Casey+S

​ ** Hello! I'm Casey....This wiki is all about me. Well sort of...really it's the final project for my creative writing class. This page includes about 10 pieces of poetry, non-fiction, ficiton, etc. that I've created during this past semester. Also, I've included 5 pieces from else where. Some of these pieces are from way back, some are more recent...but all of them represent me, my personal writing style, and my elusive creative side. Enjoy! :) **

Here's a piece from our very first unit this semester...poetry: **// Chipotle //**

// Looking through the foggy glass // // Chrome and metal smile back // // A little slice of industrial chic // // Right here in quaint, middle-of-nowhere //

// Entering the threshold // // The steam bath touches your cheek // // A wave of spicy flavors, // // A hint of the exotic //

// But the taste is something different // // A little more familiar // // Like the days of last semester // // Dropping in for a bite before rehearsal //

// Or a double dinner date // // Or catching up after class // // The heat of the salsa like the afternoons // // We spent beneath the summer sun //

// And now in the hustle of our final days // // The gleaming tile and tables // // Remain a meeting place // // The taste of a familiar face //

// As we gobble and gossip // // The best burritos around // // More than just a restaurant // // It’s our memories all wrapped up //

// In tin foil and a taco shell //


 * // By: Casey Simensen //**

// For this poem we had to write a restaurant review. I decided to get a little more serious with this one so I wrote more about the emotions surrounding the place than the place itself. For us theater kids Chipotle has become a staple in our diets and social lives. It’s crowning qualities such as: cheap food, timely service, and fun tin foil you can mold into various kinds of hats, make this restaurant a great place to meet up with the cast before rehearsals or to hang out with your fellow choraliers after a show. For me this place holds a lot of fun times. // // The elements we had to use for this poem were simile/metaphor. As with assonance/consonance I was a little confused with which one was which. This poem cleared that up for me. I found it more difficult to create metaphors than similes but I enjoyed writing this piece all the same. //

This next piece is a non fiction assingment in which we had to describe a famous landmark. We had to be very descriptive, use as much imagery as possible, and make it a full page long. It was very hard for me to write a page long description of a place without making up a story about it. I tried to be as detailed as possible, I even included a picture of my landmark, but I didn't quite make a page out of it...here's what I got:

Clear periwinkle skies reign over a translucent pool. The liquid glass lies still, reflecting its flawless surroundings. Stone tile worn smooth with time and use, encloses the mirror-like water. Outside the boundary of stones, lush grass covers the land in a green blanket quilted with small flowers and manicured foliage. Traversing the rough brick walkway, dry desert air brushes your cheeks warming your blood. It’s a dry heat, more warm than hot and comfortable. A gentle breeze passes you by every now and then carrying exotic scents and sounds. It is then that the creamy white facades catch your eye… a palace rising in the distance. Underneath the gleaming sun its domes, like eggshells, beautifully fragile, shine down upon you. Graceful curves and spirals fill your eyes. Coming closer, you realize the structure’s true height. Its towers rise brushing the sky and casting long, thin shadows over the gardens below. You step into the cool shade of one and watch quietly as the white walls wait before you. All is still and calm…the only movements you can sense are the small ripples circling the pool and occasionally the sweet breeze caressing the tree tops. Back at the palace a small window stares down at you, its contents unknown. What lies behind these perfect walls? It’s easy to imagine the inhabitants, as ethereal and picturesque as their palatial home, waltzing through their gardens, stepping pass the white threshold and into a dazzling marble world. This castle was built in love and standing before it now the essence of that love is as palpable as the sun’s golden rays, the wind’s gentle touch, and the shine of the white palace before you.

Here's another poem:

** January 12, 2010 **


 * above us tropical sun burns the sky **
 * and below wide city streets run dry **
 * the breakfast dishes cleared away **
 * what began a normal day **


 * I don’t remember what I saw **
 * or if I saw anyting at all **
 * but the settling ash turning blue **
 * reminds us what we see is true **


 * at first a distant rumble **
 * and then a closer tremble **
 * a darkness overtook the town **
 * and in an instant tumbled down **


 * the earth, it rolled beneath our feet **
 * it opened wide with claws and teeth **
 * I fell away out of sight **
 * and soon the stones blocked the light **


 * the bricks fell like rain **
 * first the pressure, heavy, then the pain **
 * my breath slowing **
 * and conscious waning **


 * but above me, a reaching hand **
 * strong arms help me to stand **
 * our home in shatters cleared away **
 * what began a normal day **

