(a letter to a friend)
HI ANNE,
IT IS 5:00 A.M. I'M STILL SICK AND TIRED OF THIS BED.
I DON'T THINK THAT I EVER TOLD YOU ABOUT A COUSIN OF MY MOM'S, LIVING IN KENTUCKY. JOHN MANNING HAD ONE OF THE LARGEST FARMS IN ELLIOT COUNTY, HE HAD MARRIED YOUNG TO A NICE GIRL,,GAYLE. THEY HAD ONE DAUGHTER, EVA,THEY WERE VERY PARTICULAR ABOUT HOW HER NAME WAS PRONOUNCED, THE "E" WAS A SHORT SOUND LIKE THE "E" IN HEAVEN, NOT AS IN EVEN. SHE HAD BEEN NAMED AFTER GAYLE'S GRAND MOTHER.
THE MANNING'S FARM HAD COWS ,HORSES, FIELDS OF HAY AND WHEAT. THEY HAD SEVERAL MEN EMPLOYED ON THE FARM AND THE MEN LIVED THERE ON THE FARM.
ONE OF THE HANDSOME YOUNG MEN, AUBREY FIELDS, WAS A HARD WORKER IN THE PASTURES AND KEPT THE FENCES SECURED. JOHN THOUGHT A LOT OF AUBREY. HIS MOST LOYAL EMPLOYEE WAS BEN POYER, BEN DID MOST OF THE WORK AROUND THE FARM HOUSE.
JOHN HAD HIGH HOPES FOR EVA, HE PLANNED FOR HER TO GO TO THE UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY, WHEN SHE GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL, NEXT YEAR. WHAT HE DIDN'T KNOW IS THAT EVA AND AUBREY HAD BEEN SEEING EACH OTHER SECRETLY FOR ALMOST A YEAR.
JOHN WENT INSIDE ONE EVENING FOR HIS SUPPER, HE WASHED UP AND IN PASSING EVA'S ROOM, HE HEARD HER CRYING SOFTLY. HE WENT INTO HER ROOM TO SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. EVA BURST INTO SOBS AND CONFESSED HER AFFAIR WITH AUBREY. JOHN WAS FURIOUS TO THINK
THAT THIS GROWN MAN HAD TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF HIS BABY GIRL. JOHN KNEW THAT AUBREY WOULD BE FIRED BUT HIS ANGER CALLED FOR MORE. JOHN WAS A STRONG MAN BUT NO MATCH FOR AUBREY.
On that very 1ST. day he held me tight, and he said he loved me with all his might. No one could ever change the way I feel because his love for me had felt so real. He promised me he would show me the world, and he said he wanted me to be his girl. That night I fell asleep in his arms, as he kissed me with his graceful charm.
On that 2ND. day I truly realized his love for me as he stared in my eyes. He wanted to love me forever, he said, as visions of our future ran through my head. He ran his fingers through my hair, as he promised me he would always be there. Again, I fell asleep in his arms and he kissed me with his graceful charm.
On the 3RD. day he whispered in my ear. He said he loved me and to have no fear. He told me he wanted to spend our lives together, and he promised me he would love me forever. He said he felt closer to me everyday, and that he loved me more than words can say. I fell asleep in his arms and he kissed me with his graceful charm.
On that 4TH. day I'd never been so happy in my life when he said he wanted me to be his wife. Anything I wanted he offered to give, because he said forever our love would live. He kissed me softly upon my hand, and he said forever he would be my man. And so I fell asleep in his arms, as he kissed me with all his charm.
On the 5TH. day our special love remained nothing more to me than a crying shame. He held another girl against his heart, and he said to her they would never part. He lied to her as he had lied to me. I once was blind, but now I see. That night he held that girl in his arms, as he kissed HER with his graceful charm.
After a seemingly long day in school, studying for exams, and coming home to house work. I just wanted to rest and relax. I couldn't, because that annoying noise kept me restless! Where was it coming from?
That music! it was so loud, all I could do was twist and turn. Finally, sleep escaped me. I could feel the anger building. I sprang from my bed, walking fast towards the door.
Who do they think they are! upsetting my sleep. I just had to let my feelings be known. I went outside to tell the new neighbors of three months, to shut that horrible music off, because I'm trying to sleep.
I didn't realize that I was yelling from the deepest part of me. They responded by yelling and arguing back with me. They actually had the nerve to tell me to shut my dog up and keep it on a leash!
The arguement just flared and flared. Each day things were getting worser and worser. I just couldn't take it any more. The situation was becoming to overwhelming. The police had to be involved.
We hadn't spoken for a while after that. Things started to simmer down. It gave me a chance to think about the part I played in the incident. Yes! it all started with me. Why! because I should have controlled my temper and spoke more calmly. This doesn't excuse them for their part in the situation.
I realized that we were no better than one another. The madness had to end. I made the first move. I apologized. They apologized also. We sat down to talk. The conversation was calm and in a very neutral environment. We all came to an understanding, in which the lines of communication remains open, and I made new friends.
Hi! I'm A little squirrel my name is rust.
I love to climb trees, and I love to eat nuts.
I've been searching for some food; I've been looking high and low.
What shall I do? Where shall I go? I know!
I'll ask my friend Frog. He always has some food.
On second thought, bugs and flies, for me I don't think that's cool.
Maybe I'll ask Birdie, I don't see any harm.
She's always carrying food, feeding her babies worms.
