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i vote for a sticky, this could become an epic thread

Ollie wrote:

ATG wrote:

What the...?

Grats on the most redundant bump ever.

Actually I wrote something, but found it too depressing, so I deleted it. That's why the thread was bumped.

In creating alternate realities he felt escape from his scheduled life of work. After years of creating virtual worlds to live in he eventually found these worlds to be too familiar. They all had the same touch of his physical reality. When his reality and his virtual reality had both lost appeal he resorted to acceptance. He accepted that his realities were a bore because he chooses them to be. He now knows that he, and only he can change what he experiences day to day. In nature he will find him self in proper place, not in human's nature. He thinks so anyway.

Last edited by Superior Mind (2008-03-10 08:13:40)

What Happens When You Slack Off in School

    There are many negatives when you don’t complete what you’re assigned in school. Neglecting your education will affect you your entire life, even after school. The only benefits to slacking off in school are short-term, and nowhere near as positive as the benefits of doing your work properly.
    During your school years, slacking off will divide your attention into unimportant matters, leaving little notice to lecturers, books and tests. The human mind is easily distracted, so self-discipline must be maintained to avoid embarrassing moments when your teacher calls on you, and you don’t know the answer to the question because you weren’t listening. Distracting yourself lessens the amount of time you have to complete assignments. Every second counts when you’re taking a test.
    After school, the affects of slacking doesn’t end when the bell rings. Poor students may have to stay behind in school for extra study time. Some are given extra homework. Once you receive your report card and show it to your parents, they will wonder why you did so poorly in a subject. Certain privileges may be taken away from you until you shape up and focus. This can help improve and motivate self-discipline if the slacker is willing to change.
    However, not all slackers are willing to change. The student may be held back a grade, and then they must suffer the humiliation, and possible separation from friends. Also, allowances like staying up late, going to the movies, or playing video games, may be taken away from the slacker for their own benefit. You’ll be shunned by the educated, and probably not picked for any fun school events. These are only the minor affects of slacking.
    Once you’ve completed your education, or reached the age when you no longer must attend school, and you’re still a slacker, your job options are limited, and college may be out of the question. Clearly, you, the slacker, have proven yourself to have the attention span of an infant. You’ll no doubt be fired from the simplest jobs because of your inability to perform straightforward tasks. Not even making minimum wage, you are forced to live in a box on the street. You may regret the faults that made you the person you are now. People passing by in their comfortable cars roll up their windows as you approach to beg for pennies.
    The road of a slacker is only fruitful at the beginning. At the end, it is a constant struggle for the smallest crumb with your fellow homeless brothers and sisters. Attention is the commodity of knowledge. Spend most of it in school, not on comic books or television.

Last edited by Cyrax-Sektor (2008-03-10 08:44:47)

Wrote this up a while back to amuse myself, based on the 2142 universe. Nothing particularly special in descriptive ways tbh.

