Post Card

Old Man Sleeping On Bench

There is an old man sleeping on the bench. He goes to this bench everyday at lunch to rest. He is dressed like a business man. The bench is old and worn just like him. I think he is happy.

On the back

Wake up Jimmy!
We have some great times ahead!
Love you,
Sarah

Flash Fiction

This comes from the old man sleeping on the bench.


As he watched the weathered old man sleeping it took him back to a happier time. He pictured his grandfather on Thanksgiving. How, right after the meal, he would go to the recliner, turn on the football game, and fall asleep as he and the rest of the grandchildren would play around him. Those were the good ol' days. The days of innocence. The days before he realized this world isn't fair.

First Fiction by Racculia and Salvatore

I first read This Must Be The Place by Racculia. For each section of the reading I enjoyed being inside the mind of the character. Each character had specific traits that drew you into them. She did a great job of relating each character to someone the reader could relate to. After reading the excerpt I found myself wanting to read the rest to see where the story would go. Were there other characters? Is there a happy or sad ending? How would Arthur cope and how would Oneida be part of it?

The short story "Reduction" did a great job of making you feel exactly what each character felt about themselves. I liked how each character felt the other was as close to perfect as possible but yet they felt insecurities about themselves.

Both stories did a great job of allowing you to feel each characters feelings about how they viewed their life. The authors allowed you to get inside their heads and feel the very specific emotions they were dealing with. I also enjoyed how each author took moments in the characters life (ordering at the In-n-Out, or the teat moment) and describe exactly all of the thoughts that went through their mind.

1- Who is your favorite character in the book?
2- What brought you to kill Amy by electrocution? What other ways did you consider to kill her?
3- Is Harry character based off of Gomez? What happened Harry?
4- I noticed in the pic of Gomez and the book that the Oprah magazine was quoted on the cover. Are you a fan of Oprah and did this give you a sense of accomplishment?

How The Days of Love & Diphtheria

The one thing I can say about this book is, "I am really confused."
All I know to do is write some of the things that came to me while reading this.
-A boy has multiple personalities and killed one of them.
-A town is being burned to get rid of disease.
-I felt like the time frame kept changing.
-A father was talking to his dead son because he didn't want to believe he was dead.
-A dead husband was stalking his alive wife.
-The mother and father took in an orphan and acted like it was their dead son.

Chance/Found Poems

I found this on page 77 (my birth year, yes I'm older than the teacher)

elaborate crown molding
reassemble the fractured bits
decipher the mural's secret

This is what I came up with



Fractured bits reassembled to find

Elaborate crown molding that

Deciphers the mural's secret

Blackouts

Inner bad girl

Okay, that's pretty specific

When the lights are dim

It is erotic

A graphic sex scene

of bubble baths and naughty fantasies

You have to appreciate women's magazines. lol

Villanelles

Home

Back to four seasons with much added snow.
Some things look familiar, some things not quite right.
This is my home where my family will grow.

It gets pretty cold here when the wind decides to blow.
Although Summer is delicious when the sun shines bright.
Back to four seasons with much added snow.

At my home before, most people move slow.
The speed of this new place rivals a light.
This is my home where my family will grow.

College was great, my cares were very low.
So were my grades, the south sounds just right.
Back to four seasons with much added snow.

Fun times ahead with my life on the go.
This place fits me good, this place is just right.
This is the home where my family will grow.

Then the right one come in and changes my flow.
It's time to move on so my child can take flight.
Back to four seasons with much added snow.
This is my home where my family will grow.



This poem describes the four places I've lived during my life.

Expanding the I

Past
-top of the world, soon to be king

Present
-responsible to an extent never dreamed in the wildest dream

Future (hopes)
-to raise my children to respect others and not judge for stupid reasons

Future (fears)
-to not grow from here, even though I'm further along than I could have imagined

Remember (revised)

My mother said:
remember your family
remember your friends
remember the good times
remember I'm always here for you
remember you are my baby

My father said:
remember to give your all
remember you can't always win
remember your good decisions
remember it's not your fault
remember you are now a man

My brother said:
remember yourself, no one else cares
remember you miss 100% of the shots you don't take
so shoot the damn ball already

My brother is pretty straight forward

I say:
I'll remember what I can


OK, so I got a little confused with the direction I was taking this but I think I have some good ideas that I will explore in class.

