Keeton+R

My name is Keeton Ritter. All of the following writings are from my senior year at Edgewood High School. Most writings have a good sense of humor but there are a few serious ones. The other writings include nonfiction, esaays, reports and stories.

// Around Then… //

Around ** 1997 **, //I took my first step into Edgewood// Around ** 1994 **, //Life was nothing but Little Bear and Blues Clues// Around ** 2004 **, //I began to grow up faster than I should have// Around ** 2007 **, //I picked up a Lacrosse stick for the first time// Around ** 2009 **, //I trained a whole new team of Lacrosse players// Around ** 2003 **, //I was the big man on campus at Bloomfield// Around ** 1991 **, //I was born and the legend began// Around ** 2000 **, //I met my best friend Ethan and still can’t get rid of him// Around ** 2002 **, //I met my true first love, Frickers// Around ** 2001 **, //Life was nothing but woogady woogady woo// Around ** 2009 **, //I had to stop worrying about college finally// Around ** 2008 **, //I discovered egging a teacher’s house was a bad idea// Around ** 1999 **, //I found Star Wars, what else must be said?// Around ** 2006 **, //I found out running away from cops and into a fence hurt// Around ** 1997 **, //I fell in love with all women// Around ** 2010 **, //I’m just getting started//

// Reflection // The idea for this poem was pretty simple. Talk about my life and some of the major events and funny things that I can remember. I picked specific things to show my sense of humor and show my interests. From this poem you can really tell what kind of kid I was and what kind of adult I am as well. The best part to me was the very end because that is how I feel. This has been a short chapter in my life and I have a long life ahead of me. I learned a little bit about myself as I wrote this poem. I learned that I could still write poetry which had been something I had not done in a long time. Also I learned my writing style. I found that for me it is easier to write with a funny sense of humor than trying to be plain and sometimes sad. The final thing that this poem gave me is a flashback of my life so far. It was fun to think about times when I was smaller and how much easier things were then. This is life though and I know as well as anybody else that it goes on and you make the best of it.

AP Government President Obama’s Afghanistan War speech Keeton Ritter

President Obama’s most recent speech about the war in Afghanistan left many people confused. Many critics have bashed and accused Obama of lies and not fulfilling his campaign promises. In some cases he has not met those but he is only one year into his presidency so I strongly agree with his war policies. Before anything can get better it will take more power in Afghanistan to fix any problems. The country as Obama said is taking one step forward and two steps back. It will now take the work of our armed forces to change this with show of force in a nation that does show the will to change after the elections held in the country. It seems like the impossible but every country has its times where they suffer. Our country has even had times where we have been to the breaking point. The American public responded wearily of President Obama’s speech. Many supported it but at the same time many are wondering if any promise he made will be fulfilled. In argument against this, I think time is needed. A president cannot work miracles in less than one year in office. He has three more years to fulfill his promises and as we know from history, presidents cannot meet all their promises. And I myself pity the presidents who come into office during wartime. It is in all reality not fair but neither is life. He will make the best of the situation that he possibly can make out of it. President Obama’s reasons for more troops are to secure the nation’s government and to destroy all terrorist organizations within the country. It is not an easy task to finish and in order to finish it; he will indeed need a troop surge. It will prove to the country and the world that we are not prepared to abandon a nation in need. Iraq was an economical war but in all reality Afghanistan has little to offer us but if we lose hold of it, we lose our grip on the Middle East which will result in the same type of situation pre 9/11. Only this time it would be worse. Not only would groups like the Taliban and Al Qaida rise back to power but who knows what other power hungry leaders would step up and create more organizations such as those. With nuclear weapons now being able to be reached more easily, it would be a matter of time before they fell into the hands of a radical group and who knows what they would do with it or in all reality, we know too well what they would do with it. Once we lose control in the Middle East, countries like North Korea will no longer feel threatened by our presence in South Korea of only 28,000 troops. The military leaders even state that to lose the Middle East would prove devastating to our small efforts in South Korea. Even though it seems that with such a distance between the two is of no concern, to pull out of a nation would show weakness in all reality. This in turn gives other countries like a very questionable nation such as North Korea ideas of war. Also Iran is a major problem. With the recent situations with them diplomatically, they would be more than happy to once again assume influence over the middle eat. This not only devastates us economically with loss of oil but strengthens the will of another country to race against us to become more powerful. In this situation we must show force and do whatever it takes to suppress any radical groups that would not only damage their own country, but in all reality, bring the horrors of the war front to the very streets of the United States. Overall I agree with all the views of Obama. Yes he has not met all his promises and has actually gone the opposite direction in some but we must do what is necessary in order to protect the United States. A promise to pull troops out verse an order to protect the citizens of our nation is an easy decision. On any occasion a president would take the course to save lives even if it meant sacrificing some before the issue is settled. There are many points that you can look at the overall situation from. A military commander, a politician and even the view point of our enemies are all situations to which you can view this from. It is not an easy situation and either way President Obama will be criticized for his actions. Some will support him but criticism is always heard above support for a cause. None the less, I strongly agree with President Obama’s actions and believe his policies after time will successfully change Afghanistan and not only make the country more stable, but also protect the national security of the United Sates and prevent future problems which would only require more troops than now to settle the issue.