There was little chatter in the APC as it trundled across the frozen land, a few coughs now and then a small burst of radio chatter were the only noises other than the engine within the vehicle. Sam sat looking at his feet, he was going into his first fight and had no idea what to expect. Those sitting beside him and opposite didn’t look any more confident with their situation, chances of survival looked slim after they’d heard a passing comment about EU casualty rates in combat. Jose was busy loading up his Ganz HMG; he was one of the few who seemed somewhat undeterred by the whole situation. Mac on the other hand was a different matter, Sam could see him rocking back and forth, sweating and blinking erratically. Then the silence was broken as Charlie spoke up, “hey Mac, you’re not gonna puke are you?” Mac looked at him and stopped rocking, he’d been doing okay so far, but the mention of that word turned him almost green. Sam turned back to his feet, before paying some attention to his weapon. He’d trained the most with the SCAR 11 rifle that he was holding right now, a sturdy weapon with an optic sight, 30-round magazine and a 3-round Under Barrel Munitions (UBM) weapon. The rifle itself fired 5.7mm ammunition, which had relatively good stopping power but they had been told that their rate of fire (ROF) was less than their PAC counterparts’ Krylov rifle.
    Just then they heard the first rumbles, the odd burst of radio chatter suddenly turned into long conversations between assisting units and the gunner of the APC, who also served as the vehicle commander. Sam and what must’ve been every other occupant then heard a distinctive transmission. The speaker was breathing quickly, gunshots and explosions could be heard in the background, and static disrupted the transmission. The speaker himself was panicking between the bursts of static, “Yankee X-Ray to all Yankee elements, our APC has….totalled by….fire! They’ve got goddamn walk….over this place! They’re killing us! Someon….the hell outta here!” Suddenly they heard a shout come from someone other than the speaker, then a whistling and an explosion, quickly followed by the transmission being cut off and replaced by constant static. The APC gunner switched off the radio link and the static disappeared.
    The there was a heavy boom close to their vehicle, which caused it to shudder, this sudden and violent motion finally cause Mac to vomit all over the floor. “Jesus dude, watch the boots!” cried Frankie; just then the driver spoke up over the intercom which helped him be heard over the engine noise, “two minutes.” Lieutenant Fredrickson, who was sitting at the front of the vehicle behind the gunner’s position, removed the safety from his Voss L-AR. He then looked up at the teenagers staring at him, “we’ll be okay, just remember you’re training and try not to screw up!” More explosions occurred, followed by more violent vibrations. Sam turned to peer through a small periscope slit over his right shoulder. He could see snow and ice everywhere as their vehicle sped past it. Then a second vehicle, Yankee Zulu appeared into his line of sight, only to be hit by some sort of projectile seconds later. Sam watched helplessly as the vehicle was ripped open amidst a fireball and heavy smoke, what appeared to be body parts flew out alongside parts of the vehicle itself.
    Sam turned back around and closed his eyes, taking deep breaths. Sergeant Haller then called to him, “Sam? You okay?” Sam opened his eyes and nodded, “you’ll be fine, just do what the Lieutenant said.” At this point though, training seemed irrelevant, to Sam and probably most others in the vehicle, they were driving into a slaughter and the PAC were the ones dealing it out. The APC trundled up a snowy bank, breached the crest and trundled back down the other side. The driver spoke again, “one minute,” the vehicle rose up another bank and followed it down again. More explosions followed outside as the vehicle passed one more bank and hit the outskirts of a small town to the right. The PAC force was not in the town itself, but outside in the frozen landscape beyond it. The EU’s primary objective was to defend and hold their position of the town for as long as physically possible. The fresh troops being ushered to the frontline were merely replacing those already killed or wounded and in a sense, the total number of those on the frontline when they arrived would still be less with their assistance than it had when they were called in. Suddenly the driver called out again “We’re here, opening rear door,” they felt the vehicle slow and heard the engine noise die down, then the noise of escaping air from the brakes confirmed the vehicle had stopped.
    A number of clunking noises then occurred, followed by electric whirring and then, finally, the rear door started to open, allowing icy air to enter the vehicle. The men in the back watched it descend and started seeing more and more of the environment they were in. Then the rear door finally stopped moving, now forming a ramp out of the vehicle. “Okay let’s move out! GO! GO! GO!” shouted Fredrickson, Sam got up and, partially bent forward to avoid hitting the roof of the vehicle and jogged down the ramp. He stood for a moment looking back to where they’d come from, more Groundhog APC’s were coming over the banks, the sky behind them a blanket of grey cloud and light snowfall, dotted with thick black stacks of smoke from destroyed vehicles. The deafening sounds of gunfire and explosions all around him left Sam in a state of frozen awe; curiosity had overtaken what fears he’d had.