Remember

Draft

Remember
-the mistakes
-the correct decisions
-you are still here
-your friends
-those that took advantage of you
-those you took advantage of
-nobody is perfect
-nobody includes you
-your family
-you can make a difference
-you are not the first to travel this road
-yourself
-others
-how you felt when you were the winner
-how you felt when you were the loser
-it's your decision
-you miss 100% of the shots you don't take

Sketch Page

For the six word story I'm trying to improve my use of descriptive words.

My mother, so wise, my hero.

Once again she proves herself. She's like a superhero who has the powers of knowledge, wisdom, and honesty. It would be annoying, like the stranger that gives you their opinion even though you didn't ask for it. But she does it in a way that shows love and compassion. Like a compass she points me in the right direction, although she never tells me exactly where to go. Someday I hope I can have her knowledge. Someday I hope I can be her superman. But for now I will walk my own crooked path. Wisely knowing I'm not alone on this beautifully scary journey. Wisely knowing my guide left her footprints for me to follow.

My mother, so wise, my hero.

Philosophy of Love

I believe love is an overused word. People say they love someone or something, but then they discard it like a bag full of baby diapers. They think they know love but they are simply confused like a three year old listening to opera.

Love doesn't put food on the table. Some people are dumb enough to think love is all they need. Come on people. This makes about as much sense as a broom with no handle. You mean to tell me you would feel like you lived in a house made of roses, even though you live in a dumpster, because you are with the person you love?

Love can drive people crazy. One guy told me he loved me. Ended up he just wanted to control me like a pet.  He would have preferred to have me wear a collar with a leash. He trusted me about as much as a prison guard would trust a prisoner. Always checking up on me, asking where I was going, what I was doing. I feel sorry for the girl that ends up with him. If he had his way I bet she would have to sleep in a cage like a wild animal at night.

I prefer loyalty and trust to love. Look at my new husband. He works like a slave to make sure he can support us and always takes care of his responsibilities at home.  He knows that family comes first and treats me like a queen even though I'm nothing but a Cinderella without the pumpkin or glass slipper. We ain't the most romantic couple but at least we know who we are.

Weekly Writing 2

I really enjoyed Van Gogh's Bed by Jane Flanders.  To be honest, most of the other poems were very confusing to me and over my head.  This one was a little over my head too but I enjoyed the style. She took very simple observations and turned them into a story that made me feel like I knew a little more about what was going on. Her descriptions were so vivid I felt like I was reading it through her eyes.

Rorschach

In-Class

ice-cream
mountains
goldfish
turkey leg
starship
cave
pelvis
tooth
walrus
cashew
ladybug
jellyfish
shoreline
waves
ice-cream melting
banana

As the waves crashed against the the shoreline it was obvious the walrus was going to die. It looked like a goldfish flopping on a table. It's eyes were as big as mountains. These were it's final moments.

But what did I care?

I continued walking, eating my banana ice-cream withh cashews on top.  The cashews always hurt my bad tooth, but I couldn't say no. I was licking the ice-cream melting down the cone when, "Ouch!!" I stepped on a damn jellyfish.

Was this payback for just watching the walrus die? It's not like I could have done anything to save it.


Part 2

Ladybug

Always a smile when you're on my arm.
You come in so quiet extending your charm.

You always seem to come and go as you please.
When I have a bad day, you put my mind at ease.

You bring me good luck in your own silent way.
Some say it's not real, but who are they to say.

Whenever you're with me I know I can't lose.
Let's make this official, lets say our I do's.

Art Gallery

Picture #10 - Building Center

Torn

Revenge is a must, we can't let this stand.
Bin Laden is the target, he's a wanted man.

Send the Marines, their snipers don't miss.
No, send Navy Seals, they'll bring us our bliss.

"Mr. President, did we get him?"
"YES WE DID!"

Hooray, hooray, the reaper came today.
We got our man, "USA! USA!"

As the night settles in my mind starts to wonder,
My God says we're wrong, we should love one another.

Am I wrong for the joy I feel in my heart?
Or is the world safer with Bin Laden torn apart?