Bravery By Keeton Ritter

Bravery makes heroes. He is shyer these days than he ever used to be. But when he decides to make an appearance, it can be described as jaw dropping. He is usually labeled to leaders who cause catastrophic loss but he has no choice. He is what leads every firefighter into a burning building to a captain leading soldiers in the dessert. Bravery misses the old days and is friends with very few. As times change he is called upon less and less. But the few he is comfortable with, he makes sure they are never forgotten. You can find him in foreign lands or in your everyday average person, who’s life is about to change. He is in everyone. And he will guide you when he finds the time right.

Reflection This was a piece that I wrote for english 12 towards the beginning of the year. We had to put bravery into a human form and give the word characteristics that are usually associated with people.

Book Review Keeton Ritter

The Last Full Measure by Jeff Shaara is a very interesting book. It is unlike any style of writing that you are use to due to the fact that in this novel, you connect to the multiple characters that there are and you feel their emotions as well. In the Last Full Measure, you find this sense of pride when you read of the battles and the history behind it. When you read about the generals sitting around a campfire, you feel as if you are there. You feel as if you are planning something that will be important. The Last full Measure starts out in a very depressive mood. The Army of the Potomac had just given a decisive defeat to the Army of Northern Virginia under the command of Robert E. Lee. It is the first time in almost a year that Lee had been defeated and with this defeat, he had lost 28,000 men. As the Union begins the pursuit of Lee, Washington hounds the Union commander, General George Meade, to crush Lee's army once and for all. Lee knows this is the plan so he finds a way back into Virginia to avoid destruction of his army. Lee knows this move may have cost him the war but he does not want to give up. If not for President Davis or the Confederate Cause, at least for his army that looked to him as a father, a leader, and a god. As time goes by the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia finds itself in a giant chess match with the Union Army. Not only was the Army of the Potomac growing as Lee's army was shrinking, but a new commander was in the Union camp. This was no ordinary commander. This was Ulysses S. Grant. This was the victor of the western front who had destroyed the Cause in the west and destroyed a large economic haven to the Confederacy. All that lasted now was the Army of Northern Virginia and small attachments all the way down to the tip of Florida. General Lee also had another problem. He is running out of commanders at a fast pace. He knew quite well that he had very few options to pick from to replace some of the old commanders who had led this veteran army to victory time and time again. As time progresses the battle grows nearer. Grant prepares his forces for battle to destroy Lee and his so called invincible army. Grant is not like the other commanders. He does not go for strategic points. He understands that the way to win a war is to destroy the enemy and Robert E. Lee is his enemy. Grant begins to march his army south into deep Virginia. Into the Wilderness. He marches the army on Pike Road. 150,000 men ready to fight Lee. Lee marches his army north to stop the advance. It is now or nothing. This will be the deciding battle. As the Union column comes around a corner, the men hear the rebel yell. Flags unfurl and the order is given, Charge!

