Poetry, writing, drawing, painting and more.
Growing up, I loved snapping pictures. I spent every spare dollar I had on film. My old pictures weren’t that great. The work of a child. But I found a few that I’m going to share. I have no idea what kind of camera I used.
With over a thousand pictures on my phone, I guess that bug never left me.
🛑 Warning – long
This poem was about Things Fall Apart by Achebe. It was written as extra credit on our literature final exam. Out of 10 points possible, I got 10 points and a Very Impressive!
*Sadly, I remember reading Things Fall Apart but don’t remember writing this.
When White Man Came
In the beginning, this assignment I did dread.
In my mind, this story need not be read.
Chinualumogu Achebe, who was he?
Just another author to be shunned by me.
A story about African culture,
made my brain want to rupture.
A story full of words I could not pronounce.
Upon this story, I did not want to pounce.
Ikemefuna, Ezeani, and Nwakibie to name a few;
at first what they were, I did not have a clue.
Things Fall Apart, it could have meant anything.
The bells in my mind refused to cling.
The main character Okonkwo was overbearing.
The thoughts in his mind he was not sharing.
His father Unoka was gental and kind.
About work and money, he did not mind.
Because Okonkwo had to overcome young, he began to hate all his father had done.
Ikemefuna was injected into his life,
which gave him much strife.
The son he had always wanted;
so young to the ancestors he was anointed.
Killed by a collective blow,
into his new fathers arms he could not go.
His daughter would have made a better son, than the one his life had brung.
Okonkwo’s biggest fear
was his father’s life his would mirror.
To show emotion, laziness, and joy,
were shunned as part of his ploy.
Well respected by all,
Okonkwo stood tall.
For an accidental crime,
he was sent to his mothers land for time.
Seven years of lessons he could have learned,
but into his mind they were not burned.
His personal problems were over shadowed, when into the village a white man clattered.
To bring Christianity to the lost souls,
on the clan this took its toll.
Then the white mans government came
to destroy the native cultures rein.
Barbaric, wild, untamed people they were.
Natives that the white man must purge.
Evil was to be driven away;
from every village even today.
To spread Gods love was the plan;
but the government wanted the land.
Split the clan, divided the countries, and the white man scoffed;
when warring clans killed each other off.
Killing the culture inch by inch,
Putting the natives in a pinch.
When the seven years in his mothers land came to an end,
Okonkwo, homeward his mind did bend.
He gave a feast to his mother’s kin.
They were pleased to see a young one follow the roots like the old one had done.
His village was stronger than his mothers; he knew the white men were killed by his brothers.
His old village was worse than expected,
for a white mans community had collected.
All Okonkwo wanted to do
was rebuild his home and fortune anew.
At the end, death did come
by his own hand the bell was rung,
to the ancestors he did go,
far from the white man his soul was sowed.
Achebe’s novel about Africa’s rife,
could be an account of all natives strife.
The invasion of the west
into every native culture was to crest.
Their idea, laws, tongue and religion
was carried through the world by a pigeon.
The missionaries were a front
and the government was very blunt;
in telling the natives their culture was nothing.
A better way of life they were bringing.
Achebe’s novel filled me with rage
with the turning of each page.
It took me to a different time and place. His novel can be related
to the Native Americans culture that was annihilated.
People and culture were killed
at the white mans will.
Blood and smoke poured into the earth and sky
while they watched people die.
There are many lessons to learn and many images have been burned into my lives mind eye forever.
For a better future “we” must endeavor,
to be better than the past
these lessons must last.
No culture is inferior!
Western culture is not the superior,
of religion, life and the world.
Other peoples have became a blur,
to an overbearing population
that wants more than to rule a nation.
The end
The royal family had left to go on their trip. Sarah was feeling much better. Just weak.
There was a knock on her door. She was lying on the bed reading her journal. “Come.” She looked up, “Jack.” She smiled, “come in.” She put her book aside.
“How do you feel?” He kissed the top of her hand.
“Tired.”
“Have you been on a tour yet?”
“Not really.”
“I will show you around. If you feel up to it?”
She got out of bed. Jack noticed that she was already dressed. All she had to do was slip on a pair of shoes. He led her outside to the Queen’s flower garden.
“You brought me out here to make me sneeze didn’t you?” The garden was breath taking.
“Not intentionally.” He smiled.
They started walking along the gravel paths through row after row of blooming flowers. “Tell me Jack, how did you get this job?”
“David.”
“I beg your pardon.” Shivers ran through her.
“David came to the university to see you one evening. I almost ran him over, I was late for class. We struck up a friendship and the rest is history.”
“Oh, I see. Why am I here?”
“Several reasons really. What do you think is wrong with Orion?”
“It could be a lot of things: gallstones. His gallbladder may need removed. Ulcers. An eating disorder, drugs.”
“He hates me. I can’t get close to him to help him.”
“I don’t work with eating disorders.”
“I know. The second reason you’re here is actually a new reason.”
“Oh,” she frowned.
“The servant Michael,” They had cleared the garden and were walking toward a pond. “There is something wrong with his lower back. I told Juliah about it. I want her to keep an eye on him.”
“You didn’t tell him.”
“No.”
Jack guided her to a stone bench near the pond. They sat down. He let out a long sigh. “Sarah, I know you don’t need this right now. However, I’m a selfish man; weak and scared.”
She was confused.
“I’m sorry.” He sighed.