    A pair of UD-6 Talon gunships raced overhead, the screams of their missiles following a few seconds later, with explosions following these. Suddenly he felt a hand grab the strap to hold his weapon on his back, and pull him back toward the APC. As he looked up he saw it was SGT Haller, “Christ Sam this isn’t a friggin picnic! Get yourself in that trench and start shooting!” Sam followed Haller’s outstretched arm and finger to a concrete-lined ditch in the ground, with mounted anti-vehicle cannons and anti-infantry machine guns dotted along it. He pushed a switch on the right side of his Netbat helmet, which caused a visor to flip down and cover his eyes. From the view of someone else, the visor looked like an opaque steel plate, but from Sam’s point of view, it was as clear as glass. An optical system involving specifically placed cameras that projected the image he would see onto the inside of the visor as well as providing battlefield information. The integration of his helmet with the rest of his gear allowed him to view his current condition as well, through the use of his BioMed system. Haller flipped down his own visor and hauled Sam to his feet, giving him a push in the direction of the trench. Some of his squadmates, Jose, Frankie and Mac, were already at the trench, dropping into it for cover.
    Sam watched as tracer fire ripped over the top of the trench and blasted clouds of powdered snow and dirt into the air. He sprinted forward toward the trench until another soldier from another APC ran across his path, at that exact moment the soldier was hit by a heavy round that, had he not been there, would’ve struck Sam. Sam saw the bullet punch a dent in the soldiers body armour on the opposite side to its entry point, a cloud of blood exploded from under his armour and clothing and he immediately dropped to the ground dead. He then watched as Charlie sprinted for the trench and was hit twice, once in the shoulder and once in the chest. He was whipped around with blood draining from the wounds at an alarming rate; blood also spurted from his mouth as he coughed for air before collapsing onto his back and remaining perfectly still. Sam came back to his senses and sprinted around the body before him to the trench, dropping down and crawling the last few metres, before tucking his legs in and dropping into the trench behind Jose, who was already unloading his Ganz toward the PAC.
    The trench was nothing more than a line of noise and confusion, communicating by mouth was near impossible as MG’s cracked off rounds and the anti-vehicle cannons fired toward the enemy. Sam checked his magazine and then stood up to the front side of the trench beside Jose. He shouldered his weapon and peered through the optics and was surprised to see that there was nothing but white ahead of him with a layer of the grey cloud disappearing into it. He looked up and scanned the area in front of the trench, there was nothing there to shoot at, and he couldn’t see any hostiles, vehicles or infantry. Jose kept firing in bursts aiming at different points in the whiteout. Sam looked up and down the trench to see almost everyone else firing into nothing. He tapped on Jose’s shoulder whilst trying to gain his attention by yelling, “HEY! HEY! JOSE!” Jose lifted his finger from the trigger and looked over the butt of his weapon, “WHAT’S WRONG?” he yelled back “WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU SHOOTING AT? I CAN’T SEE ANYTHING OUT THERE!” An artillery shell landed about twenty metres ahead of their position and caused them to duck, standing back up Jose replied, “JUST SHOOT MAN, YOU’LL HIT SOMETHING WITHOUT KNOWING IT THEY’LL BE COMING SOON!”
    Jose raised his weapon up a bit and started firing again; Sam looked around and stepped down into the lower part of the trench. Haller had just arrived with Fredrickson, Fredrickson exchanged some words with Haller who nodded, and the Lieutenant then sprinted off along the trench toward a gun platform. “SARGE!” yelled Sam, Haller turned and looked at him signalling for him to come over. Sam jogged to him and crouched down, the noise was surprisingly less here even though he’d only moved about two metres, as a result Sam didn’t have to shout. “What’s wrong Sam?” “What’re we shooting at Sarge? I can’t see anything out there to shoot at!” “Take some advice from me Sam, don’t shoot at nothing until you see it, your just wasting ammo, they’re only firing for re-assurance, leave that job to the MG and AV platforms!” Moments later someone a little down the line bellowed, “INCOMING!” Haller grabbed Sam and forced him down, dropping on top of him. Sam heard the whistling of the shell followed by an earth shattering boom and the tearing of metal. The ground shook and snow fell off the ground into the trench on top of Haller and Sam.
Sam’s ears were ringing, he felt Haller’s weight being removed from his back and heard Haller’s muffled voice. He was then pulled to his feet and immediately saw the devastated ruins of the APC he’d been travelling in. Pieces of it were scattered everywhere and dotted around it were several bodies of men who’d been running past it at the time. Searing hot flames roared from the cavernous hole that had been the roof and sides of the vehicle, its wheels were detached from the vehicle and strewn everywhere along with thousands of other pieces. Sam couldn’t believe the amount of carnage and chaos he’d witnessed in less than ten minutes. Haller was yelling at the others in the squad to stop firing and rallied them over. “Alright listen up, this section of line is getting toasted almost non-stop, so we’re gonna hold here and keep our heads down, firing blindly and wasting ammo is one thing, but having your head blown off is another. The PAC will make a move soon, they’ll have to, and we’re expecting to be mostly armoured transports and assault units, with some mixed infantry.” He paused for a moment as another shell landed nearby, “now, we’ll know when they’re comin ‘cos those guns will stop pounding the crap out of us.” “But what about those vehicles Sarge, we’ve only got small arms, we ain’t gonna be able to do nothing to them,” “There’s some AV launchers down the line, which means two of you have to go down and get a few of  them and bring them back. Mac, Frankie? Get your asses down that line double time and find that launcher stockpile, keep your heads down and don’t stop for anything, got it?” “Got it Sarge” said Frankie, “Alright then get going.”