Reflection This was a review written in my english 12 class towards the very end of the year. I liked the detail put into it because it makes you feel as if you are in the battle itself marching towards the enemy with the troops.

Gettysburg Keeton Ritter

It’s been years since I have been to the place that I love. It is not like any other monument or great structure in our nation. The meaning is more sincere and the stories behind it rare. It is a place I respect for the men who gave up their lives for what they believed in. This place is Gettysburg National Battlefield Park. As the fog drifted on the fields in the early morning, I got an eerie feeling. The fields seemed so calm and you would not have been able to tell that the deadliest battle of the Civil War had been fought here. You had the feeling as if through the fog, you were being watched. It was almost like the fog represented the men who had lost their lives their. The park was massive if you walked it but small if you knew where to go. Mainly flat fields but there were two hills at the edge of the park which you already knew were beautiful and horrible at the same time. The weather never seemed to be bad. As if a divine power had already given this land beautiful weather since it had been through the closest thing to hell on earth. Throughout the streets you could see the effects of war from over 150 years ago. The side of homes with bullet holes in them. Musket balls and rifle shot. In a few places you could see where a cannon ball had rudely intruded in someone’s house. As you walked into the fields you imagined the battle. Commanders lining up the regiments, preparing for the charge into a thousand men waiting to take their shot. The fields rolled on and the battle in your mind could only get worse. The monuments told the story alone. As you walked the fields, you wonder who had stood there at the battle or who had fallen. If you know anything about the battlefield, you know many of the men were buried in the spot that they fell. So the question was, how many graves have I disrespected in this two mile walk? As you reach the top of the hills, the replay of events becomes almost reality. All the way at the southern end of the filed you read the story on the monument. This was the worst spot. One regiment of men had lost two in every three men to defend the Union right. The battle was hot and unbearable. After the walk up their on a mid summer day, I could see why. When I reach the center of the battle, the feeling is proud but sorrowful. To know that in this battle, over 10,000 men gave up their lives and 40,000 more wounded all to protect what they believed was right, made me very proud to be an American. Brothers and cousins, fathers and sons fell on this field only to make this their final resting place. The fields of Gettysburg are more memorable to me than any theme park or movie. It is respect for the men who gave their lives that make Gettysburg such an amazing place. It is an amazing place because it was the last of its kind.

Reflection This was actually one of my favorite pieces writtin in creative writing this year. I have always loved Gettysburg so writing about it was not hard at all. The terrain is easy to explain and after being their so many times, you just begin to feel at home every time you go back.

**// An Epic Tale //**

// Here is a tale of a tiny dog // // Not alive but from a hog // // It invades the city, night and day // // For everyone else, you can’t get away //

// You see the results in a day or two // // So if you want to lose weight, here is your cue // // As it roams the streets of New York // // The people begin to crave some pork //

// As the months go by, the people grow fatter // // The officials want to know what is the matter // // The cops grow fat and the crime starts // // This is probably causing some stress on the poor old heart //

// The hot dog sellers are now the dealers // // The mayor calls them the city killers // // In the good old days all this was legal // // All they say now is “Don’t eat that, it’s illegal” //

// So as the pork invades from coast to coast // // The Europeans laugh at us, and say we are toast // // Everyone in the U.S is fat and extra chubby // // Don’t forget extra flubby //

// Some think this is impossible and crazy // // The cause is simply being lazy // // But you know what, this was all a lie // // I just wanted to get the image in your head. Goodbye //

// Reflection // This poem was just for fun. I let my imagination go wild on this one and sure enough it worked out pretty well. When I received the picture of the hot dog stand I knew right away I wanted to make it a story. It was pretty fun creating it and telling this crazy story through a poem. In this class this was probably one of my favorite poems due to the fact that it came with such ease and I can make it anything that I wanted it to be. I chose to write it this way because I knew this was my style. I enjoy making people laugh without me having to be stupid to get the laughs. This was an AABB poem style and it made this a little easier for me to work with. The poem itself turned out great and I was extremely pleased with the result of it. I probably could of gone on and on with this poem but I didn’t want to spend all day trying to read it.