**This poem was very difficult to write. The picture it’s based on was of a young girl from Haiti being pulled out of piles of rubble. Her face is covered with ash and her expression is terrifying. I hate creating sad pieces but there was no way to make this poem not sad. I decided to try for at least an optimistic ending, but it’s still terribly sad to me.**
 * For this poem we had to use an aabb rhyme scheme. I didn’t like this at all. To me rhyming poems are meant to be read to children about happy, sunshine topics; not for a poem about a devastating natural disaster. However, I feel like I was able to make this poem serious and use the required elements. The partner poem we then created was even better than this one alone and yes…it rhymed as well. So, I suppose I’ve learned that not all rhyming poems are child’s play…but I still don’t like to rhyme.**

Yet another poem....beware this one's kind of cheesey. I added this to the poetry portfolio we had to create this year. It was an extra credit piece with the prompt "What If...?" I went for the whole I'm-too-tough-for-love-but-then-it-finds-me thing which is sort of true ro my nature. On the inside I really am a romantic I just don't let very many people see that side of me. Anyway here it is: **__What If...__ I've never believed in fairy tales...** The proud Prince carrying Away his Princess prim and proper Holds no truth for me The very idea makes me cringe Like a teaspoon of Robitussin Sliding down my throat It doesn't cure the cold Only soothes the symptoms And that's what fairy tales are A Band-Aid for wishful thinkers Giving hope tot he hopeless Marketable nonsense I'm a little too old for magic And a little too wise To have faith in that shooting star A little blue box A flash of gold Of diamonds And he's on one **knee What If I've Been Wrong...**
 * But Then:**

More non fiction? Sure!..... **Non Fiction Writing ** So the other day we played at this tiny little venue in Ohio and I totally almost macked this chick in the face. Dude it was hilarious! I remember it was sort of raining and we were in this dumpy little city…Middletown I think it was called. The venue was this tiny, one room place next to a coffee shop. It had just been built and was…well, kind of amateur if ya know what I mean. Like, they didn’t even have dressing rooms or anything and the stage was only like two feet off the ground. I know…amateur right? Anyway, when we got there we saw all these kids outside lined up in the rain, just waiting. I know we’ve got to have the best fans ever. Standing in the freezing rain? Now that takes dedication ya know. So we hit up the coffee shop first…pretty good stuff for being in the middle of nowhere…and then we checked out the stage. Like I said it was tiny but a gig’s a gig. While we were just kind of chillin’ they let all the kids in, soaking wet of course, and all the local acts played. Nothing too impressive just the same blah, blah, blah ya know. Finally we get on stage. The place was packed by then. I’m talkin’ wall to wall. Security was pretty lax so people were standing right up next to the edge of the stage. There were these girls right in front of me. They were pretty cute smilin’ at me and stuff. I flirted back a lil bit and they got all embarrassed. It was funny. So anyway, we got started and it was goin’ pretty good. The crownd was really in to it…especially those girls. This dark haired one was standing the closest to the stage and when I could I would smile at her. She would blush and look at her lil friends…they all loved it. Then outta nowhere some burly chick flew outta the pit and hit one of those girls, who then bumped the dark haired girl, who then fell onto the stage. Right as she fell I was doin’ a guitar spin and when she lifted herself up I swear I came like an inch away from clocking her right in the face! It was so funny! Her eyes got real big and she just looked at me. I wanted to laugh so badly but I held it back. Instead I mouthed to her “ I’m sorry” but she still looked freaked out. After the show we were signing stuff for people and takin’ pics when guess who walks up to me…that dark haired girl. She was cute and so nice that I actually felt bad for almost hitting her. She asked me to sign her shirt so I did and then we took a pic together. I tried to apologize again but she just smiled and said it was all good then walked back to her friends. Once her back was turned…I cracked up. I couldn’t help it. Dude it was so funny…you should’ve been there.

We were told to write about an event in our lives that we remenber vividly. The catch was we had to write this memory from the perspective of someone else that was present at the time. I chose to write about a concert I went to in March. The show was at a little coffee house venue in Middletown. It was a "secret" show in that only 200 people were allowed to cram into this tiny, hot room to see 4 bands play an even tinier stage. I was one of the lucky 200. This is in fact a true story...the guitartist from Hawthorne Heights just about took my head off during their closing song. I wrote this piece from his point of view. I was terrified at the time but looking back it was pretty funny.

