Where I'm From

I am from a blotch of brown,
from the red,blue,white,yellow and black.
I am from the sky over them all
(not from the earth)
I am from the mix
the American Dream
whose influence crossed the globe
and back again

I'm from playgrounds and pokemon,
from Seabreeze and Foster.
I'm from the Dear-Santa-Clauses,
and the spaghetti-with-chopsticks,
from Darn it! and Dang it!
I'm from the three sixteen
with my hand in the air
reading a wordless book

I'm from Jilin the Northeast
deep black snow and a bundle of clothes
From a sudden trap into a cold darkened pit
frantically grasping for the warmth around you

Back to my home where I first set off.
Long ago
Can't recognize
it's still unclear a shock
I am from a confusion
wandering around a triangle----
on the ground then back to the sky----

Waterfall

Water is clear but waterfalls are blue

water is calm, water falls water crashes
water is clear but waterfalls are blue
water slips through the rocks, drops on the leaves
it creates loud music and unimaginable beauty
water is clear but waterfalls are blue
the green trees look down at the blast of the fall
it looks at it, looks at it with envy
water is clear but waterfalls are blue
My mind is clear, but my mind-in-action is unstoppable

Times Article

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/15/us/politics/15cost.html?_r=1&ref=business

My article comes from the New York Times. President Obama has found his pearl in his overwhelming power as the strongest man of the world, the President of the United States. Mr. Obama told a gathering of soldiers that he would not risk more lives “unless it is necessary to America’s vital interests.” This sounds familiar to what Kino was thinking, of using the pearl for his own interest. Obama is now thinking of securing Afghanistan with American power by sending in 30,000 more troops and raising the military budget to 734 billion dollars compared to Bush's 667 billion. Like Kino, Obama and has a good starting priority, to keep his nation safe from enemy threats. But even great wealth and power can ruin a nation, and like the theme in the the story,if your not careful that it doesn't control you.

Reader's Response of The Pearl

The Pearl Reader’s Response

If this story is a parable, I have my own meaning of it. And as I read this story, I could read my life through it. A great fortune such as The Pearl of The World has not yet come to me but if I did encounter such as a fortune I could follow either one of the two paths that were given. There was Kino’s choice and there was Juana’s choice. In this parable I drove my life through those two characters’ circumstances. When I came to the point of decision of which path I should take, I reviewed the moral of the parable for some extra discernment.
The mood and tone of the story helped me to realize a lot of what kind of feeling the author wanted to give me to figure out what the moral of this story was. With the different tones and moods that I felt while reading this book I could understand the characters’ feelings more deeply. When Kino was telling Juana about their plan of escape I could sense in his tone that he was caring more about the pearl than his family, and the mood was full of suspense. The tone of Juana’s reply was sorrowful and worried. Through this observation I can make clear distinction between the two options of facing the challenge of having great wealth. That is how mood and tone can also reveal the morals of stories’.
When Kino and Juana found the pearl, their minds were filled with the wonderful things they could do with that new wealth. They both went out in pursuit of those happiness’s the wealth can buy. And piece by piece Kino and Juana’s lives were getting ruined. Here their roads split. Kino was an ambitious man and would risk his life in search of happiness. Juana was cautious and decided that the pursuit of such happiness could actually ruin their lives. Kino let the happiness drive his life, but Juana discovered that at the end they would lose their own lives while clinging on to a now useless pearl that they thought would make their lives better. To me, the moral of this story is to take control of your life, and not get other things such as wealth to take control of it.
One day if I obtained great wealth, enough to fulfill all the wishes I wanted, but through that wealth my life started to fall apart, I would remember this book. What is driving my life? Is it my wealth? Then I will push it aside and grab the reins of my own life.

Tone

What should be my next move? Should the cookie be eaten or should it be saved. It is hard to decide. The cookie is still warm and it smells and looks very good. But it's the last one. The last cookie. No more after this. What shall be my next move? The decision is made. The cookie will be eaten. But now there comes another big decision. Should the cookie be eaten with milk or by itself. The flavor of the cookie will be entirely enjoyed by itself, but it might get to sweet and the milk would be a perfect refresher. But the milk is too far, and the cup is even farther. What direction should it be. The milk with the cookie or the cookie without?

Guess the Mood

At home we have a big cookie jar full of big huge delicious chocolate chip cookies. But yesterday someone at them all. I didn't do it. I tell you the truth I couldn't have done it. It's to high to reach for me. And I hate chocolate chip cookies. Why would I take them? My baby brothers and sisters would though. They love chocolate chip cookies. I think I heard them last night crawling out of their cribs and stacking up books, and finally openning the lid of the jar and eating those yummy cookies. But I promise you, it wasn't me who stole the cookies. It was my baby siblings. I'm a big boy. I'm 6 years old. I can't reach the top of the fridge. chocolate chip cookies are only for babies. Will you believe me? Oh and I also think I heard a robber come in last night and steal them. I think I saw him too. He probably stole the cookies. Not me. REAllY, not me.

Wealth and Happiness song

Don't worry be Happy
-Bob McFerrin

(whistling)
Here's a little song i wrote,
you might want to sing it note for note,
don't worry, be happy

in every life we have some trouble,
when you worry you make it double
don't worry, be happy

dont worry be happy now
dont worry be happy
dont worry be happy
dont worry be happy
dont worry be happy
aint got no place to lay your head,
somebody came and took your bed,
don't worry, be happy

the landlord say your rent is late,
he may have to litagate,
dont worry (small laugh) be happy,

look at me im happy,
don't worry, be happy

i give you my phone number,
when your worried, call me,
i make you happy

don't worry, be happy

aint got no cash, aint got no style,
aint got no gal to make you smile
but don't worry, be happy

cos when you worry, your face will frown,
and that will bring everybody down,
so don't worry, be happy

don't worry, be happy now...

don't worry, be happy
don't worry, be happy
don't worry, be happy
don't worry, be happy

now there this song i wrote
i hope you you learned it note for note
like good little children

dont worry be happy

listen to what i say
in your life expect some trouble
when you worry you make it double
dont worry be happy
be happy now

dont worry, be happy
dont worry, be happy
dont worry, be happy
dont worry, be happy
dont worry
dont worry be happy
don't worry, don't worry, don't do it,
be happy,put a smile on your face,
don't bring everybody down like this

don't worry, it will soon pass whatever it is,
don't worry, be happy,
i'm not worried

This song says that it will be easier to be happy when you don't worry. This song particularly emphasizing on worries that come from poverty; such as no home, late rents, no cash. I don't think the composer believes that happiness and sorrows come from wealth but just that worrying or delighting in these things do. So don't worry when you have these problems and just be happy is the moral in this song.