Courage Not giving ground Fighting for ones who can’t Always doing what is correct Honor

Coward Always hiding Not to be remembered Asking all for help but none to give Who cares?

// Reflection //

This poem was not easy. There were supposed to be three of these but I found it very difficult to even do one. With my style of writing, this poem simply would not go with it. My ideas were simple ideas but they were not easy to write about. They are very deep subjects as well. In this form I made them human like saying what they do instead of describing the word itself. I learned that this poem was very difficult. I usually don’t give up at things but this was definitely one of those things that caught me off guard. Out of all the poems this was my least favorite. It was mainly for the reason that I could just not pull anything together on this. The biggest thing I learned was that sometimes you have to change your writing style to make certain things work.

**// A Place //****// to Remember //**

Pulling up in the beautiful pavement oasis Walking into my palace of Frickers

Greeted by the waitress as if I was a king Being led to sit on my ever so smooth high top

I order like it is my profession I sit and talk and wait for my feast

The wait is as time is standing still Only my hunger grows

Then I see it like the sun rising to the east The sweet aroma hits me like Brock Lesnar hitting Frank Mir

It is truly moving and my mouth waters The wings arrive and it’s as sincere as a wife waiting for a lover to return from war

I look at the wings like they have been gone all my life I take a deep breath

I pick up the first and drop it like it’s hot Since it is…

I attempt to pick it up again I achieve this epic battle and feel like a true man

I take the first bite and savor the taste It is amazing and the chicken wing is so alive with taste

20 wings later the good fight is over I have won but it was at a cost

The day ends and my wings are gone like dust in the wind Just one more week and I’ll be back again

// Reflection //

This was another favorite of mine. I love Frickers and it is by far my favorite place to eat at. It is one of my laws that I must write about Frickers at least once every school year. I knew that I could make this poem pretty symbolic and give a few good laughs. Besides that I just felt confident about it. The writing styles that I used for this poem was similes and metaphors. It proved to be much easier than I thought. Writing on something that you love always is. The thing I learned from this poem is that connecting with a real thing in your life is easier to write about whether that be a feeling or a thing. I really enjoyed writing this poem and I’m glad that we had the chance to write a few in this style.


 * __ Which is friendlier, a point or a line? __**


 * A line seems flat **
 * Boring yet necessary **
 * A point is small but creates the line **
 * A point is just another part in life **


 * Don’t cross that line **
 * That will put a dander on your day **
 * I have a point **
 * That will allow you to be heard **


 * A line is a boundary **
 * Concealing what you truly posses **
 * A point is easy to go around **
 * Not holding you back **


 * But the line on paper is our guide **
 * For some, allows them to vent and not hide **
 * The point is now the blockade **
 * Not allowing us to go any further **


 * Which is friendlier, a point or a line? **
 * They are both friendly in many ways **
 * To me they have been equally kind **
 * Without either, point or line, this class would not be in Edgewood High **

// Reflection //

This poem was very unique. You had to compare a thing that we use everyday without really knowing it. It seems weird but it made you think. It challenged me in many ways since both things were not of characteristic traits but we had to give them those traits. We brought them to life really. The poem was definitely unique in many ways. To compare the two I had to think of what a point and a line represent in life and on paper. This was where I formed my poem. I made clear the positives and negatives of each and it turned out pretty good. I liked this poem because it was more serious and more of a challenge.

