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Pleasant Memories
Growing Up----------
The days were long and plentiful,
The playground shimmered in
The bright sunlight. My
Friends ran alongside me
As we climbed the tall slide
And slid down. Oh, how
We enjoyed the feeling
Of letting gravity
Pull us down the smooth metal
Of the slide. How we loved
To swing back and forth,
Catching the wind in
Our faces. The days were
Long and plentiful, and
The playground was always
My best friend.
Climbing
--------
I waited patiently. Others
Went before me, and I waited.
Soon, it would be my turn
To challenge the wall. The
Footholds, placed at
Odd locations on the vertical
Surface, provided little to
Anchor your feet to. Suddenly,
I was called. Up to the base
I walked, and looked up. Seventy
Feet of straight, flat wood,
Punctuated every so often by
A handhold. How could I think
I would succeed?
Now, with the ropes tied and
The harness fastened, I cried
The traditional words that
Signalled my readiness. With
The final "Climb On" call, I
Began. Before long, I found
Myself halfway up, and
Tiring quickly. I stopped,
Not daring to look around
Or move. My friend
Holding the rope gave out
A constant series of commands
To further my progress. My
Legs said no, and I let go.
The instant fear of falling
Was instantly replaced
With the relief of support.
They let me slowly down
To the ground. Although
I had not reached the top,
I knew there was still
A challenge to be met.
Sandstone
---------
Lofty beaches full of sand
Lead to the great blue-green
Water. The powerful
Crashing of the waves
Gives a sense of awe to
Anyone who stands at its edge.
Behind the observer
Rises a tall cliff of
Sandstone. The years of salt
Spray contributed to the little
Caves at the base of
The wall. Some of
These caves were large
Enough to crawl into. They
Made nice hiding places.
You could sit there
For hours, watching the
Water, hearing the crashes
Amplified and enhanced
By the curvature of the
Cave walls. Caves these
Were not, but actually
Little recesses. Somewhere
On the calendar of time,
The day those caves will
Disappear is marked
With an X.
Intonations
-----------
Play for hours. Try to
Create something. Stretch
The limits of your
Imagination. The black and
White of the keys hold
More secrets than the most
Intricate of mazes. The
Strings inside possess
More power and more beauty
Just waiting to be let out.
Since I discovered
A love for playing, I
Truly felt at peace. Here
Was a means of expression,
Instrumental in bringing out
My true inner self. Whenever
I would sit and play, I'd
Know it would play with me.
I long since have forsaken
The playground. The
World of music is
My playground now.
- Matt Kellner, Creative Writing Class, 1995