Friday, July 26, 2013

Cherry Sunsets Excerpt



                I stop reading for a moment and glance up at my company. Ryan is drifting in and out of sleep, body folded up so that two of his short limbs hang over the edge of the hammock and the other two lie curled up under his stomach. He occasionally opens his eyes and blinks lazily, reminding me of my cat Cocoa back home. The wind blows and ruffles his long black hair, un-gelled and fine like that of a newborn baby.
                Afraid that his bleary eyes will catch on to my staring, I turn my attention to Matias. He has also fallen asleep. Although he is sprawled out in a chair, his breath is even and quiet, which makes me believe he is much more lost in deep, dream-filled rest than Ryan. His farmer’s tan is slowly disappearing as the rest of his torso catches up to his brown arms and neck. I realize with disgust that I am the only male who has brought sunscreen, lathering it on every morning and after lunch; my skin prefers to bake differently, turning pink with bubbly patches of oil and then peeling instead of tanning and freckling like theirs. I notice how peaceful he looks compared to his usual self; his jaw no longer works with stress, his deep brown eyes don’t dart about in fear, and his arms lie motionless on the chair’s armrests, fingers slightly twitching ever so often. Abruptly, he turns his head, and light glints off of something and into my eyes. I realize he is wearing an earring. Upon closer observation, I find that he is wearing three earrings; one tiny diamond in each lobe and a third, small black ball stabbed in the cartilage at the top of his right ear.  That’s strange, I think, contemplating how Ryan has described him, he doesn’t seem like the type. But he’s rather quiet, so who knows? Only time can tell who he truly is. The breeze brings a tangy, smoky smell to my nostrils and I cringe, I don’t think that 'true side' of him is going to be very pretty. 
           Minutes pass. The air is quiet except for the sound of the waves in the distance, and the summer bugs around us chirping a squeeky, screechy, buzzing symphony. It doesn't probably doesn't seem very peaceful to those who have never experienced it, but it is, and for a moment I can relax my shoulders and forget about everything. Then, as if on cue, Professor Braden's little speech and the countdown to next semester floods into my mind and I let out a frustrated sigh. What's wrong with me? I know I shouldn't go into nursing, or the ministry, or art, and I know there's something I should study for the next two years, but I can't put my finger on it.
          I would scowl at Ryan, but he might see me, so I give Matias the most unenthused expression I can. A voice in my mind reminds me that he has about twice as many troubles as me, and as a bonus to make me feel sorry for him, a grin fills his previously expressionless face. I forget to glare at him and instead my eyes widen in surprise because I’ve never seen him wear this kind of expression. It’s a big smile, mostly bright pink gums, with a glimpse of his yet unstained white teeth partially hiding under his lower lip. I smile back at him as I realize his smile, in a funny way, reminds me of my horse at home.
                So I have Sandy the horse and Cocoa the cat for travelling buddies, I decide, glancing from Mat to Ryan. I realize with mild shock that Ryan is fully awake now, his dark eyes studying me with great interest. He looks like he wants to talk, so I close my book and meet his gaze.
 ~Cherry Sunsets~



 The pictures are from the boardwalk at Duck, Outer Banks, North Carolina. It's really beautiful and somewhere I would love to walk in the evening when the sun is setting over the sound (that's not the ocean you see there!). I was sitting outside on the screened-in porch when I wrote this, imagining what it would be like if I were Jens. My Outer Banks trips are always so amazing because they inspire me incredibly. I almost always come up with a new story to write, and this time, it couldn't be contained. I wrote the first scene of Cherry Sunsets before I even arrived, and titled it after a poem I wrote and a strawberry margarita flavored beer.
I hope anyone who reads the excerpt enjoys it, no matter how much injustice my poor writing does the scene of a lazy summer afternoon at the ocean with friends.

-Argentia

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

There Lives a Daughter (Poem+a few thoughts)

Your face, round and white
Puffy red cheeks and rosebud lips
Scraggly golden hair soaked in sweat
Pasted to your tiny head

Your little hands and feet
Your bright pink summer dress
Your button nose, your small ears
Those brilliant, sharp blue eyes

Eyes that are filled with tears
Your love is so strangely placed
Eyes that are filled with expectancy
Your heart is so mysteriously decided

Questions, loud and terrible, fill my head
When that baby voice cries out
When those eyes search frantically
When those rosy lips form kisses

You've been dealt a bad deck from day one
The troubles will continue to multiply
Bad things will no longer just be hiding faces
Or missing precious names of affection

And no one cares like they claim to
And their hearts are all shut up inside
You? Who knows about you
You, who is already so hopeless.

 Little angel, they called you, beautiful, precious little angel. Yet they refuse to accept the existence of angels.