Ewe! Worms, That's just as bad as flies.
I can't eat that either. Maybe I'll give swirl a try.
He's a vegetarian. He likes to play it safe,
But I don't know if I'll like, the same thing as a garden snake.
Oh, for get it! I give up.
I can't find any food, not one little nut.
Spring, summer, winter, and fall, I have never run out of food, at all!
What's going on? How can this be?
Yesterday there was plenty of food, for me to eat.
I'll just jump out of this tree, and take a look around.
If there’s a nut out there, it shall be found.
M-M M, I'm just walking down the street,
Looking all around to see what I can see.
Hi Birdie, how do you do? "Birdie seemed tired"
I asked, what's wrong? Can I help you?
"I need help,” chirped Birdie. I have some place to be!
Can you carry some of this food, to the other side of that tree?
Sure Birdie, I don't mind.
I've grown tired of searching for food.
So, now I have plenty of time.
" Where do you want me to sit this,” said Rust.
Birdie said "by that tree, on the other side."
" This is a big tree! " said Rust.
Then everyone yelled surprise!
I couldn't believe it! Everyone was there.
" I was about twelve years old. " One day I met an old lady her name was Mrs. Inka. She wasn't like the other old people I've met. She was different, very different. Every time I saw her, there was something about her that touched my hart.
Each time we saw each other, she always had something to say. I didn't understand what she was saying most of the time. She spoke seldom, and in soft short bursts, but when she took her time to speak, everything was clear. Mother said she had that old folks sickness, called Alzheimer's disease. She said it makes you forget things, and some times family also.
At first I didn't know what that word meant. What she said made me think a while. After I thought about it, the only thing that really mattered was that Mrs. Inka and I were friends. I would like to know more about this disease that was making my friend ill. But for now, I'm happy, just knowing that she remembers us.
In those days, white people didn't like black people talking, or playing together. They thought we were not good enough, because of the color of our skin. Yet, my views were different.
When I went to school, black children and white children, went to school together. They separated us from each other in the classroom. They sat in the front of the class; we sat in the back, even on the school bus. "But when you think about it, we're still in the same place together.
It didn't make me a bit of difference, I was just happy going to school. I feel we've come a long way, from where our fore fathers were. I looked upon this as a challenge. Like mom always told me, "What do you do with any challenge? Try until you succeed. " That's just what I intend to do."
Prologue
Amidst the beautiful garden;
The lilacs and lilies,
Stood a bright and breezy maiden,
Humming with the cool breeze:
In her silken voice a song,
Melodic, tuneful and long....
"Cynthia", came a firm and stern call;
In came blooming filly,
Her father's rosy cheerful doll,
And she hugged her daddy!
A man in formal attire,
With hard flashy looks like fire.
This lovely daughter never knew
What her kind daddy was;
Had been nineteen years since she grew,
Away from yonder cross.
The worldly wars and bloodshed,
So many guileless men dead.
At length one day she came to know,
Aghast found her daddy;
To her it was a furious blow,
She was so shocked to see,
He was in Austrian army,
An epitome of cruelty.
Colonel Gilbert was widely known,
For his wrath and anger.
All the victories he had shown,
In a way improper;
And his own daughter whereas,
Was such a sinless pure lass.
She felt smothered with helplessness;
Of Poland the slave state,
All the grievances to redress,
She decided her fate.
So, hating that specious man,
From Austria away she ran.
Ran like light with little color;
Dawn broke, wind shook the trees,
Satiated with grief, a buffer:
To Poland with the breeze-
For she hated victory,
Over man's captivity.
Part 1
Riding as fast as lightening,
In glittering arms clad,
His horse seemed to be having wings.
A naked sword he had:
In his right hand, and in left,
A shield by him again swept.
Stern looking with fire in his eye,
Blackly hued like raven,
Under the cerulean sky;
Burning with rage in sun.
This was brave young Patrico,
Fighting with many a foe.
In war cavalrymen were slain,
Those supporting Poland,
By Austrian forces inhumane,
Who merged their blood with sand.
The heat, dust and smell of urine and human waste rose in waves off the pavement. The beggars at the fringe of the bazaar pleaded for spare money or a bit of food. One woman I noticed was missing most of the bones in her nose and the left side of her face. She was gaunt and gray with dust. She carried a baby in a sling drawn across her chest. The child suckled at one shrunken breast. My mother handed her a few coins and we hurried on. We left the rank smells of the jubes that flanked the street to be engulfed by the market melee. Throngs of people pushed and shoved along the pathways to the stalls that had the choicest offerings and jockeyed to be at the front. In what seemed like a single but erratic voice the crowd shouted out their prices and exchanged money for merchandise. The strong smell of the jube was replaced by the fragrances of the wares that each vender plied. Jute bags filled with aromatic long grained rice, tomatoes, fruit leather rolls, peaches, melons, some cut open and laid out on wagons, warmed by the sun emitting their flavors for my nose to breathe in. The spice vendor had a more permanent spot, an enclosed room, dark and mysterious. Exotic spices kept in open containers filled the air with motes and turned it orange in the fingerlettes of sunlight that stole their way through the heavily draped interior. The rich fabric backdrop added to the sensual nature of the place. It frightened me. I felt I’d get lost in this dark and strange room. My mother took my hand. She’d bought the saffron she’d come after and it was time to go. Our driver’s arms by then had been loaded with fruits and vegetables, now to the butcher section.