He was on a journey to see the man To get bad food and slap some money in his hand He didn’t know that this food was bad But by this point he was a fluffy lad
 * // I’m not fat, I’m just fluffy //**

He eats them one, two, three and four Still dissatisfied wanting more He can care less about the way he looks All that matters is the way they are cooked

He applies his mustard to the bun To him this is some crazy fun As time goes by he is no longer fluffy They all say that he is extremely chubby

He knows he does not have many fans But he now controls the city with the grasp of his hands He deals on the streets night and day So if you want a hot dog you better pay After months he rose to fame Nobody now will call him lame But one day the cops wanted some pork So they found this poor man and held him by fork

He was not scared since he had his fluff He understood that the cops had it tough So he gave them the dogs but made them swear As long as we was dealing dogs, they would stay out of his hair

// Reflection //

This was another favorite of mine due to the humor and story of the poem. I love how it tells a story and it is amazing how these random but funny things come to me so fast. This was not a difficult poem at all and it being of my choice for the most part, made it that much easier and enjoyable. The poem form was AABB and that made this so much easier. As said before that is my favorite poetic writing style. This is because of the humor you can put into a poem just from the funny rhyming words. This was a very fun poem and a funny one at that.


 * Creative Writing **
 * Keeton Ritter **

You know I am now constantly confused This song is making me feel all used This song continues confusing me more Maybe it’s the letter, such a bore

All I’m hearing is Bumble Bee in chains I hear yellow yelling trying to get into my brain Yet yellow is so nice you would think I wish yellow would stop yelling so right now it stinks

So far I know how Hell feels and to tell the truth it’s pretty rough My mind is blown but this song is not too tough Makes me hear better and clearer so how bad can this be? This drove me insane but maybe I’m finally starting to see

Good God almighty, finally a decent song that I can stand It’s good that I actually like this great band This is still going to take a good while to catch on now But it’s a great band but I still must ask how

Please help me pick better things to say I thought this was fine but in all reality, I’m not okay I have a plan to put to play But the plan I picked, well there is no way

Doesn’t it pay to wait to get an awesome song because now I’m fine It did pay off to dice up all these other lines Doesn’t deciding on a good song make you happy? After all the dicey writing I’m feeling nappy

// Reflection // To be completely honest about this poem, I hated it. It was not an easy thing to write about. The songs were good but it just didn’t click with me that I had to write about these songs in a certain form. It was even harder due to the fact we were pressed for time so we had to have down what we wanted before the next song started. The style of this poem was ABAB which made the whole thing that much more difficult. I am an AABB person and for some odd reason, ABAB does not sound right to me when I read it aloud. The poem itself could have been if I had more time on it but that was not the case. I left it alone and hoped for the best. I didn’t want to see this thing ever again.

My MM is very weird since he has a crazy beard He has a hat and carries a bat but he is not too fat
 * //__ Keeton Ritter __//**
 * //__ My MM __//**

He is a little scary and makes me weary Has and evil grin when he wrinkles his chin

He is so tall he is to the point that he is about to fall My MM is no rapper but he is probably a mobster capper

He has huge mandals (man sandal) they are not sandals ladies He is not nice so I don’t recommend taking his advice

I am not sure but from the looks of him he is not that pure He is pretty tough, rough, and buff

But he has blue eyes and all the ladies can notice when they walk by What can I say? When you’re a Ritter it pays Just because my MM is a little hardy doesn’t mean he is not ready to party I’m sure he wont be horrible but to a girl probably adorable

But don’t take my word on everything you have heard He is not too bad since he is a Ritter lad



// Reflection //

This was also a very enjoyable poem. I got a kick out of making my own M&M and getting to customize him to look somewhat like me. The poem was fun as well because we had the option to do any type of poem and I went with my traditional AABB and once again it turned out very good from what I saw of it. The style was AABB and this made it funny. This seems to be my strongest style of writing in the poetic forms and AABB helps a lot. It allows me to be funnier and bring more life to a poem. To me this was a very easy poem to construct. On top of that it was enjoyable due to how funny it was.


