Affirmation

     Affirmation    

by Donald Hall

To grow old is to lose everything. 

Aging, everybody knows it. 

Even when we are young, 

we glimpse it sometimes, and nod our heads 

when a grandfather dies.

Then we row for years on the midsummer 

pond, ignorant and content. But a marriage,

that began without harm, scatters 

into debris on the shore, 

and a friend from school drops 

cold on a rocky strand.

If a new love carries us 

past middle age, our wife will die 

at her strongest and most beautiful. 

New women come and go. All go. 

The pretty lover who announces 

that she is temporary

is temporary. The bold woman,

middle-aged against our old age,

sinks under an anxiety she cannot withstand. 

Another friend of decades estranges himself 

in words that pollute thirty years. 

Let us stifle under mud at the pond's edge 

and affirm that it is fitting

and delicious to lose everything.

I liked reading this poem because of its insight into life. Everything passes by, no matter how much you would like to keep it. It is a poem that gives you insight to life, and it is advice you should take to the heart. 

"It is difficult to get the news from poetry, yet men die miserably every day for lack of what is found there." ~~William Carlos Williams

William carlos Williams conveys a powerful message within this simple statement. Poetry is open to everybody, however few take advantage of what it has to offer. Williams views ignorance of poetry as a death; one should always take the opportunity to explore what is offered to you. Poetry offers creativity, and a different view on beauty and simple things often overlooked by others. By overlooking poetry, one metaphorically dies, as Williams states. 

A life in reflection

Today, I turned 40 years old. I own a house in the outer banks of north carolina. It is the summer, my favorite month of the year, and my first week in North Carolina. I bought the house last year, after my retirement as an engineer. I created a new type of engine that runs on compressed air, stopping the need of fossil fuels. I won a nobel prize for this creation. My kids turned 8 and 5 this past year and the oldest is playing soccer and basketball. I want them both to be successful and hard working. I do not plan to spoil them with money. Today is a beautiful day. Looking out the window I see seagulls landing in palm trees swaying gently in the wind. I am now going to go for a nice walk on the beach. 

Show don't tell

Speedball is fun. Instead of this simple sentence, a more riveting description of my favorite school time activity can be supplied. 

Physics is coming to an end. I couldn't be happier. I stare at the clock for the last three minutes of class. Each second takes longer than the last. I will the second hand to move faster. As if it hears me, it finally crosses the twelve and the bell rings. I race to pack up my belongings and rush out the door. I walk through the breezeway to the gym. The moment of anticipation has arrived. I take a breath and smell the cool air lingering in the gym. The scent is specifically attached to the gym. The air is always circulated, however the scent of sweat and wood can be barely made out with each breath. The smell is sweet to me. We line up to pick captains and teams. Players are divided, and Mr. Coleman gets ready to throw the jump ball. He blows the whistle. Competitors jump for the ball. I run for it. The small red ball signifying competition. My hand grasps the ball and I feel my fingers crunch the firm hard foam. I am in control now. No one can stop me. I pass the ball to a teammate a make a move towards the goal. My move is simple but practiced. I have done the move many times before. I am confident I will score. I plant my left foot forward at an angle. I shift my whole body weight to the left and feign movement to that side. Shifting my momentum I use all the strength in my left leg to switch to my right foot. My left shoe slides forward. Time seems to move slower in gym class. I feel the cool brush of the defender's shorts as I maneuver past him. My teammate notices my move and flicks the ball to me. I grasp it again. Excitement rushes up my body. Four feet from the goal with the ball in my hand. The small red ball gives me power. I know what to do. I pull back my arm and with all my strength force it forward. The last of the ball's cool red foamy surface leaves the tips of my fingers as it soars through the air to it's destination. I stare my target down. I notice a faint rip in the corner of the netting. The once bright red pole is scratched at signs of aging. The ball breaks through the air into the net. I hear the sound of foam colliding with netting. The netting stretches and seems to rip. The ball than touches the ground. The red ball full of power. It has served its purpose. 

A surreptitious event

Several years ago in middle school, i was practicing my swing with my new baseball bat. I was a little too close to the wall, and happened to make a dent in it. This was bad. So i quickly redecorated my room and put my dresser in front of it. It is still there. At first i was very scared that my parents would find out, and i would get nervous whenever my parents entered the room. After the first week of worrying my fear of being caught died down until it was nothing. However, as i aged, i realized that the dent was easily fixed so i completely stopped to worry. 

New Year's resolution

Recently it was New Years, so therefor i will state my new years resolution. This year i resolve to eat healthier. Every week i usually eat well. I eat healthy from sunday to thursday. But once friday comes around my eating habits drastically change for the worse. Every friday and saturday i eat terribly, ruining my weeks accomplishments. I resolve to eat better these two days. i resolve to eat a bigger and healthier dinner so i have less room for the terrible snacks that i eat. This will help me eat better. i will achieve my goal!