life line (class project)

Valerie Cohen

9/17/09

Life Line

            Have you ever read between the lines of peoples stories?  The people that influence us can be hidden there or put there for you to notice right away.  My life wouldn’t be complete without this artist.  She is unique and dedicated.

            As you see her you see someone who reaches the sky.  Or is she a star in the sky, shining on me? No one can say she is like a rose because she is a rose.  Beautiful and dangerous with the potential to bloom more everyday until its last day.  The pride she has is shocking.  “Do what you want to do and hold your head up high,” Wendy C. told me.  It was a year for me to remember.

            One cool spring night, we sat and read a book.  I needed a poem for school the next day.  I was so confused; my thoughts were all over the place.  That’s when she pulled out a book.  She decided to read me different poems from The Colors of Life.  “How about ‘Dear Daddy’ by Leah McNamara?  It is a wonderful poem,” she commented.  But I wasn’t so sure.  So I just sat and listened to her recite poetry to me.

“I miss the dinners out with the lobster tails,

The movies and the books,

And the crazy man…”

            It was wonderful but it wasn’t for me.  I could picture any one in my class reading that poem but me.  So we continued with our search.  Reading line by line and trying to find the perfect one.  I wanted to give up.  This had to work out for me.  Finally, she found a poem.  She read it to herself over and over again and then looked at me and said, “This Could be the one. ‘  Regret’ by Eric John Peltz.”  My face had just gotten brighter.  I knew she had found the perfect one for me.  20 was going to be my lucky number that day.

“Ill-Repaired and tether cut,

I drifted with the wind,

Blue eyes the ea that took me there…”

            But I felt disappointed again we hadn’t fond it.  After looking at all 221 pages I really wanted to give up.  The many poems she had read and not one caught my attention enough.  Then she explained to me that I was not finished with the book.  She had skipped a poem.  Little did I know that this was her poem.

            I instantly fell in love with the art.  The other poems had inspired me but this one did much more than that.

            I wrote it down on index cards and I started to memorize it.  But I was so excited I couldn’t think. The butterflies were being chaotic in my stomach.  It was more than just excitement, I was nervous.  I didn’t want to present a poem in class anymore.  Ms. Wendy C. didn’t understand.  Until she asked me to read it to her.  I was afraid of doing that.

            Unfortunately I had stage fright.  No matter how small the audience I always had a problem with it.  I wanted to hold my breath and run way from the crowd.  “Pride and confidence will keep you there.  If you love performing on stage and reading poetry you have to give it a try.  Put your fears aside, do not give up.”

            She gave me the strength I needed to succeed and didn’t think I would fail.  She had the confidence I me that I didn’t have.  And in the end  I was able to present “The Rose Petal” by Wendy C. to all of my classmates.

“The Petal of a rose comes

Running down a waterfall

Letting the water flow

Between the arms of hope.

The Petal of a Rose comes

To life as the

Water caresses the softness of its back

And tickles every sensible spot.

The petals of a roe

Smile up to the sky

I’ll see you again

On my next life

And in the arms of the water

It went to rest forever again”

S- My lifeline (m mother) helping me get over stage fright.

O- It was the night before poem in your pocket day at my middle school.

A- People who may also have stage fright or confidence problem & teacher

P- To inform people of whom my Life line is

S- A young girl who is frightened of being in front of people

Tone-