The Things They Carried, by: Tim O'Brien

On the surface this story is about a platoon leader in the Vietnam war that distracts himself from the reality of war by pretending that a girl back home is in love with him and waiting for him. He knows this is not true but it keeps him from realizing the real hell he is in.
When I look deeper into the story I start to believe Mr. O'Brien may be using the war reference as a way of bringing the reader into a morbid mindset. To write this I think he must have experienced some great pain in the love category of life. Or maybe it was just a young love that he still holds dear. And if he truly was in the war then I am sure he still has demons. Maybe writing this story allowed him to express his feelings in a positive way. For all I know this might have been a non-fictional piece. I'm sure many soldiers made up relationships or just fake realities that helped them block out the reality.
I really enjoyed how he would (what I consider) restart the story several times. He would bring you to a climax and then go back to the things they carried and start over.  I felt like I read several different stories at once. I really enjoyed how detailed his description of the items they carried were. Especially when he told you the weight. I'm sure this was very important to soldiers. This part of the story would surly suck a military person in because they would be able to relate easily.
I personally do not have a writing style. This is all very new to me so I feel a little overwhelmed. One thing I realized when I looked over the other choices was that I enjoyed the story more than the poems. I enjoy being taken on the trip that the writer has laid out.  I still struggle with interpreting the meanings poems.

Faculty Reading

The faculty reading was a very new experience for me.  I have never been to a reading before and did not know what to expect. I showed up early and was the third person to enter the room. It was myself, Professor Ramos and Professor Rosemond.  I picked out a seat in the fourth row on the side making sure I wouldn't be an easy target in case they would be calling on spectators from the crowd.  Like I said, I was not exactly sure what would be going on.  As the reading began I realized I did not have to worry about being called on so I focused in on the readings.  Hearing so many in a row was a little confusing but one reading stood out to me because of her voice.  Professor Rosemond's reading reminded me of a movie with a narrator.  I could visually see everything she was saying because of the detail in the story and the uniqueness of her voice.  I could feel the awkwardness in the room (in the story) as the main character was having to perform all these things that he thought someone else would have to perform. Especially when it was time to take the casket out of the house.

Pandora's Box

Kat and the Little Black Box

In the busy world we live in, this box helps Kat stay ahead.  It gives her the edge against those that refuse to accept the New World Order.  The box is small with a world of knowledge hidden underneath its simple ebony cover.  Nothing special, at least not to us.  But without this little black box Kat can't be found.  This box.  This simple box knows more about Kat than her best friend.  It is her best friend!  Well, not really, it's only a box.


My Old Wallet

My wallet brings back happy memories of a time when I was considered to be "living the dream."  It is a symbol of a great time and transition in my life that truly molded me into the person I am today.  I have fond memories of my time working at Bay Hill. I met several of my true friends there and also met my wife during that time.  You could say that three children are now a part of this world because of Bay Hill.  Although my old wallet never seems to be full of the one thing a wallet is supposed to hold, it always brings riches to my mind when I pull it out.

My Old Wallet (STRETCH)
Jimmy pulled out his wallet. He knew he didn't have the cash but he made the gesture anyway. He looked up at the man that might be taking his life. As he did something fell from the wallet. It was a picture of his daughter. The man reached down and picked it up. As the man held the photo his face changed. He wasn't the same person that stood before Jimmy a few seconds ago. What had happened? Why was he not beating Jimmy within an inch of his life? The man paused, handed Jimmy back the photo and told him never to come back.

Introductory Acrostic

Pat Claycomb
aaccmoyltpb

A - Another Kentucky boy that bleeds blue.

A - Alarm clock, Adidas, Arnold Plamer,

C - Children (3), iphone, golf clubs

C - Casual

M - My kids rock.

O - Often found biting my nails.

Y - Yet to learn how to ice skate.

L - "Later."

T - Two slices of pizza.

P - Probably say dogs and cats but I never;

B - Been around a while. lol



PART II

P - Probably say dogs and cats but I never;

A - Another Kentucky boy that bleeds blue.

T - Two slices of pizza.

C - Children (3), iphone, golf clubs

L - "Later."

A - Alarm clock, Adidas, Arnold Plamer,

Y - Yet to learn how to ice skate.

C - Casual

O - Often found biting my nails.

M - My kids rock.

B - Been around a while. lol

REVISE

Probably would take a dog over a cat but I'm really just
Another Kentucky boy that bleeds blue and enjoys his
Two slices of pizza while playing with his three
Children, iphone, and golf clubs.
Later I'll get sleep but now it's time to turn off the
Alarm clock, put on my adidas gear and drink an Arnold Palmer,
Yet still can't ice skate to save my life.
Casually, actually constantly you will
Often find me biting my nails. But that's ok cause
My kids rock even though they think some of my jokes have
Been around a while. LOL