“For what?”
He removed a bottle of pills from his jacket pocket, plunking them down on the bench.
She picked the bottle up examining the pills. “Jack these are morphine.” Her immediate reaction was to be appalled.
He took a deep breath, “I eat them like candy.”
“What?! You don’t look like a junkie.”
“Look around you. Isn’t this place breath taking?”
She did and it was. The perfectly manicured lawn, flowers of every shape, size, and color bloomed all around them. It was peaceful.
“This is my home now. I’ve been here for 14 years. While you continued your education, I birthed a prince.” He chuckled. There was a deafening silence between them. “I’m dieing Sarah. I could have come to you. I was afraid I would die during the trip. I want to die here.”
She couldn’t believe her ears.
“Sarah,” he continued, “I have Glioblastoma.”
“Brain cancer,” Sarah gasped.
He lowered his head “forgive me.”
“Jack,” she whispered.
“No, Sarah. I didn’t want to die alone. I had to see you again. I tricked you.”
“Jack.” She tired to smile. “I would have gotten here faster if you would have told me the truth.”
He stuck the bottle back in his pocket. “You don’t think evil of me?”
“How could I?”
“Oh Sarah,” he cried.
She embraced him. They sat on the bench for hours in the silence of each other’s company.
Your story or poem can be as long or as short as you want it to be. All four pieces below have to be used. Go wild.
The only thing is, you can’t kill your main character.
Post your work in the comments below. Feel free to tag and share.
Here are your story lines:
1 award ceremony
2 clothing don’t fit right
3 person with an unfortunate nickname
4 sucker
Knock on the pew to represent knocking on a door.
These pictures are black and white so that colors aren’t the first thing you see. *For the lesson, I printed them in black and white.
Show children the picture of a normal door.
Then show them the picture of Jesus standing at the door.
Other than Jesus, ask them to look at the two pictures and tell you the one big difference they see about the door. Something about these two doors is remarkably different.
As the children are looking; relate, when I was a little girl, my grandma or our house, one of us had a picture of Jesus standing at the door and knocking. As a child, I didn’t pay the picture much mind. It wasn’t until I was an adult that I learned what we are about to share.
If anyone guesses the answer, tell them they are right. But explain for the lesson.
If no one guesses, explain that a normal door has a door handle on it. It can be opened from the outside. The person knocking (knock on the pew) can open it. But the door with Jesus standing in front of it knocking has no handle. It can’t be opened from the outside. This door represents the door to our hearts and Revelation 3:20 says “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”
Jesus will not force his way into our hearts. He’s not going to break the door down. He’s going to knock and wait for us to welcome him in.
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock.”
Let’s pray:
Dear Lord, thank you for standing at the door of our hearts and knocking. Thank you for the courage to open that door. Help us plants seeds of love to encourage others to open their hearts door when you knock. Amen
All night long Sarah moaned in her sleep. Jack came in a couple times to check on her. Orion laid his head on the bed. He wouldn’t leave her.
In the morning, that is exactly what James found. He touched Orion’s shoulder. “How is she?” He asked softly.
“Terrified,” Orion rose up.
“Terrified?” James sat on the edge of the bed, next to Orion.
“Can’t you feel it? It feels like a gigantic hand that reached out and pulled me in.”
James touched his son’s face, guiding it around to him. “Whom are you crying for?”
Orion felt the life drain from his body. He turned back to face her. “Myself, Paul because he’s stuck in the middle of this mess, and her. Years of built up emotions.”
James noticed how pale Orion looked. His face was cold when he touched him.
“How long has it been since you have eaten anything?”
Sarah squeezed his hand. He closed his eyes, feeling her quiet distaste over his behavior.
“What?” James asked.
“She gets upset with me when I don’t try.”
“And you feel that?”
“Yes.” Orion finally opened his eyes. “Have you questioned Paul yet?”
“Yes, he was very open and honest.” James fumbled with words for a moment, “my son I am so very sorry. Sorry for this whole mess. I can’t help but feel responsible. Because of some promise made generations ago, we forced you into a marriage that I was so afraid would end badly. But I couldn’t have conceived how badly.”
“It’s not about that.” He let go of Sarah’s hand then rubbed his face.
James patiently waited for him to speak.
“Btnn fgx.”
“What did she say?” Orion asked.
“Tell him.” James translated.
Orion sighed. “How can I tell someone something I can’t confess to myself?”
Her eyes started moving rapidly under her closed eyelids.
“What is she doing?” Orion asked.
James walked around the bed.
“Say whatever you need to say to her. I am going to go get Dr. Carter to sit with her. There are some things I need you to do before we leave.”
He was crushed. Finally with a regretful heart, he agreed. He watched his father leave.
“Sarah,” he whispered in her ear. “I have to leave soon. I am sorry. The last thing I want to do is leave you.” He wanted so badly to kiss her. Why not he thought. So he did; a soft kiss on sweet lips. “I will be back.” There was a knock at the door. He stood up, letting go of her hand. “Come.”
Dr. Carter entered.
“Take very good care of her,” Orion glared at him before quickly leaving. He found James standing in the hall.
“My son, there are two books in the library: Qtngje: E Fgqbljx, Selira: A History. One is in Selirian and one is in Shyrekian. It is obvious she can sense things off of you and vice versa. You must hide from her what you read.”
Orion thought for a moment. “No, I can’t. I don’t have the strength to hide anything from her.”
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