 Not so great of a day today. Poor baby. I just...didn't even know what to do or say. I felt like my brain was the size of a pea and yet as big as a hot air balloon and all of these images just flooded through my mind when I saw her. It hurts to see kids like this. Kids who haven't yet realized their parents have nothing together and don't even care. It doesn't matter the family or class status or child. They realize it at some point and it's crushing for them. Then some of them go and start the cycle all over again.

It's all too much for my black and white ideology some days. Sometimes I even begin to doubt and think that maybe, if so many people are like this, that my sense of justice is flawed. Then I realize that I gather my  sense of justice from God. His law is truth and He is a lot better at making laws than mere man. We are so selfish, deep inside, and so many live in denial of that. So many of us think we're fine because, well, everyone is like this and at least we're not bad people, right? Wrong.
The best thing a parent could ever do for their child is raise them to know our wise God and His perfect law.

-Argentia

Friday, July 5, 2013

July-Cherry Sunsets, Korean Homework, and Henry's TRAP (plus some more stuff)


 A friend uploaded this picture on her blog, and I couldn't agree more. I can't wait for July to surprise me-in some ways, it already had before it arrived. The subject of July in general has been one which I have discussed quite often in the past few weeks and I don't want to miss out on the wonderfulness of the month. Some things about July that are awesome include-
1. Fireworks, watermelon, and amazing food filled with either blueberries and strawberries or blackberries and raspberries, or, of course, the alternative of artificial dyes. YAY!
2. Four birthdays-those of my country and my friends Lucas, Stephanie, and Hannah. Birthday of country, not so much amazing as birthdays of my friends. Nationalities may change, but friendship is something that can cross over the borders of countries and even an entire ocean.
3.Long days, so I have more time to talk to my friends when they are awake and I'm awake and the sun is up at the same time.
4. Other things I can't think of.

 Recently I have had a really bad problem. This problem is not focusing on anything for more than five minutes. I suddenly lose my train of thought and go into this 'trance' in which I don't really pay attention to what I'm doing. Suddenly, something new to think/talk about occurs to me and you can bet every dollar you have that I am gone. There's no way I'm getting back unless I try really hard. Of course, in the midst of trying, I start this process all over again.

For instance, I began this blog post yesterday. Today I feel much better-much more focused. Focus is good. Ha-ha.
Anyway, other than it being July, I have some other interesting things to talk about.

Cherry Sunsets

Cherry Sunsets is a short story I've begun. It centers around a young man names Jens who is about to begin his third year of university and has not yet declared a major. His academic adviser has warned him that he must declare his major at the beginning of his fifth semester-three months away-but Jens is clueless as to what he should major in. His friend of nearly ten years, Ryan, suggests that Jens join him on a two-week group trip to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and Jens agrees. While there he comes to meet three new faces; Matias, Demetra, and Jessica, and becomes reaquainted with Ryan. Through the short journey he discovers sides of himself he was hiding, things he has feared, and a part of the future that God has planned for him. 

Korean Homework

So, my Korean-studying has gone up to a whole new level recently. I'm trying to brush up on verbs and it's taking a lot more than I thought it would, but I'm really happy about it! I'm able to say so much more than before.^^ I love being able to explain myself more clearly to my Korean friends.

Henry's TRAP (plus some more stuff)



First of all, I think this song is amazing. Second of all, if it weren't for SHINee's awesome new Japanese album, this song would be stuck in my head permanently (similar to the fact that I wouldn't have ever gotten rid of Wonderboyz Tarzan if it weren't for TRAP). Thirdly, the dance is great (man playing piano...man on a piano...man on a piano dancing...man on a piano dancing and singing...). I really liked the editions of Taemin and Kyuhyun, though I tend to favor the only Taemin versions not because I don't like Kyuhyun (his expressions are a little disturbing sometimes, I admit), but because I favor Taemin's falsetto. Two years of being a fan does this to you, so it's probably just bias. Fourthly, I think Henry  is awesome and he should stay that way-Korean-speaking Chinese Canadian or whatever they want to call him. I think he's talented, handsome, and intelligent, and people who wish to be racist, exclusive, or otherwise derogatory towards him need to deal with their problems. -_- *rant over*

Seriously, I love the beat of TRAP and the entire ablum. I think the lyrics they chose to do in English are very balanced and not *too* cheesy like some songs I've heard *raises eyebrow*.

Now, I demand that anyone who has read this blog post immediately go and listen to SHINee's Japanese album's song 'Kiss Yo' which is hilarious and catchy and very happy-sounding!

If you happen to like it, listen to Keeping Love and Password, too. They both sound gorgeous.

-Argentia