 * Creative Writing **
 * Keeton Ritter **

Crackle! The bone of the wing had an amazing taste Soaked with flavor of the chicken I ate the wing with amazing haste Thos chicken was the right one for the picking

Bing! Went the doorbell I jumped up to look It sort of looks like a seashell It was just a book

Pop! Went the door opening up quick No one was there, just a picture for me to pick up I guess they thought they were slick I see this tiny pup

Rip! It bites a whole in my pants Taking me down with his claw Finding out the pup’s name Lance I pick him up and take him to the mall Whiz! The cars go past Lance is happy in his seat The car is going fast I think Lance wants a piece of meat

Buzz goes the telephone It was just a dream I wake up and see no one It wasn’t what it seemed

// Reflection //

I really didn’t know what to think about this poem. At times it was fun and at times it was just more like a job. It made me a little mad because I put hard work into many of the other poems and tried to keep them on track but at the same time I didn’t know if I would get that in return. Sure enough I did not. The writing style was very weird. We would pick a word and go off of that which was the cool part. The bad part was the word did not always match the mood of the story so I can see why this was hard for some including myself at times. I didn’t like the poem overall because it went away from what I wanted it to be. It started about chicken wings and ended in who knows what. It was very frustrating.

Four years ago my house was like shattered glass Not a moment of peace and a full time war The battle was not typical parent fighting It was between me and a monster stepfather
 * // Keeton Ritter //**
 * // My House //**

One day everything erupted and all peace was gone The battle roared over the broken house The fists flew and the words whipped the hallways All of a sudden it was over and the next day only I was left

Today my house is a true bachelor’s pad My Dad and me against the world Bachelors one and two trying to date new girls every week Sounds bad but its fun to live in what I call a man pad

The times are good but shortening with haste I cherish every moment like it is my last If it was not for my new house I would not be whole But college is near and a new house begins

// Reflection //

This was a very emotional poem and humorous at the same time. I lived with my mom for about four years after my parents divorce. It was not easy because my mom got remarried when I was in the 8th grade. My stepdad and I did not get along. We tried but he was very abusive emotionally. After time I wanted to live with my dad and my stepdad told me I couldn’t. I laughed at that and that was when all the trouble began. The yelling became worse and worse. I worked out everyday until the beginning of my sophomore year in high school. I knew what would eventually happen. As he saw me grow he saw me become more of a threat and one day the emotional abuse simply became all around abuse. I stood my ground and as the poem says the fists went flying. When it was over I was left standing and I told him to leave. After that I saw him once and that was it. Now I live with my dad and that is where the fun is described in my poem. I enjoyed this poem because it reflected on a big part of my life that went from bad to good. I find it easy to write about since I know the truth and remember everything to this day. The parts with my dad make me happy because it is just two guys trying to have fun and live life to the fullest.


 * // Overall //**
 * // Keeton Ritter //**

Overall poetry is pretty cool If you can’t do this you must be a fool Some were easy and some were tough Personally one or two were pretty rough

But I liked it overall I think most of this has been a ball Nothing was too sad And nothing made me feel that bad

Most of it was funny and made me smile I’m glad I saved all of these is my creative writing file I wrote about my Frickers As well as the funny detailed kickers

I wrote about places where I felt lost And a few things that hit me with a cost Their were times where I wanted to yell But when I wrote about Frickers you could almost taste the sweet smell

Overall I feel good about this paper You never know but I might break these poems out later So overall I don’t think these poems stink If you read these tell me what **__you__** think

Reflection This was the ending pice to my poetry scrapbook. It was a lite humor poem and was really just a fast peice together so I could wrap up the collection of writings. But to my suprise it was not that bad of a poem.