Home. **


 * The pine tree stood **
 * Like a tower guard **
 * Its branches spread across the sky **
 * Shading the red brick **
 * Of my childhood memories **


 * And beneath its expanse **
 * The soft, cooled dirt **
 * Held wonders only a child could admire **
 * Its canopy swaying above the breeze **
 * A family protected by its reach **


 * Now driving past **
 * The faded bricks **
 * Stare back empty; **
 * Void of the things once held there **
 * Now lost and broken **


 * And the giant pine is gone **
 * Its shoulders worn then cut away **
 * A stump left in its place **
 * Exposing the cracked, bare earth **
 * A Hiroshima in the front yard **


 * This is my most serious poem. It’s about my childhood home before and after we moved away; before and after the divorce. We really did have a huge pine tree in the front yard and as a child I played around, on and underneath it. The couple we sold our house to decided to cut it down. When I first saw it missing I was very upset…this poem reflects that. **
 * Our assignment was to use symbolism and allusions in a poem about a place. We had to write about this place during one time then at another time. My symbol is the pine tree. It stands for security, strength, and family. The things that were broken by the divorce…symbolized by the tree being cut down. My allusion to Hiroshima also stands for the break down of my family. Not to worry though life for me I good again. **** J **

This is my children's story. We had to take a broad social justice topic and bring it down to "child-size". We had to create chracters that were friendly but that expressed a serious issue. The issues of course had to be brought down to a child's level of understanding. I chose 2 issues both of which relate to my life. The 1st is divorce...the 2nd racial diversity. The story of Mipsy is basically the story of me...except that I'm a human...and not purple lol.

**//__ Mipsy’s __//**
 * //__ Mommy __//**

** “Don’t worry”, he said “You’ll make tons of new friends”. Mipsy wasn’t so sure. All the other bunnies seemed to stare as her daddy said good-bye. ** ** “Hi”, he said. ** ** “My mommy doesn’t live with my daddy and me. My mommy lives in Red town”, she said. **
 * Mipsy was a happy, little bunny. She lived with her daddy in Blue vile. Mipsy’s mommy lived in Red town. Mipsy lived there too…but only on the weekends. Mipsy was a little different than the other blue bunnies in Blue vile. You see Mipsy was Purple…but Mipsy’s mommy and daddy told her all the time that there was nothing wrong with being different and Mipsy agreed. **
 * Mipsy was an excited, little bunny! She was going to start school soon. She couldn’t wait to learn letters and numbers just like the big kids. She couldn’t wait to play on the playground and make new friends. **
 * On her first day Mipsy’s daddy walked her to school. In the schoolyard all the mommies and daddies were saying good-bye to their bunnies. There were a lot of bunnies…bunnies that Mipsy didn’t know. All of a sudden her excited feeling went away. Instead she was nervous and a little scared. Mipsy squeezed her daddy’s hand. **
 * In the classroom Mipsy felt even worse. The teacher was nice and so were the crayons and markers and paints and pencils, but Mipsy was still nervous. All the other bunnies seemed to be friends already. Mipsy felt left out. **
 * Everyday Mipsy’s daddy would walk her to school and everyday he would say, “You’ll make new friends soon”. But the other bunnies always seemed to stare as Mipsy and her daddy walked by…so everyday Mipsy would sit by herself. **
 * Then one day a little bunny named Thad sat next to Mipsy. **
 * “Hi”, said Mipsy. **
 * The two began to color together and after a while Thad said, “I like your purple fur Mipsy. I wish I had purple fur”. **
 * Mipsy cheeks got a little pink. **
 * “Thank you. My mommy says it’s good for everyone to be different. She says that’s what makes the world beautiful”, said Mipsy. **
 * Thad thought for a moment and then said, “Where is your mommy Mipsy? Everyday I see you walk to school with your dad but never with your mommy. Does she not like walking with you?” **
 * Mipsy was embarrassed but she remembered that it’s ok to be different. **
 * “Doesn’t that make you sad?” said Thad **
 * “Sometimes”, said Mipsy “But I go to Red town every weekend. My mommy and I love to spend time together.” **
 * “Yeah…So does my family”, said Thad. Thad and Mipsy played together the rest of the day. **
 * The next day when Mipsy and her daddy walked to school no one stared. Instead Thad introduced Mipsy to all his friends. They had lots of questions for Mipsy. They weren’t being mean. They were just curious little bunnies who wanted to know more about their new friend, and Mipsy wasn’t embarrassed at all. She was happy to be a different, little bunny. **

