Poetry

Like a child in trouble,
The ragged, old man hung his head in shame.
Huddled in a corner, sticking out his cheap, plastic cup,
The embarrassment he felt was overwhelming.
Hoping that a kind soul would stick a penny, a dime, anything  in his cup,
He clutched his growling stomach, too ease the pain of starvation.
Just as the first snow of winter was falling,
He felt something he'd never felt before. Desperation.

Out with the old, In with the new.

     Located between Highland and Cave City, sits the small town of Evening Shade. The air is usually still, and there is barely any noise except for the random bark of a dog or rustle of leaves from a creature in the woods. The only place that is still bursting with life is the little gas station across the street from the "Welcome to Evening Shade" train/sign. Old men sit on a bench outside of the gas station, drinking their coffee black, smoking long Marlboro cigarettes, and chatting noisely about the "good ole' days." While watching the same cars pass through everyday.
     The old train perched on top of the hill sits in the same spot all year long. In the fall, its' base and roof are nestled with brown, dead leaves from the old oak tree that looms above it. In the summertime, the thick grass beneath it almost completely consumes the wheels of the train, and bees buzz merrily around the new garden of wildflowers. The winter brings in snow piled upon the roof, leaving a white blanket against the black steel of the train. The oak tree stands naked above, while the cold, winter wind blows powdery snow off its' giant branches onto the crunchy gravel below. And in the spring, the train stands proudly on the hill. The big oak is budding with new leaves and families having picnics on the concrete table, happily eating their ham and cheese sandwiches. The warm spring breeze dancing through their hair.
     All year, every year I see this train. Sitting in the same spot, on the same hill. I often wonder about the people in the past seeing this train, and their thoughts on it. When it was brand new, did they marvel at its' beauty and its' newness? Was it, at the time, the pride of the town? The train is a great representation of Evening Shade, because it represents something that used to be spectacular and new, but is now forgotten by the new and improved things of this time.

Advertisement Essay

If you could put confidence and happiness in your kids, would you? This is the point Hallmark is trying to get across by creating their "confidence cards." They are trying to say, it is "cheap and easy to do , you just have to care enough to make the effort." The advertisement shows, the cards really make a difference.

In the ad, the little girl is answering a question in class. She is confident, happy, and alert. I know this because her hand is up really high and she is smiling. The colors in the card are vibrant and they make the picture look happier and more convincing. All of these things also make the advertisement more interesting.

They're saying it should be easy to buy these, "because they're only 99cents." I can infer the girl is in a classroom because there are desks, books, other kids, and a chalkboard. Her body language suggests that she is happy, and I can tell the time period is the present.

Obviously, self esteem is an important thing for kids to have nowadays. Parents seem to worry about the happiness and well being of their kids. Hallmark is taking advantage of this by making these cards. By making the card look happy, it creates interest to buyers. The appearance of the advertisements make cards more appealing to people, and more likely to get a sell.

I Am Poem

I am fun and outgoing,
I wonder about growing up,
I hear people talking,
I see mermaids,
I want to be tall,
I am fun and outgoing,

I pretend I listen to my parents,
I feel happy,
I touch my cellphone,
I worry about losing loved ones,
I cry when I watch sad movies,
I am fun and outgoing,

I understand that no one is perfect,
I say girls are just as tough as boys,
I dream about winning a state championship in volleyball,
I try to be the best at what I'm doing,
I hope I reach my goals,
I am fun and outgoing.