An Affair with The Sky

I wrote this poem a few days ago and I chose it because I thought about the potential dichotomy of the beautiful and dangerous sky and how you can become enraptured with something and yet it can lead to your demise.

An Affair With The Sky

The air is cold and damp,

The whispering willows, drenched in the rain of November, invite you in,

Your breath is an exhausting fog,

And the trees silent voices lure you into a seductive sleep,

Half-awake you wander,

Down the grassy meadow,

Down the winding broken stone path,

Till you can hear the fierce crackle of the sea,

The sand crumbles and sinks under your feet,

The air is salty and so alive,

Your feet falter as they touch wet ground,

dirtied sand,

They cut and and bleed over rocks,

The water trickles over and stings your ravaged feet,

The sky is a luscious violet,

Framed by twisted trees,

Love at first sight,

Your tired eyes glaze over,

Having an affair with the beautiful, untouchable evening,

But the waves, your scorned lover,

Pull you under and you succumb,

Horrified and soaked, you grasp for the surface,

But all you feel is tangled seaweed torturing your feet,

A final breath,

The sky suddenly isn't so beautiful,

It is black and harsh against the soft waves,

It has abandoned you,

You taste the bitter water,

Hear the whispering willows,

Far away,

Above the broken stones,

And grassy meadows,

Calling you back,

But it's too late

Images from

Blog Reviews

Below are reviews and links for other wonderful blogs created by students in my Creative Writing class.

Aileen's Blog: Aileen's blog is great! It's fun, very positive, and uplifting. For her first post about remembering she wrote about the people that truly inspire us. Not necessarily the big names we always associate with but the people we loved as children (Dr. Seuss).

Fan Fiction Gamer: This blog was created by my table partner. For his first post about remembering, he wrote about remembering not only things from the past but he also talked about dealing with things in the here and now, and preparing for the future.

Traffic Cones On Churches: This blog is artistic and creative. For her post about remembering she chose a memorable song by Jimi Hendrix, "Castles Made Of Sand," and shared a painful and very personal story.

Remembering

For my creative writing assignment on remembering I chose a poem by Sylvia Plath
entitled "Last Words". This poem makes me think of what a human's last thoughts may
be before they die.

Last Words
by Sylvia Plath

I do not want a plain box, I want a sarcophagus
With tigery stripes, and a face on it
Round as the moon, to stare up.
I want to be looking at them when they come
Picking among the dumb minerals, the roots.
I see them already -- the pale, star-distance faces.
Now they are nothing, they are not even babies.
I imagine them without fathers or mothers, like the first gods.
They will wonder if I was important.
I should sugar and preserve my days like fruit!
My mirror is clouding over --
A few more breaths, and it will reflect nothing at all.
The flowers and the faces whiten to a sheet.

I do not trust the spirit. It escapes like steam
In dreams, through mouth-hole or eye-hole. I can't stop it.
One day it won't come back. Things aren't like that.
They stay, their little particular lusters
Warmed by much handling. They almost purr.
When the soles of my feet grow cold,
The blue eye of my tortoise will comfort me.
Let me have my copper cooking pots, let my rouge pots
Bloom about me like night flowers, with a good smell.
They will roll me up in bandages, they will store my heart
Under my feet in a neat parcel.
I shall hardly know myself. It will be dark,
And the shine of these small things sweeter than the face of Ishtar.

Princess Sophia

This story is of the coastal liner, The Princess Sophia. It is a true and tragic tale about the loss of more than 343 souls.The SS Princess Sophia was one of four ships built between 1910-1911 built by a Scottish shipbuilder. The sister ships were, the SS Princess Adelaide, the SS Princess Alice, and the SS Princess Mary. Starting in 1901, Canadian Pacific Railway ordered the production of this line of ships to serve the west coast of Canada and the Southeast Coast of Alaska. This marine highway was called The Inside Passage, because it was a protected waterway from the Pacific Ocean.

On October 24, 1918, The Princess Sophia grounded on Vanderbilt Reef in Lynn Canal, just north of Juneau, Alaska. Although initially this grounding could easily have allowed rescue but poor weather prevented any assistance. While would-be-rescuers watched from a safe distance, they were horrified to see the passage of time obliterate any chance that they could save any of the people on board. This wreck was the worst maritime accident in the history of both Alaska and British Columbia.

The details of the grounding, wreck, and eventual sinking of this ocean liner became extremely controversial, with many believing that a successful rescue could have been launched. Below is a letter from a young man aboard who lost his life that stormy October evening:

"Shipwrecked off coast of Alaska
S.S. Princess Sophia
October 24, 1918
My own dear sweetheart,
I am writing this my dear girl while the boat is in grave danger. We struck a rock last night which threw many from their berths, women rushed out in their night attire, some were crying, some were too weak to move, but the lifeboats were swung out in all readiness but owing to the storm would be madness to launch until there was no hope for the ship. Surrounding ships were notified by wireless and in three hours the first steamer came, but cannot get near owing to the storm raging and the reef which we are on. There are now seven ships near. When the tide went down, two-thirds of the boat was high and dry. We are expecting the lights to go out any minute, also the fires. The boat might go to pieces, for the force of the waves are terrible, making awful noises on the side of the boat, which is quite a list to port. No one is allowed to sleep, but believe me dear Dorrie it might have been much worse. Just here there is a big steamer coming. We struck the reef in a terrible snow storm. There is a big buoy marking the danger but the captain was to port instead (of) to starboard of (the) buoy. I made my will this morning, leaving everything to you, my own true love and I want you to give 100 pounds to my dear Mother, 100 pounds to my dear Dad, 100 pounds to dear wee Jack, and the balance of my estate (about 300 pounds) to you, Dorrie dear. The Eagle Lodge will take care of my remains.
In danger at Sea.
Princess Sophia
24th October 1918
To whom it may concern:
Should anything happen (to) me notify, notify Eagle Lodge, Dawson. My insurance, finances, and property, I leave to my wife (who was to be) Miss Dorothy Burgess, 37 Smart Street, Longsight, Manchester, England
J. Maskell"