The two hurried off down the line, running between the soldiers along it until they were out of sight. Haller then turned to Sam and Jose, “alright you two will come with me, some dumbass decided that the AV ammo should be placed somewhere in the opposite direction of the launchers. We’re gonna go get some of it, okay?” “Yes sir” said Sam, Jose acknowledged with a nod. “Okay then let’s move, stay close and follow me.” Haller walked between the two of them and jogged along the line, with Sam and Jose close behind. Sam couldn’t be sure, but the ground fire from the PAC’s end seemed to be thinning out, the artillery seemed to be less and the gunfire was reduced as well. Although fire from the EU end seemed to be taking it up a notch and getting heavier by the minute. After a minute or two, Haller stopped them; they’d reached a small bunker built into the rear side of the trench and underground. Haller stepped inside followed by the two; they descended down some concrete steps into a dimly lit, cold and dusty environment. A light in the ceiling kept flickering every so often from the vibrations outside.
At the opposite end of the bunker to where they were was a pile of green steel boxes with yellow text printed onto them. Red ‘Warning’ stickers and ‘Danger Explosives’ was also visible. Haller knelt down by the pile and slung his Baur rifle onto his back, before grabbing the handle of a box and pulling it out toward himself. Sam watched as Haller turned the box around and flipped up the steel catches before hearing groaning and coughing through a doorway. He then realised that there was a trail of blood on the floor leading from the steps from the trench and through this other doorway. He wandered toward it has Haller started carefully removing the rocket ammo from the box. Beyond the doorway was another dimly light room, populated by medical staff and wounded soldiers lying on operating tables. Life support machines were hooked up to several of them and medical staff were performing surgery on them as they lay there. Sam could see many of them with terrible wounds, specifically gunshots. One soldier was badly burned, his gloves appeared to have melted onto his hands and his face was black and red raw. Another soldier had lost everything below his knee on his left leg and another was missing his right forearm. Blood was running freely from their wounds and onto the floor, tables and machinery.
Suddenly Haller piped up “Sam!” Sam spun around, “grab the ammo and get back to the line! Go!” Sam slung his weapon over his shoulder and grabbed two rocket magazines, which each contained four small rockets; these would all be launched at the same time as a salvo. He held the weight of the magazines and straightened up before following Jose up the steps into the trench as Haller grabbed another pair of mags. As Sam stepped back into the snow and icy temperatures, he realised that the amount of fire that had come from the PAC end of the fight had almost completely stopped and as he ran back toward their position in the line he heard the fire from the EU line fading out. He stopped as Jose did, the pair looked around, and confused EU soldiers standing up to fire over the wall looked around, up and down the line. The only noises now filling the air were the sounds of fires from destroyed vehicles and the odd cough here and there. Sam was breathing heavily; he could here his heart pounding between his ears. He then heard quick footsteps as Haller came up behind them, “what the hell are you waiting for? Move damn it!” Jose started running again, with Sam behind him and Haller at the rear.
They reached their section of trench, recognisable because there was a burning APC directly behind it. Mac and Frankie were already waiting, two AV launchers propped up against the trench wall. Sam, Jose and Haller quickly placed the ammo beside them and Haller grabbed one of the launchers. He cradled the launcher within his right forearm and picked up a magazine. Holding the magazine sideways he pushed it upwards so that two hooks latched into two gaps in the magazine itself. There was a click and Haller then swung the magazine down and pushed it up to align the rockets with the launcher tubes. He put the launcher down and turned to the others whilst he loaded the second one. “You know how to use these things don’t you?” they nodded, “good, now remember your training, if you see an APC aim and guide toward the drivers position, if you see a tank, aim for the gun, if you see a walker, shoot the fucker in the legs or aim for the air vents on its underside and pray it works.” He finished loading the weapon and placed alongside the other one before standing up to the trench edge. The others did the same, with Sam standing beside Haller, Jose, Mac and Frankie were to his right.
The silence was deathly quiet and seemed to last an eternity. Then Sam heard it, way off in the distance, a mechanical grunt, and engines starting up. Then they heard cannons firing, almost every soldier in the trench hunkered down, but stood back up again when they saw a line of shells hit the ground about fifty metres in front of them and start billowing white smoke. Visibility was already close to zero, but the PAC obviously wanted to make certain. Haller grabbed one of the launchers and handed it to Frankie; he then took the other and shouldered it himself. Just then they heard footsteps and Lieutenant Fredrickson appeared, he shouldered his weapon and stood on the other side of Haller. “What’s the sit, L.T?” “If they’re gonna make a move, they’re gonna do it now, the PAC aren’t bluffing when they launch smoke dischargers.” Then they could hear the steady drone of engines getting close and loud thuds. Sam could feel the ground rumble beneath his feet and where his elbows rested on the trench lip every time one of these thuds occurred.