**Is Mud softer than Midnight?**

**And here comes Midnight**
 * Absolutely not! **
 * In my opinion **
 * Midnight is much softer **
 * Why? **
 * Midnight creeps like fog **
 * Silently on padded paws **
 * Behind the couch **
 * And up the stairs **
 * Midnight peeks around the corner **
 * Two yellow eyes a-glow **
 * Their target in sight **
 * Midnight digs its claws **
 * Into the carpet; left then right, **
 * Ready to pounce **
 * Hopping into your lap **
 * Warm and purring **
 * You see he is much softer than mud **


 * This poem was inspired by my best friend’s cat. Her name is Midnight and she’s a huge black kitty with little white paws. She hardly ever comes out of hiding but when she does, she rubs all over your legs and purrs. Soooo cute! She is definitely softer, nicer, and prettier than mud. **
 * Again this poem was easy to write. The only guidelines we had to follow were specific numbers of lines and stanzas. Normally I prefer to write free verse poems but this one didn’t have strict specifications so I enjoyed it. **


 * I loved writing this poem! Before this assignment I had always confused assonance with consonance. I learned the difference between the two and that assonance is definitely the one that is more difficult to use! It was hard matching vowel sounds correctly and even harder making the stanzas rhyme…rhyming just isn’t my thing, but after some practice and a lot of erasing I finally got the hang of it. **
 * I also learned that the marketing team behind M&Ms is genius. Creating a website where people can create their own character M&M…and then buy coffee mugs or magnets with the little candy person on it...Brilliant, if I do say so myself. I was feeling rather twilight-y the day we made our M&Ms so naturally I made mine a vampire…but not a peaceful Cullen. Valerie? Doesn’t that remind you of…hmm…Victoria? **** J **

Valerie is a quiet gal with a secret In the library where she resides Behind the stacks of books and movies, a vampire hides With fiery red hair and a gleaming yellow stare
 * // Valerie the Vampire Librarian… //**

She cleans and organizes…catalogues and prepares In pink bunny slippers she waits Library customers should plan their escape For this vampire is always looking for her next victim

Her blue skin is not a flu symptom Don’t be fooled by those cat-eyed glasses

Or you won’t live to schedule college classes Beware the Vampire Librarian

If you think she’s staring Because you’re being loud

Don’t be so proud My friend….you are her next victim….

Here is a piece form a while back:

** Carton: From indifference to devotion **
 * Dickens’ proof that love can change us all **

One of the main themes in Charles Dickens’ //__A Tale of Two Cities__// is love. Dickens portrays love as a powerful, binding force that bridges the gaps between his characters, giving long-awaited and much needed peace to their souls. Besides bringing peace to the restless, love in //__A Tale of Two Cities__// is also seen as a force that can change lives and perspectives. In the novel this point is illustrated by the relationship between Lucie Manette, the angelic leading lady of the story, and Sidney Carton, the often inebriated legal clerk who so far has not done anything good with his life. However, despite his seemingly nasty nature, in the end this drunkard becomes the real hero of the story thanks to love. The love that he feels for Lucie causes an abrupt change in Carton’s ways and lifestyle and leads him to make the ultimate sacrifice to protect her happiness. Carton’s character is Dickens’ proof that the sublime emotion of love can change anyone’s life for the better. Although Carton does in fact posses some good qualities, in the beginning of the novel he is simply viewed as a bad person. For example, despite Carton’s intelligence he is nothing more than a sniveling assistant to a pompous lawyer who often refers to him as a “jackal”. His employer, Mr. Stryver, also sees no harm in telling him that he has yet to, and most likely never will, do anything meaningful with his life, (a fact that Carton sadly agrees with). To make matters worse, Carton is also a heavy drinker who has a tendency to become belligerent and rude while intoxicated. Another one of his good qualities (his striking resemblance to the gallant Darnay), is again undermined this time by his slovenly appearance and his insolent, indifferent demeanor. These characteristics cause an almost immediate dislike of Carton among readers. But Dickens shows another side to Carton when readers learn of his love for Lucie Manette. In a touching chapter Carton confesses his true feelings for her explaining how she has brought some happiness and a small ray of hope into his bleak life. “ …you have been the last dream of my soul…I have not been so degraded but that the sight of you with your father, and of this home made such a home by you, has stirred old shadows that I thought had died out of me.” (pg. 138) Carton is saying that Lucie has brought love back in to his almost emotionless heart and that even though he still feels worthless, she has brought out all the good of his soul which he thought was lost long ago. With this Dickens is pointing out to readers that the goodness repressed in so-called “bad” people is stirred up and rises to the surface when love is present. This new found love drives Carton to show the depth of his devotion by making Lucie a powerful promise. He swears to her that he would give his very life for her //and// for any of her loved ones. “For you, and for any dear to you, I would do anything…I would embrace any sacrifice for you and for those dear to you…think now and then that there is a man who would give his life, to keep a life you love beside you.” (pg. 140-141) The fact that, not only would he die for her but that he would also give his life for anyone that she loved, again proves that there is a transformation taking place within Carton…and what a transformation it is! Here he is this insolent, selfish drunk promising that he would take on the ultimate sacrifice for someone else’s loved ones. It is the love he feels for Lucie that is bringing out nobility in him. Dickens is again showing readers the changes that can arise in even the worst of people when love infects them. This promise is also a major piece of foreshadowing Dickens is using to prepare readers for the ultimate change of heart Carton experiences, a change of heart that propels him to make good on his promise and turn him into the real hero of the story. This final opportunity to prove his love arises when Lucie’s former aristocrat husband Darnay is sentenced to death. Carton quickly obtains legal documents that can get Lucie and her family safely out of France, and then he takes advantage of the close resemblance he and Darnay share. He switches places with Darnay just a few hours before his scheduled execution, fooling the guards and saving Darnay’s life. Carton’s selfish, indifferent attitude has disappeared and is now replaced by an honorable, brave new personality. Carton’s love for Lucie has turned him into a completely different man. It seems as though his heart has opened and that all the goodness that was for so long buried under his former self finally shows itself as he quietly gives his life to protect Lucie’s family. Even Carton himself recognizes this change as he thinks to himself, “It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done…” (pg. 352) He sees that he has finally done something right in his life. He knows that even though his affection was not returned and that he will never have the chance to be with his beloved, she will live on happily with her family; that it is his sacrifice that is enabling her to live on happily; and that the exchange of his life for the assurance of her future peace is something he is more than willing to do. This is the idea that Dickens wanted his readers to understand; that no matter how cold, insolent, or indifferent someone may be their personality, life, and very soul will be transformed when they experience the universal emotion of love. He proves this point perfectly with Sidney Carton’s character. When readers first meet Carton he is a sarcastic, lazy drunkard who, despite his intelligence, believed that he had no chance of ever accomplishing anything meaningful during his life. However his outlook changes when he falls in love. The love he feels opens his heart and changes him into a steady, determined hero who gives the ultimate sacrifice for his love, something the former Carton wouldn’t have ever dreamed of doing. With his entire novel and certainly with his most dynamic character, Dickens is showing the power that love has; the power to change us all. I wrote this paper in 10th grade. We had just finished reading ATale Of Two Cities and had to write a character essay. I actually did like that book and I loved the character of Sidney Carton. I got an A+ on this essay because I legit liked the topic and I actually sat down and worked on it for a few days...not just figuring something out last minute.

** In the Next 13 Years..... **

Personally, I am a believer in fate and destiny. I honestly don’t know what will happen in the few years of my life nor do I know what will become of me in the next few minutes of my life. However, if I were to have it my way this is how it would go….. By the year 2020 I would have completed two years of volunteer service with the American Red Cross, which I would have joined graduating eight years of college, four as an undergraduate majoring in psychology and four earning my master degree. I would then apply to the U.S. FBI academy. Yes, I know these goals seem a little far fetched but hey they always told me to dream big so I did. I am currently taking a psychology class at my high school. I hope the things I learn now will serve me well in college. When my mother was attending nursing school she had an emphasis on psychology. She eventually changed her major but she kept her old textbooks. I can remember as a child looking through her old books. I especially took an interest in the abnormal and child/adolescent chapters. I suppose my mother is also my greatest role model. She is an intelligent, kind person and I actually sort of “cool”. As an alcohol and drug rehab councilor she has spent her whole life helping others in need overcome their demons. There’s no one in the world quite like her. Another big role model of mine is my sister. We are seven years apart but still very close. She is incredibly mature and responsible for her twenty-two years. She has her own apartment, car, and a job to pay for it all herself. She is currently a senior at Virginia Tech and is majoring in animal sciences/pre-vet medicine. During my eighteen years of life I’ve changed my mind about my career many times, switching back and forth between psychiatrist, teacher, rock superstar, and aimless hippie drifter, but I think I have finally made my choice. I suppose some people would wonder why I would want to slave away in some desolate, third world country for two whole years to volunteer. My reason isn’t because I want it to look good on my resume or because I want to look like some kind of saint. Honestly, I just want to help people. I know that sounds corny but I want to do something that will make a difference in this world. Most people my age are too busy to volunteer and some others just don’t care. I am busy as well, but not to busy to help my fellow man (or woman), so I am setting aside a couple of years to do something that will benefit everyone. As for the future of my personal life, well…. I’ll be a broke college student for a while and I definitely won’t get rich as a resident doctor so I’ll have to put off owning my own home for a bit. I do plan on buying my own property someday though. I think an older, colonial style house on a nice piece of green land would suffice. As for marriage I really don’t know if I could ever put up with someone for better or for worse forever. But then again, you never know. And as for children….no way, I’m just not the motherly type. As I said before I believe in fate and destiny. But I also think that as mere humans we //can// control our lives, to an extent. All I can really do is carry on, doing the best that I can to follow my dreams.

