Michigan Winters

Michigan Winters

Augusta Bailey

Michigan my Michigan,

A state of watery bliss

Contains a rabid season,

That not many people miss.

Spring yields tulips and cherries,

Summer beach trips gleam

Fall harvests radiant colors

Winter makes people scream

It starts out nice and quiet

Hushed snow flakes gently fall

People everywhere seem to adore

The first snow of them all

The first snowfall isn’t hideous

It’s welcomed by many people

But soon the snow falls heavier

It’s no longer quiet, and peaceful

Harsh winds gnash at your skin

Bitter cold sears your soul

Ice blankets every surface

Winter takes it’s spirited toll

Roads are paved with ice

The snowbanks pile high

Driving becomes more perilous

As winter drifts whisk by.

You think that it will stop soon

You think that it will blow

But you’ll be sad to realize,

There’ll only be more snow.

Snow plunges rapidly downward

It speeds fast from the skies

Before you know it, it’s everywhere!

You won’t believe your eyes

Winter could begin in October

Or any time after that…

It’s Michigan were talking of,

It’s what mother nature spat.

Winter likes to stop at random

It will seem to stop, but then-

Snow might fall in the mid of April

It mysteriously appears again.

Winter scares the sun away

Clouds reign the upper atmosphere

The lack of sunshine dampens moods

Causing the general lack of cheer.

Even though winter generally sucks,

The harsh, cold air nips chill

Some activities get a chance to shine

Like ice skating or sledding down a hill

The snow may be fun to watch from afar

But after too much time

The cruels of winter suffocate us

Excess snow should be a crime

But winter makes us appreciate

The warm breeze of summertime

Through winter, we are harshly starved of

The golden feel of sunshine

So next time, when you burn in the sun

You complain that it’s too hot

Just think about a Michigan Winter

What a wonderful thought!

The Little Girl in Black

The Little Girl in Black

I once saw, in the stark drafty night, a ghostly face of ancient youth. It was at the precise moment of being lost in time. I saw her for only a moment, although her gaze still haunts me to this day, and it probably will forever.

She stood in the corner. The dark corner was lightly doused by the light of the moon. Her big black eyes looked down at first, then they slowly creeped up at you as if she first noticed you, and stared into your soul. That exact moment, when our gaze locked in the darkness, I felt the rush of evil fill my soul: the evil she lives, sees, and breathes. The connected gaze lasted for not even a second, but it felt like eternity. An eternity of darkness as vast as the deep ocean. She never blinked. Her dress was black with a dirty lace collar. She had a dead rose clutched in her cracked hands that were lined with dry blood. It was only a small blink of time. Her dark hair was falling out of its loose curls, and she wore a headband made of black velvet and peacock feathers. I felt sheer terror at the sight of her. She peered into my soul….she could see everything. I rubbed my eyes. When I looked back to that corner, she was gone. The lightning flashed. I quickly looked to the window and saw the first droplet of rain dance through the air. I saw a shadow move past the last lamp post on the lane. It was the shadow of a little girl. All that remained of this strange encounter was the stale, cold air where she once lurked.

Reasons TO Homeschool

Reasons TO Homeschool

I have had a number of homeschooled friends in my life, and they always answer my stupid questions about their life no matter how rude or inconsiderate they seem. This list style genre work was not meant to offend anyone, rather to celebrate the homeschooled people I know in a satirical style. Homeschooled kids are chill just like everyone else.

1. No Bullying: No socializing with other students means no “mean kid” on the playground. In fact, the “playground” just means your living room or backyard.

2. No tardiness: You can’t possibly be that late to your living room or kitchen or wherever you “have school”. Whatever excuse any student can come up with is irrelevant and highly thought out.

3. No awkward lunchroom situation: You don’t have to worry about fitting in because you won’t be shunned by your school peers for having no friends to sit at lunch with. You can just sit with your mom or aunt or whoever “teaches you”. Or you can sit with your imaginary friends...if you’re into that.

4. Complete supervision: It’s your child, so if they don’t go off to school, you don’t have to worry about what kinds of sketchy friends they will encounter. Don’t worry about the new words your child will learn from the naughty kids! With homeschooling, you can make sure your child will never be alone with a student with colorful language. In fact, you can be sure your child will never come in contact with a student in general! Therefore, you can rest in peace that your child won’t be harmed by the toxins of other people.

5. Exact Education: Does your child suck at math but is extremely advanced (like college level….no more like professor level) at English? No need to worry about class requirements of public institutions! Just focus on whatever you personally value: knitting, Irish dancing, bassoon or piccolo lessons, wood whittling, etc.

6. No Loneliness for the Teacher: If your child is your only source of human interaction, now you have a slave friend companion to keep you company for every minute of every day. You will get to spend extra time with him/her too because not only are you their teacher, but you’re also their mother!

7. Attitude: You can give your child that “I’m homeschooled” swag. This generally increases their confidence and people will get the message that they’re really special, intelligent people.

All in all, it’s up to you to decide whether your kids are going to be attending a public institution or a warm, cozy home learning environment. Learning is essential, and making the right choice is crucial to your child’s future. Homeschooled or public schooled, your child will probably turn out just fine.

The Scariest Moment

“What’s the scariest moment of your life?”

That is a question that never fails to fish up a good conversation starter. For me, it was a night back in February. It was a good enough amount of months after I switched to a new piano teacher. Well, she was a member of “The Greater Muskegon Piano Teachers Association”. Every year, they put on a competition for all of the students of teachers in the association. The first and second place winners receive scholarship money. Anyway, I got “invited” to compete. Knowing me, of course I procrastinated accepting the invite. I thought and thought and just kept waiting some more. Finally, the deadline came. The day of the deadline arrived, and was stalking me at every turn. I call my teacher and accept. She was super excited. Ok….Hopefully I won’t have to see anyone I know. That’ll be embarrassing. I’m just a newbie, everyone’s gonna judge me! At the time, I was in a musical, so I told my director that I would be absent for rehearsal. I loved going to rehearsal, so this was actually quite a big deal. The big day came. A sense of dread washed over me as I walked in and see THREE Spring Lake High School students. I actually considered going back to rehearsal. I was downright terrified. I sat with Amanda and Mackenzie as the recital began. We all were discussing what songs we were playing. And of course, the worst thing that could happen, happens. Mackenzie and I were both playing the same song: Bach’s Invention #13. She is SUPER GOOD at piano. Like, “been playing all her life good”. (This is a good time to note that I wasn’t playing to win, it was just a yolo decision to get practice at my poor performance skills.) The recital begins. My hands shake. My legs shake. My whole body is having tremors. I had to play right after Amanda, who is an amazing pianist. I thought, “WHY AM I EVEN IN THIS ADVANCED DECISION, I’VE ONLY PLAYED FOR A YEAR AND A HALF!?! NOT EVEN!!” I sat there getting more nervous after every performer finished and the applause began. Finally, Amanda went up, my legs shook like a fresh thunder storm, and my hands twitched. She finished playing. OH MY GOSH WHY AM I HERE?! I just wanted more than anything to go back to rehearsal and be my other character instead of myself. She finished playing. The moment of truth began. I had to walk up to the stage. I sat down, all eyes on me, judging the new girl. I start playing. I get stuck on one part in my invention, but I keep going. I don’t even think, my hands just play like a machine. A terrified machine. Then I play my Debussy song. Ok….ALL DONE. I hear the applause as I take my bow. I then fly to my seat quickly. After everyone played, some teacher gave me a chocolate eighth note, so it was a win for me! I’m pretty sure I ate it right there, too. Piano and chocolate make for a lot of excitement, so I called it a day.

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