Sam held his breath as the minutes ticked by; he stared into the cloud of smoke and snowfall as it hung as a curtain in front of them, obscuring their view of what was coming toward them. Then suddenly, the engines stopped and died away, and the thudding ceased. Sam looked up, “why did they stop?” nobody answered, but the look on Haller’s face showed he was trying to determine what they were doing. Just then the thudding started up again, electrical whirring accompanied it, whatever it was it was close now and then Sam spotted them. A line of T39 battlewalkers materialised through the cloud of smoke, these assault platforms were bi-pedal, walking just like a human. The units themselves were around twenty to thirty feet in height, armed with twin autocannons positioned in the centre of its turret that made up it upper half. Almost immediately the walkers opened fire, pummelling the trench line with heavy rounds. A number of EU soldiers up and down the line were hit and instantly killed. Shouting and rapid fire exploded into the silence as the soldiers engaged the walkers. Frankie kept his eye by the target assist on his launcher, with his right arm curled around the launcher to support it on his shoulder and his left hand gripping the trigger stick. He pushed his thumb down on the red button to fire the weapon; a high pitched screech deafened Sam before he felt a wave of heat bouncing off the rear of the trench line and coming back at him.
Seconds later, Haller fired and because Sam was directly beside him it was even louder. Sam watched as Frankie’s salvo slammed into the knee connection of a walkers left leg. There was an explosion of shrapnel and debris which flew out from the impact area. Then a split second later, Haller’s salvo hit the target just below the turret at the top of the right leg. It too exploded and sent out shrapnel, but to their horror, the walker advanced through the cloud of smoke and snow and advance on them, with only superficial damage to the armour on its legs. “Oh shit they must’ve upped their armour, reload! RELOAD!” Frankie grabbed a second magazine as did Haller. They both reloaded and acquired their target as quickly as they could and fired at it again. Frankie’s salvo hit the turret this time, to the left of the autocannons whilst Haller’s smashed into the same place he’d hit before. Hitting the same location seemed to work as the walker suddenly dropped on its right side, and started to stumble. Then as it raised its left leg to move forward, its right gave way under the weight. The sound of metal splitting was overwhelming as the leg was basically sheared off, the walker falling forward and smashing into the snow, its turret had angled upwards so that it was still level as it lay there, its left leg was sticking out to the side with sparks and flashes of electricity flickering from time to time.
Jose let out a yell of joy, “Alright nailed that sucker!” “There’ll be time for that later,” said Haller grabbing his next magazine, “they’re still comin in!” Sam looked to his left to see a walker advance right on the line and start pummelling the defenders inside it. It then stepped forward and pushed its right foot against the rear wall, before stepping up with its left leg and placing it in the trench followed by its right. “Jesus Christ! Get out of the trench NOW!” screamed Haller, Sam and the others turned for the rear wall and clambered up it onto the field behind the line. Haller had finally managed to load his launcher and was still standing in the trench as the walker closed on him. The vehicle itself was shooting anyone in front of it with a burst of 40mm ammunition, or crushing them beneath its feet, neither of which left a pretty sight. As Haller aimed, Fredrickson grabbed him and yelled, “I’ll do it, get the boys outta here, and I’ll meet up with you in the town church!” “Don’t be late L.T!” Haller turned and scrambled up the trench wall to the others yelling, “What are you waiting? Get to the town now! Find cover!” The Walkers were starting to pierce holes in the line, knocking out the AV cannons before they could turn to fire themselves.
Fredrickson shouldered the launcher and acquired a lock; he then pressed the button and launched the salvo. The four small rockets hit the walker in the waist between the turret and legs. There was an explosion of flames, smoke and metal from the walker as Fredrickson ditched the launcher and climbed out of the trench himself. The walker however was not destroyed, and like before was only damaged superficially. He continued along the line, its autocannons were now locked onto Fredrickson as he ran toward the town. The walker continued along the trench before turning and stepping up out of the trench onto the field, in pursuit of Fredrickson. It was gaining fast and Fredrickson couldn’t maintain his speed in the deep snow. Suddenly, Fredrickson heard a whooshing sound and turned his head to see another solider kneeling behind the walker holding a recently fired launcher. The walker stopped dead in its tracks as its turret swivelled round. The soldier stood up and attempted to run, but the autocannons were already locked onto him and unloaded a deadly volley of rounds, that almost tore him in half. Fredrickson kept moving, with the walker turning back toward him. A pair of Talon gunships came over the town, their pilots communicating with their gunners on the enemy contacts. “Hades 1 this is Hades 2 we got a walker down there after one of our boys Jed,” “copy that, engage at will, utilise guided missiles over,” “roger, engaging now.” Fredrickson watched the Talons flying straight at him and dropped to the grounds as each of them fired a guided missile form their internal bays. The missiles punched two holes through the turret only microseconds apart, the explosive warheads ripped the turret open and completely destroyed it. Fredrickson looked up as the legs almost continued to move by themselves before collapsing forward into the snow.
Fredrickson kept running and soon spotted Haller and the others entering the town. “What’re we gonna do Sarge?” said Jose panting, “I’ll tell you when I know, come on get moving to the church!” Upon reaching it, Sam and Mac threw open the doors and the others ran inside, they then bolted shut the doors as they entered. Haller took Frankie and Jose to check over the church, leaving Sam and Mac to cover the door...