This is a prompt I wrote to in Hon. Bio. back in 10th grade. I don't know why our Bio teacher cared about what we wanted to do in our lives...Anyway, this is basically the gist of how I want my life to go...in the next 13 years anyway...beyong that I have no idea. :)

Here we go with the romantic side again. I wrote this peom my freshman year when I was young, stupid, and completely obssesed with this senior boy who hardly knew me. We were sort of friends...more like aquaintances really...but I absolutely adored him. I wrote this peom randomly one night after a late musical rehearsal where he had talked to me...and we actually made eye contact! I thought it was a sign for sure. Well, needless to say he & I never worked out they way I planned. He graduated and I was heartbroken. ** Memoirs Soft and Solemn **


 * I don't remember when I fell in love with you **
 * The exact day and time are a blur, even the month I have forgotten **
 * However, the season I recall quite well, it surely had to have been autumn **
 * Not the most famous time of year for love but the perfect time for you and I **
 * I remember because of the colors, the rouge and gold and brown **
 * The air warm, not too much but just right and the breeze gentle **
 * The sunlight broke through the clouds in just the right spot so that if you tilted your head, it graced your cheeks and nose perfectly **
 * Your hair matched the leaves, falling over your eyes just as they fell from the canopy **
 * And your eyes, deep and icy, making me shiver when you turned **
 * It's silly though isn't it, silly that I should speak about falling for you when I can't bare to look upon you even now turned to stone at your very glance **
 * Yes, it's quite silly that I should even be writing this when all you saw when all you saw in me was a mere child **
 * Immature, sophomoric, much too young, and yes….very naïve as well **
 * But I suppose I'll continue simply for the sake of story-telling if for nothing more **
 * I'll start again, this time not concerning myself so much with the when but the why **
 * And I won't be as cliché as to say it was your smile, your body, or even your heart **
 * While these were all quite nice, to clarify it was your words **
 * Not even your way with them, for you were certainly no poet, but how you spoke them so…naturally, an art I have yet to master **
 * The way you spoke, so eloquent and poignant in a way, as though Shakes himself ran through your veins, and yet you weren't even trying **
 * No, you weren't at all an attention seeker, but you filled your speech with such a passion **
 * In some places your words would fire out like rifle shots that sparked in your eyes that childish joy you condemned in me **
 * And I would laugh to myself when you quieted down and leaned in shyly, embarrassed **
 * And you would whisper clandestine, furtive words disguising emotions unfit for a male **
 * But listen to me rambling on about how you were, how I perceived you to be **
 * I know nothing of you now or how you speak **
 * Your words could have become cruel and malevolent although I could never see you that way **
 * You could have lost your articulate nobility, though I pray to the contrary **
 * I myself have changed as well, no longer that "little girl" you so cherished as "only a friend", however, I will proceed **
 * Beside your words I loved your actions **
 * How you carried yourself timidly but still with dignity **
 * How you held up your head and laughed loudly, but only in the company of friends **
 * How everything within you, you so generously handed to everyone else **
 * How your very presence filled me with all that I lacked **
 * And of course, how you held her lightly and ran your fingers through her hair and wiped salty tears away as you reassured her she was indeed the only one **
 * Reassuring me that chivalry, honesty was not yet dead **
 * And how I sighed **
 * I think I'll stop there; it's painful to continue you must understand **
 * Thinking of you now, how your there and I'm here **
 * I know it will never be, nor was it even meant to and that's fine **
 * I don't think it could have worked out, too different we were **
 * Not age, it didn't matter how old you were or that you were a man cloaked as a boy **
 * Or that I was enchanted by youth and folly **
 * No, it was your independence and my lack there of that dissolved us **
 * If only….. if only you had needed me as I needed you **
 * But you, so strong and ever ready, always stood alone to bare your weight in solitude, even away from her **
 * And I'm sure in your death you'll be just the same **
 * Taking your fate in silent stride **
 * And I will die to, far away and happy with another but never to forget **
 * But always to remember….you **

