to that or this; the only right is what is after my constitution; the only wrong what isagainst it.” This sentence indicates Emerson’s idea of optimism. People do not need to care too much about “good” or“bad” which are just names made by humans; people are not only judged by “good” or “bad.” One may do “bad”things, but this cannot be evidence that this person is incorrigible. People should keep an optimistic mind in theirheart. Besides, Emerson believes people should not cumber themselves “about consequences, about interests;” peopleshould have “an independent, genuine verdict.” (Emerson) he means that people should not blame themselvesbecause of an unsatisfactory consequence, but people need to focus on the process. Only a better process can makepeople keep improving themselves and let them get a better consequence next time. So, according to Emerson, peopleliving in the world should have an optimistic mind, keep doing what they think is right, and through this processbecome better and better.So how does Emerson develop his philosophy of optimism through the natural world? he says that “spirit...does not

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build up nature around us, but puts it forth through us, as the life of the tree puts forth new branches and leavesthrough the pores of the old.” (Emerson) Emerson sees that spirit as a guide for people’s life and points how peopleevolve in the natural world. Every new generation replaces the old generation. This is natural law, and human beingscannot control it. People should have an optimistic thought of the metabolism abou the natural world; since peoplecannot change it, then they should live with it. Further, in Emerson's Nature, he writes that “in the presence ofnature, a wild delight runs through the man, in spite of the real sorrows.” This quotation shows the relationshipbetween nature and his idea of optimism. Nature gives people delight rather than sorrows. However, the delightcomes from people’s own mind, not only from nature. People should be optimistic in life so that when they areinvolved in the nature, they can feel the sweet delight from nature and their own dep heart. In conclusion, thenatural world and optimism affect each other and make people live more successfully in the world.

In addition to optimism, mysticism is another important thought of Emerson which is displayed in his essaysconstantly. He writes that “in your metaphysics you have denied personality to the Deity, yet when the devoutmotions of the soul come, yield to them heart and life, though they should clothe God with shape and color.”(Emerson) This sentence shows the idea of mysticism directly. Emerson thinks that people should yield their“devout motions of soul” in other words, their philosophies and opinions, to their “heart and life” which is theiraction and activities. And then people can get the truth from God. Also in Emerson’s works of The Conduct of Life,“he quotes the final image in his letters, and echoes it in the “The OverSoul.” he comes back to it again whendescribing Swedenborg’s mysticism and developed his understanding.” (Matthiessen) Emerson not only learnsfrom the philosophy of others, but also gets many new ideas. So, Emerson’s idea of mysticism is that people shouldact according to the idea in their heart.

Mysticism and the natural world also related to each other in Emerson’s literature. He writes that “nature neverwears a mean appearance. Neither does the wisest man extort her secret, and lose his curiosity by finding out all herperfection. Nature never became a toy to a wise spirit.” (Emerson) This sentence shows that people should respectnature and even wisest man could not “extort her secret,” in other words, find the answers of many mystics. Inanother perspective, nature represents God’s image. People should be devout to the nature, and even the wisest mancould not play nature as a toy, because nature is not only divine but also powerful. The natural world concludes thespirit of humans. However, “the relations of the soul to the divine spirit” also indicates Emerson's idea of mysticism.He defines the relationship between “soul” and “divine spirit” as purity “that it is profane to seek to interpose helps.”“It must be that when God speaketh he should communicate, not one thing, but all things; should fill the world withhis voice; should scatter forth light, nature, time, souls, from the centre of the present thought.” Therefore, Goddominates the natural world, and people should listen to God’s words. So, the natural world and mysticism bothdevotees to God and the divine spirit.

“The constant theme of Emerson’s naturepoetry is the identity of being which runs through all the diverse forms ofnature.” (Beach) Nature is the center of Emerson’s works. He expresses all his philosophies by involving the naturalworld. Three important philosophies of Emerson, individualism, optimism, and mysticism are all strengthened bymaking a relationship with the natural world.

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Since TimeCameron D.

Since time can be told, evil has thrivedWhen wicked men were too stubborn to listen to His counselA torrential flood wiped the face of the earth deprivedOnly saving animals by twos and His spousal

Since the day we could not converse with others,When obstinate men believed they were a god superiorAnd built a height that would reach the utmost of wonders,Were lost to confusion and found themselves inferior

Since the day a soul was turned to salt,When perverse men cherished and worshiped debaucheryAnd tried unknown pleasures on His men with only a halt,Were later found in ashes with their majority

Imagine the world if evil really could breathe.Imagine evil's bite with much sharper teeth.

Summer TalesStephanie A.

The midnight sky, it stretches without end.The humid summer air fills the expanse.

Bright sunfish gather by the shore, their sheenGoes not unnoticed. Venus shimmers like

A star. Orion blazes fierce. ExcitesThe fire, kindling does. The fire burns

More brightly. Crickets chirp their lullabies.The owls hoot their bedtime stories. FriendsTell stories of their own, of simple times

And valor. Summer nights make tales anew.

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Sonnet #1Kevin L.

Impending winter drives a man insane.Forever in fear of her icy clutch.Once dragged in, one easy way to escape:List yourself as Pennsylvania Dutch!Hell begins with the PSAT.Time to raise the GPA.Chained to the conveyer belt of misery;Life is deadlines and stress each day.Synapses fire more sporadically as myeye shifts from ten to four.It seems closed shut the allseeing eye;I stand alone to fight the war.Yet out of darkness must come the light,Peace at last and a future bright.

The Final PeakJacob P.