Last edited by M.O.A.B (2008-03-10 08:57:22)

Here are a few of mine.  The first, I wrote for my dad, who passed away on Feb 2nd, 2008

Show Me the Way
By Howler
Copywrite April 14th, 2008


April sunset glows red on the horizon tonight,
From our sinking star and its fading light.

Memories emerge from days gone by,
Times spent with you under midnight blue skies.

Your hand seemed much larger when I was a child,
It kept me in line, and subdued what seemed wild.

Now that you’re gone, I think of those times,
Of when I was wrong, and way out of line.

You taught me the hard way, yet somehow, it was best
It was done out of love, and the heart in your chest.

I’m sure there were days when I drove you to end,
Yet through it all, you remained my close friend.

I sit here and remember the touch of your hands
Held firm on my shoulders, when you were proud of this man.

The sparkle in your eyes, the smile on your face,
The hug round me firmly, that my life was in place. 

I did it for you, your acceptance, and love,
Then God came and took you to a place high above. 

Your away from me now, and the howler’s back again.
Roaming the woods lonely, secluded in den.

My soul is still torn and will never re-mend,
For a piece has been darkened, by your loss my best friend. 

To have you back now, is a wish I can’t have. 
So I’ll wait for my death, to be back with you dad. 

I still can’t deal with the way that I feel,
My life’s torn apart, and time stands still. 

Not wanting to move on from that day that you passed,
Or that sad, warm goodbye, when I hugged you last.

I reach for your hand, through teardrops at night,
And pray that you’ll grab mine, and pull me to flight. 

Pick me up, and show me the way,
To live like you did, for the rest of my days.


                                                             YOSEMITE
By Howler
March 31, 2005


A ride down an unknown mountain road led me toward an uncertain place. 
A place surrounded by tall sugar pines, giant cedars, and foliage of all kinds, woven in-between boulders that sat at the bases of massive stone walls. I rode deeper into the valleys, and was covered in the shadows of uncertainty as to what lay ahead.

Uncertainty would be flushed from my mind like the tidal showers of cold mountain waterfalls that were shooting over the towering walls of the mountains that surrounded us.  Nothing could prepare me for the absolute beauty and serenity that I would shortly be placed in. 

As I rode through the tunnel ever closer to the light at the end, I could not begin to imagine the impending assault on my senses.  This was the truth. This was reality. This was another part of my unfulfilled destiny.  In front of me lay a place that would change my life forever. 