** AP Life Soundtrack…. **
 * By: Casey Simensen…. **


 * 1) ** Electric Feel….MGMT- **** I love this song. It’s weird and random just like me. I feel like this is a good song to start off with because it’s fun and happy. **
 * 2) ** A Pound of Silver is worth its Weight in Blood… ** . ** Tokyo Rose- **** This song reminds me of summer and of a good friend of mine. I remember once he & I were driving around with the sunroof open and this song came on. We started screaming along crazily. Good Times. **
 * 3) ** Minority… ** .**Green Day-** ** Green Day is one of my favorite bands. This song is one of my favorites by them because it’s funny and I can relate to the lyrics. I am different than most of my peers and I love that. I don’t want to be the same as everyone else. **
 * 4) ** Bad Romance….Lady Gaga- **** I adore Lady Gaga! She and I have a lot in common. We’re different and celebrate our eccentric personalities. I love all her music but I chose this song because I know every word and sing along any chance I get. **
 * 5) ** The Mixed Tape….Jack’s Mannequin- **** This song is kind of bittersweet for me. I love it but it’s sad. I relate this song to my romantic side and listen to it whenever I go through a break-up. It’s a good song to reminisce to. **
 * 6) ** Sophomore Slump or Comeback of the Year….Fall Out Boy- **** When I was in middle school I went through a phase were I was obsessed with this band. My parents had just divorced and I felt like all of this band’s music was a soundtrack of my emotions and what I was going through. This song in particular spoke to me. **
 * 7) ** Work....Jimmy Eat World- **** This is the “sad” song on my playlist. Jimmy Eat World was another band I listened to a lot during the divorce. This song is about changes and moving on and letting go. **
 * 8) ** The Crimson....Atreyu- **** I love this band. I’ve seen them live a few times and this song always reminds me of how amazing their stage show is. **
 * 9) ** Beating Hearts Baby....Head Automatica- **** This song was my anthem freshman year when I thought I was sooo cool for knowing an indie band. I still love this song, but every time I hear it it makes me laugh. **
 * 10) ** I woke up in a Car....Something Corporate- **** This song basically explains how I feel about graduation and college. It’s sad in some aspects but exciting at the same time…just like this song. **
 * 11) ** Heaven (remix)....DJ Sammy- **** I remember when this song first came out my sister and I were in love with it. I can recall driving around with Brandi singing along. **
 * 12) ** Will You Smile Again?.... And you will know us by the Trail of Dead- **** This song is about letting go of past mistakes and sorrows. I love it because it relates how I felt about my parents’ divorce and moving and everything else I’ve been through. **
 * 13) ** Beautiful Day....U2- **** I’ve always loved this song. It __is__ the soundtrack of my life. I love life and always try to find the beauty in our world. **

This is the soundtrack of my life a la AP english. I love all these songs dearly and each one has its own special memory. I loved doing this project. Music is a huge part of my life, not just singing and dancing with the choraliers but just listening to and enjoying my favorite songs. I feel like music and literature/writing go hand in hand. I love sitting down with a good book while listening to my ipod.