I rest my eyes upon the lofty topFathoming the journey to the peak

Its grandeur and its beauty I must seekUntil my body breaks and I must stop

My thoughts turn from mere ponder into pastI reminisce to where that I have been

From mountains low to mighty AlgonquinTo all the might of God I see in vastAnd I climb on—the precipice ahead

Mine own Ventoux; I climb to see the viewOff the trodden path, my body led

Into the great unknown—the path for fewI will not stop until my body’s dead

Until I reach the peak, my eyes see You.

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HomeAbigail S.

My home was meant for growingThe ground was all highlow;The valleys and peaks were a furrowed field.Up to the school, then down, down again toThe baseball diamond at the bottom of the hill,Up to the library and the cemetery.And children all around and in between theApples tossed to the ground in lateOctober winds.Green it wasAn idyll undisturbed by timeBut mummified in distanceBottled in the vaguest feelingLike an antique post card that you hang on your bathroom wallNot alive, not dead, but passedAnd only fully there in me, who grew.

The StarsAnnika J.

The stars in the heavens are far awaythere are people who shine as brightly as starsbut they are even farther away than the starsfarther than one like me could fathomsome gain their shine through hardship and others are simply born with itnot all of us can climb to the skiesand few people are born under the star of geniushowever even though not everyone shines as brightly as starsinside all of us there is a light that needs to stay hiddenif shown it would blind us all.

35

The Gruesome Deed (Inspired by Edgar Allan Poe)Fikemi F.

Yes I am mad, but not in the way that most of you think for it is not a kind of anger where mybrain ravages and my stomach turns and I have no control over whatever I am doing, but it is a madwhere I feel not, but yet the anger takes dominion, and I have no choice but to act on the unnaturalmotions bulging inside of me bubbling upward until, until until it is too late. For the mad that I amtalking about is an extreme anger, a raging fire that burns and won't stop until it has consumedeverything in its path and then it leaves you with nothing except for the charred remains of what wasyour hopeful future.

My anger grew and grew until I was a monster possessed by the demons of rage. It was as if Iwas watching someone live my life out like a movie, I looked but didn't see, I touched but didn't feel, Idid various gruesome deeds, but yet felt no remorse. For the demon that set fire and unbridled myrage had freed me from the burdens of emotions and empathy.

For when I arrived in Herlton Academy, the deed I committed would be long remembered. Andsome may say that what I did was a bit rash or harsh, but I say they committed a crime when they hadconcocted the disease of stupidity for it proved to be highly contagious for it would seem that all myclassmates had caught the disease but I – I was determined not to let my superior intellect get wastedand shriveled up into what had become the oh so popular “yo mama” and knockknock jokes. So Idevised a plan, with the little demons fueling my overreaction with rage , a perfect plan; for if there isno one to spread the ailment, there is no way to get afflicted by it and then, and only then would mysuperior intellect be safe. So became my goal, my mission to eliminate this disease and all who carriedit.

For the first girl I saw walked up to me and started with the words “Knockkno" for she had notthe time to finish before the dagger, concealed in the sleeve of my crisp white shirt which had now beensplattered by the blood of the blonde who fell down by my feet, her overly red lips still parted as if shemight finish her sentence. It was pure luck that she had left her locker open and I promptly shut her init.

'Twas not long before down in the musky locker room one of knock knock blonde's friendswere complaining about some of her nonexistent fat on her legs. Driven by fury, I hurled into her like atorpedo shot from a ship, hands out wide and closed on her neck and I didn't stop until I saw her soulflash from her eyes and it was at that moment that the bell rang. So I left the body, one just simplyisn't late for gym class.

All that day I was a murder machine if you vexed me at all, well you and God would be talking toeach other from local calls rather than long distance. I had killed and brutally murdered my entireclass, but it wasn't until last period that I realised what I had done, immediately I was guilt stricken forI I I had forgotten about our home room teacher.

But in luck she was standing in the door and I took my knife which was already a crimson scarletfrom all the blood that I had spilt and had been too lazy to clean. And when she saw me she looked likea deer caught in headlights, but before I could bat an eye, her hands flashed like lightning, beautifulbut incredibly scary, seized my scrawny wrists and wrangled the bloody knife away. I watched as thedagger dropped and toppled end over end as in slow motion. I was hypnotised as the blade clankedonce, twice, thrice before it hit the ground with a final thud. Her free hand stained by my lavishbloodshed, smelled repulsive, like burning sulfur, grabbed my scrawny wrist and concocted a pain soimmense that my brain's single attempt to respond, left me passed out on the cold, white floor.

And that is how I ended up here with nothing more to my name than a bucketful of spitefulmessages and a one way ticket to the little corner of the world set aside for people like me: jail.

36

Canto XIII: The ChastisersAlexandra J.

After crossing the Phlegethon, The Pilgrim and her guide Isaiah continue into the 2nd ring and find themselves stopped at theentryway by Ammit. Isaiah confronts the guard and she lets both through. Beyond the door they find multiple mountains witha scale at each peak containing various punishments on either end. The shades in the scales, trying in vain to balance them, arethe Judgers. Each shade has planks over both eyes and has to climb up the mountain in order to escape the jackals on theground. The Pilgrim sees a shade fall off a scale and rush over, wishing to speak with him. Isaiah calls the jackals off and theshade begins to speak, identifying himself as Adolf Hitler. Hitler tells his life story and tries to invoke�

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Lexington Christian Academy › uploaded › PDFs › AboutUs › Cadence_2013.pdfCADENCE 2013 The Cadence is Lexington Christian Academy’s literary journal. It was created to encourage