I rode out of the tunnel, and upon my first glances, I felt as if God himself had been dwelling in this vast valley of life.  It was all so surreal.  From bottom to top, this place was a sanctuary for the soul.  Reminding me that there is much more to life than worrying about the next close or the days that lie ahead.  This was about the moment, and letting yourself saturate in the vast mural of life that was before you. 

I was taken in by the immense granite walls that shot up to the sky until they seemed to touch the clouds.  Streaks of water ran down the sides, painting the rock in multiple tones, and adding a certain animalistic element to the whole valley.  The water is the lifeblood for all that lies below. 

Further into the valley, crystal clear streams of icy cold water carved their way though the valley floor, giving life to the abundant woodlands and meadows that were in the courtyards of this great stone castle.  All around me, I was surrounded by huge trees that could only be described as massive behemoths that stretched higher than any tree that I’ve seen in my lifetime.  You would easily need three people to hold hands around their bases in order to encompass them. 

This place consisted of the things that the early settlers dreamt about.  A true nirvana of endless views and supplies.  How can a place like this exist?  It’s perfect in every way.  To my back lies a towering stand of trees, in front of me lies a perfectly flat meadow, and beyond that, a mountain stream back dropped by a one thousand foot high wall of stone bleeding the water of life into the valley below.

It was at that moment, that I realized that all of the other things related to the daily hassles of life are truly petty.  I’m so thankful for the opportunity to see such a place.  These are the moments that make life worth living.  Being with the people that you love and sharing moments that allow you to grow as a person.  This moment will forever be engrained in the fabric of my soul.  Time will go on, and riverbanks will change, but one thing remains constant.  Living for the moment and sharing them with friends. 


ACCEPTANCE
By Howler
3/8/07

Broken dreams, murky mind
Drifting through this life while blind

Un-noticed moments, memorable signs
Passing before me through wasted time

Life is a path through ups and downs
Amongst golden streets and dirty towns

Walking alone in a world far from home
Here in my mind a prison of stone

Able to get out, around and about
Yet chained to these walls of deceit and doubt

Doubt of my fate, and what it may bring
Looking for love amongst other things

Lead through my childhood of good things to come
Grew up on big dreams, yet real life succumbed.

Eroding, my roots, are beginning to rot
Once standing on stone, an impermeable lot

As time beats the stone, and winds whip their hate
I struggle through time, and an inevitable fate

The truth that life is a fight right from birth,
Till the day falls before me, when I’m covered by earth

Alone in a hole, both in life and in death
A perfect balance of first and last breath 

The moment in time where nothing is clearer
The one who changes life, is the one in the mirror.

I am one of an infinite have been and will be consciences of the universe and the multi-verse. Just as the wonders of Earth come and go with time: the Grand Canyon, the Himalayan Mountain Range, perceptions of what is are always and will be had; all at the same time and all at different points of a never ending line. This line is bunched up into a ball, making what has been and will be just as important as what is. Each perception adds to one whole, as cells add up to one whole complex organism. Although everything is part of one whole, everything is as purposeful as the next everything. Cherish who you are. You are unique among all the same.