** Educational Equality **

The growing economical inequality among nations has emerged as one of the most pressing issues of our time. This inequality has separated our world into two sections; the “Global North” including such industrialized continents as Europe, North America, and Australia (as well as some Asian countries), and the “Global South” including Africa, most of Asia, and parts of South America. The “North” enjoys prosperity as much of the “South” suffers in poverty. While there are no easy answers on how to solve the issue, education is seen as an effective way of helping to reduce poverty by educating citizens in undeveloped countries and offering resources to help people create better lives for themselves and their families. Sadly, in many poor nations education opportunities (if available at all), are only offered to males. This has a negative affect on not only the females in the country, but the entire country’s social, political, and economic well-being. In many nations of the “Global South” women are unable to participate in politics or legal matters due to their lack of education. They are unable to find work and provide for their families. Also, women in many countries are denied rights and are often abused because they are seen as inferior to men and aren’t protected by legal systems. These problems aren’t just women’s issues anymore; they affect the whole nation by pushing the country further backward and continuing the poverty cycle. By ending gender inequality in education, poor nations will promote economic and social growth and reduce poverty. In many unindustrialized nations school is not an option for girls. They are kept in more traditional roles and stay in the home. Instead of learning basic math and science, they are taught how to become proper homemakers. Unfortunately, when these girls have children of their own they continue this tradition creating a cycle or culture of poverty. So, women stay in the home and are unable to earn any kind of wage or salary. Often times the money that their husbands make is not enough to feed and clothe the family. If these girls could receive an education early, they could enter the work-force as women and help to provide for their families. These new workers would also boost the country’s economy benefiting every citizen. Also, health education could help to prevent unwanted pregnancies among young women, aiding in much needed population control and would help to decrease the spread of harmful STDs like AIDS and HIV, diseases that many third world countries must face. The governments of most undeveloped nations give women very few legal rights. In countries such as Egypt, Kenya, and Uganda women do not have the right to own property, even land that once belonged to her side of the family. In these countries legal divorce is not an option. If the woman does leave her spouse everything they had owned together goes straight to him, including the children. Also, in poorer nations women have very little to do with politics. For example in many parts of the Middle East women have yet to win the right to vote and there are very few women in government positions. Because the women are uneducated they can’t participate or have a say in how their government is run. Many men in these countries view this simple ignorance as inferiority and cast womens’ opinions aside believing that females are naturally less intelligent then males and don’t deserve to participate. If women in these situations had had a proper education, they could have had a chance at fighting for their rights but instead they silently follow these ancient traditions because it is the only way they know. If they were educated and could have a say in the way that their country is run, many social conditions and reforms could be made helping to move the entire nation in a better direction. Living in poverty and being excluded form politics are not the only issues caused by educational inequality. Sadly, many women and girls in undeveloped countries are often abused. Some of these abuses are cultural traditions. In some Middle Eastern nations it is socially acceptable for husbands and fathers to beat their wives and children for disobedience. These so called “honor killings”, when a male family member kills a women claiming that her behavior was unacceptable, are also accepted. If women were more educated they could fight for their rights and rise about such cruel treatment. Another form of abuse is human trafficking, or forced prostitution, that is becoming popular in countries such as Bosnia and Herzegovina. Women and sometimes even young girls are kidnapped and forced or tricked into becoming prostitutes. Uneducated women are especially at risk for this. Many may see it as a way to make a living and a route out of poverty, not understanding the terrible consequences that could follow. If women were properly educated they could learn how to better protect themselves from these risks. By ending gender inequality in education, poor nations will promote economic and social growth and reduce poverty. Poor nations must set aside time and money to create educational opportunities for women and girls. These governments must also reach out to females who are unable to reach out for themselves. The government must ensure that the opportunities come to them. Poverty stricken nations must look to the future and see the potential in their little girls and realize that by not educating them they are only continuing the cycle of poverty. Equal education for females is essential for the economic, social, and political growth of undeveloped nations because empowered, educated women and girls can help to pull a nation out of poverty.

** This is my college essay. I wrote this for my freshman world history class and recycled it for my Xavier and Miami applications. I'm very proud of this paper and I got an A+ on it...naturally lol. This is a topic that is important to me and I hope that I was able to show people how important this subject is. **

This is my last piece. It's another poem from creative writing.

**__ AROUND THEN:  __** Around 1991 I came into this world kicking and screaming…literally Around 2009 I stood underneath the lights of the Eiffel Tower in awe Around 1994 I rode a horse for the first time and learned how a broken bone feels Around 2007 I met Dr. Carlisle Cullen and fell in love Around 1996 I stole my best friend’s crayons and she cried Around 2004 I sat through my first detention Around 1999 I lived and breathed Spongebob Squarepants Around 2006 I took to the stage…and the rest was history Around 2000 I tanned, (and burned) for the first time Around 2008 I started watching hockey…and fell in love all over again Around 2005 I witnessed a nasty divorce Around 2006 I learned to appreciate what matters Around 2003 I figured out that music = life Around 2004 I waved good-bye to my sister as she waved good-bye to high school Around 2010 I sat with a college app. in hand and realized…this is it   This was our first poem assignment of the semester. There weren’t any specific elements we had to include except the “ around then…”motif. This was a fun first poem to do because it allowed us to introduce ourselves through poetry. I tried to use the more humorous memories and only include one or two serious events. My closing “around then…” was meant to be both fun and serious. This poem was fairly easy to compose. It was simply our creativity at work. Since there were no real rules to follow everyone’s work was slightly different; some sad and serious, while others were light hearted and funny. I enjoyed writing this poem because it was about me… my favorite thing to write about. J