Cycle Paper #6: A Night’s Sky

The Night’s sky is the color of

Deep black velvet,

A smooth stone on the bottom of a well,

Strokes of ink on freshly printed paper,

A shadow on a summer’s day,

My dad’s old leather jacket,

Stripes on a Zebra,

Tread marks on the road,

Keys on a piano,

The fur of a black cat,

The muscle of bull charging a matador,

Depths of ocean blue,

The grains of black sand shifting on a Kona shore

The gloss on a raven’s wing.

The Night’s sky tastes like

The bittersweet chocolate at the bottom of the jar,

A sip of coffee next to the fireplace,

An ice cream sundae,

Decadent chocolate cake,

An ice cold lemonade on a muggy day,

The dreams of lonely souls.

The Night’s sky sounds like

A baby’s cry for help,

A piercing scream,

A contented purr of a cat fast asleep,

The soft lullaby of a mother,

A creak of footsteps on an old wooden floor,

The murmur of a dream catcher rustling in the breeze,

An echo of a closed door,

A car making its way home,

Hushed whispers of children.

But most of all,

A Night’s sky is a reminder of a new day.

Stress

In a time where stars shine,

Where the moon is at its brightest,

Where the birds are silent,

A powerful force drives a young girl.

Stressed over school, she studies.

She is silent. But inside, she screams.

Every concern, worry, and problem

Is magnified. How can she possibly go on?

She wishes all this pressure, all this stress

Can, in some way, be relieved.

She feels no physical pain, yet

The pain is enough to keep her awake.

Her beautiful, jet black hair,

Slowly turns to gray.

Her perfect complexion,

Slowly wrinkles in fear.

The hazel brown eyes,

Slowly begins to shut.

But, she still presses on.

I promised myself I would never be her.

I saw the endless nights she endured,

I saw what it did to her.

Always on edge,
Always wearing only one accessory,

Her frown.

I felt her pain. I urged her to sleep.

But she couldn’t. And I couldn't understand why.

I was naïve. I never felt that stress till high school.

Where every grade mattered, every test counted.

There were no pauses for those who fell behind.

A school filled with rabbits, never stopped for the tortoises.

Slow and steady was not winning the race.

I struggled to keep up, yet I did.

The tortoise took no breaks, keep pressing forward.

I finally felt that force. That undeniable feeling

That compelled me to push through.

B's were unacceptable. A's were expected.

I hated that feeling. But, I still needed their approval.

I did whatever it took.

I stayed up with the owls,

Skipped meals, ignored friends.

But, it seems, no matter what I do,

They will never be satisfied.

Just the life of a Punahou student.

That Infamous Day

Imagine a ruin so strange it must never have happened. So unbelievable, that when you look back, you cannot actually grasp that terrible situation. The images fly back through your head as if were yesterday. You can still feel the emotions and sense the mood. For me, I felt that moment on the 11th day of September 200l, one of the most devastating days in America history.
I will never forget that day. I was first wakened by my dad, shaking me, urging me to get up. I glanced at the clock, 5:00am. I rolled over and attempted to go back to sleep. He shook me again but this time he turned on the lights. “Why so early?” I groggily asked.
“It’s not important, just get up.” He replied.
I walked downstairs to see what was going on, I glanced at the television and saw it. The devastating images of smoke rising from the World Trade Center will forever be etched in my memory. At the time, I was completely ignorant of anything that was going on. I wondered what movie my mom was watching, but when I saw her tear-ridden face, I knew this was real. These were real America lives struggling for their life. I was shocked. The World Trade Center, a symbol for the economic dominance of our country, was crumbling before my eyes. I’ve always wondered what could have been done to prevent that horrific day. If there is a god, he wasn’t with us that day. Thousands of Americans lost their lives because of cowardly, fanatic terrorists. Watching the programs on 9/11, all investigating what could have been done. I was angered at the Bush Administration, even the latter years of the Clinton Administration as well. Their ignorance to the problem at hand infuriated me. I was glad we went to war. They cowardly attacked our country and they needed to pay. These men hated everything America stood for; they sacrificed their lives to make sure our way of life could not be maintained. And unfortunately, it might have worked. Because of those attacks, we are in a war with no enemy, no purpose. Our initial enemy, Al Qaeda, has strengthened. Osama bin Laden is still on the loose, devoted to the destruction of our Nation. Indirectly or directly, that day has crumbled America. Looking back, I still can’t believe it’s true. I just, can’t…

The Toyota Camry

Everyday, I rode along in my mother's Toyota Camry. I would also be jealous of the kids I saw getting out of their beamers and Mercedes. I would also ask my parents why we didn't get a car like that, because I wanted to look cool too. They would always reply, "Why spend that much money, when we can get a car just as good for less?" I never agreed with them, until I finally started to drive, and I realized how easy and reliable the Camry really was. The smooth leather interior, the rugged yet stylish exterior, I was happy. Not only did it look good, but the Camry was so easy to drive, it seemed to turn at my any command. Though it doesn't have the name-brand recognition of the other, more expensive vehicles on the road, it drove like a luxury car, though it didn't cost like one. Even the Camry isn't the most stylish, or "in car" it possibly is the most reliable vehicle our family has ever had. Reliability versus style. Make the right choice the next time you shop for a car. You'll think twice before opting to choose the Mercedes, over the good ole' Camry.