Vashti and the Dream World
Alexander Garberg


    In the years just late of the Punic Wars, in what we know today as Azerbaijan, a young girl named Vashti, with only 12 years of life, was tired of who she was. Vashti usually helped her mother clean fish at their fresh fish stand in the town center while her father was out on his boat everyday catching the fish to be sold. Vashti always questioned things; she could never accept her world the way it was. It was in Vashti’s nature to be inquisitive. She dreamed of one day moving to Constantinople and becoming a scholar, but as it were, it seemed very unlikely that she would ever achieve her dream.
    One day Vashti was sitting on a stool next to her mother at the fish stand, cleaning a trout. An older woman, maybe in her fifties or sixties approached Vashti. “Ididusad” said the woman. “Huh?” muttered Vashti.
“Come here child” said the woman is a thick Slav accent.
Vashti stood up and walked over to the woman.
“Yes, do want to buy some fish?” said, Vashti.
“Sure, I’ll have those two.”
Vashti wrapped the two fish in a large leaf and laid them on the counter.
“That’ll be two darics please.”
“Here you go dear”, the woman said gleefully.
The woman laid the two coins on the counter and took her fish.
“Say, little girl, you look sad. Tell me, what bothers you?”
“Oh, no, I’m…I’m fine.” Proclaimed Vashti.
“Oh, come now, I can tell when a little girl is sad. I was one once too, you know.”
“Well, I suppose I am a bit bored with my life, I want something new and exciting.” Vashti muttered.
“Ah, I know how you feel. What is your name, by the way?”
“Vashti.”
“What a pretty name, Vashti. My name is Galina. I come from the north.”
Galina paused.
“Vashti, I have something that will make your life more wondrous than you could ever have imagined. Would you like to see what it is?”
“Yes, yes! I would love that!”
Vashti jumped from her stool.
“Excellent. Tomorrow morning just before midday meet me next to the forest of bare trees, north of the town, past those hills over there.”
“I’ll be there!”
Galina walked off in to the bustling crowd and soon vanished from Vashti’s sight. The rest of the day all Vashti could think about was what this woman was going to show her. Vashti figured it would be something magical or mystic, because Galina dressed like some sort of witch or gypsy. Additionally she was from the vast lands of the north. No one from Vashti's town usually traveled to the north, seeing as they weren’t part of Persia and kept to themselves.
    The next morning Vashti pretended that she was ill and could not go to the market. Her mother gave her some hot water to warm her lungs and then was off to the fish stand for the day. Not a minute after her mother left, Vashti hopped out of bed and made her way outside and up the road to the northern hills. She climbed over the small hills and arrived at the edge of the bare forest. Out from the forest walked Galina.
“Priviet Vashti! Hello, hello!” Galina boomed.
“Hi again, Galina.” Vashti said with a smile on her face.
“Are you ready Vashti?”
“I am.”
“Then follow me.”
The two walked in to the dead forest. Many years ago a large fire in the forest killed all of the trees and the left burnt trunks standing. After a few minutes of walking they came to a small clearing.
“Have a seat, Vashti.”  Galina said.
Vashti sat down on a tree stump.
“So what is it that you want to show me, Galina?”
Galina took a few small dried up mushrooms from her pocket.
“This is it.”
“Mushrooms?” asked Vashti.
“Oh yes. Go ahead, eat them. They will transform your life!”
“Are you su...”
    “I am sure, now go ahead. Eat up.” Galina said abruptly.
“Well, alright.” mumbled Vashti.
Vashti took the shriveled mushrooms from Galina’s hand and ate the whole lot.
“I don’t feel anyth…”
Vashti suddenly started to feel dizzy and then she passed out and fell off the stump. A moment later Vashti was woken up by a damp cloth. “Vashti, wake up dear, the world has changed. Get up and see.”
Vashti rose to her feet and looked around.
“Oh my! Everything is so beautiful!” Vashti proclaimed.
    All of the trees were blooming with rich leaves and big plump fruits. Each tree had a different kind of leaf, each one a different color. Every tree bore a different fruit, from dates to oranges and even some she had never seen before. All of the trees trunks were wet and sticky. The ground was no longer dead and black. Now luscious moss grew like a blanket over the rich brown soil. Galina was now dressed in a golden robe and was covered with jewels and bright markings. Vashti fell backwards, but she didn’t hit the ground. She was floating, facing the sky that shown stars even in daylight. She began gliding along,  behind Galina. Soon Vashti floated on to the back of Galina’s horse, sitting behind Galina. The two rode for days and days, all they while Vashti was speechless, absolutely dumbfounded by the flowing landscape that looked as if it were painted by a an artist who had no sense of true reality.
    For the rest of her days, Vashti could not speak a word, because every time she opened her eyes the world was completely different. During her days she found her self doing strange tasks not entirely by her will. Simple things like filling pails with water from a river and bringing them back to a hut, all the while in a half conscience state of perplexity. Some nights she had nightmares of being locked in a damp, dark room wearing nothing but a sheet covering her cold body. In her dreams she was covered with wounds and scars and in each dream different people would come in to the room and have their way with her. Then in the morning she would awake in a field of cherry blossoms or a top a hill of dew kissed grass, in a cold sweat still shaking from her nightmare. What a strange thing those nightmares were; such a far stretch from her reality. And so, Vashti went on the rest of her life in a most amazing world, one she hadn’t thought could ever exist. She grew old, always surrounded by beautiful things, always with a twinkle in her eye and her jaw dropped low. She was never happier.

I've written a few songs before but I can't seem to find them:(