The Ink Blot April 2010

Duxbury High School's Literary Magazine

1 The Ink Blot Crew

Editor-in-Chief Sarah S.

Assistant Editors-in-Chief Chris K., Meghan N. Erin N.

Fearless Leader Ms. Baynes

Staff Dianna C., Ryan C., Brendan D., Katie F., Emilie G., Dylan K., Michaela L., Christian S., Katherine V., Alex Z.

2 Contents

RESPONSIBILITY AND LETTING GO, Dylan K...... 4 FRESHMAN YEAR, Stephanie Nicole M...... 5 FAME, GLORY, AND EXTRA CREDIT, Drew L...... 6 WINTER WINDS, Anna L...... 7 DIFFERENT, Anonymous...... 7 WHY THE CROWS CAW, Brianna L...... 8 A WITCH’S LAMENT, Kevin McM...... 9 CLEANING IS DANGEROUS!, Katherine V...... 10 AS IT IS, Chris K...... 10 NO EXPLANATION REQUIRED, Dylan K...... 10 MYSELF, Maddy C...... 11 PERFECT MOMENTS, Dylan K...... 11 CLASS, Joseph K...... 13 CAN’T TRUST A RIP TIDE, Samantha S...... 14 JOY, Madeline F...... 15 LOST, Maddie L...... 16 SIX WORD STORIES...... 17 HOME, Maddie S...... 18 POP-POP, Steven K...... 18 ANOTHER DOWNFALL, Erin N...... 19 HORROR FILMS, Anonymous...... 20 THE TRUTH BEHIND THE EYES, Caitlin D...... 21 “YOUTH IS A BLOSSOM”, Kara O’L...... 22

All illustrations from http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/clipart except as indicated.

The Ink Blot welcomes submissions from all Duxbury High School students. Please send your poems, stories, photos, scanned drawings to the following address: [email protected]

See us on the web at http://www.duxbury.k12.ma.us/dhs/inkblot.html

3 Responsibility and Letting Go Dylan K.

Standing here, among the trees, tireless father of the leaves Reminds me of a story that brings a twinkling to my eye. You see, I once knew a blossoming boy (might his name have been Roy?) With a devil-may-care look only I could perceive as a lie. A young man who’s only known response was “why?”

“Why should I care if my coat has a tear, So what if I only own one? I may be in a jam, but I don’t give a damn, That I still wander from home to home.”

His folks told him, “Work hard! Against sloth you must guard, To continue the family name.” But pressured from all sides, young Roy had to confide, That to him it was all just a game.

“You see,” he’d try to confess, that he couldn’t care less, “There’s no reason to push the ‘family’ ahead. Don’t you see, you poor fools, you useless filial ghouls, (www.doverpublivations.com) That by the time that’s achieved, you’ll be dead!”

But Roy found it no use, to try and shake loose His clan’s deep-rooted ancient ways. So one day he took off, to their outrage a scoff, “And to heck with my school books, if you may!”

4 Five years gone and we find, our hero in another bind. To himself he began to expound. “How do I conspire to add fuel to this human fire?” When he heard a soft voice near the ground.

Just a few feet away, on a park bench he lay, A small boy asking for just a lone penny. A young busker he was, taking advantage of the buzz Of the crowd to make some quick money.

Now a thought crossed Roy’s brain, though it was rightly insane, For he could barely keep his cupboards half empty. “But what if today, I went out of my way And just once let ambitiousness tempt me?”

It’s been a long time I’ve been able to convince The truth of this tale to my peers. But when I think of the child on which our young hero smiled I think of a man wise beyond his years. Freshman Year Stephanie Nicole M.

First day nerves. And walk. Who’s in my class? smile. What do I wear? wave. I need new clothes, laugh. New hair, New everything! Will I make it To my next class What will everyone think? in time? Will I make the team? Will I fail? Just get through The first day Breathe. Of Freshman Year. Just breathe.

5 FAME, GLORY, AND EXTRA CREDIT

Drew L. Mrs. Smitt assigned the dreaded extra credit, Most said, “Pssh!” and others said forget it. I said, “Indeed.” with a confident smirk, Then the rest of the class yelled out, “What a jerk!” I arrogantly thought, “Let them jest,” Because I knew I was the best. Fame, Glory, and extra credit, I knew I was going to get it. The next day I turned in my paper beautiful and neat, Then I coolly sat down in my seat. I winked at the girl next to me, feeling bold. But she turned away. Man! That was cold! Quick as a whip, the teacher passed the extra credit back, I knew the beautiful work would be put in a plaque, I puffed out my chest and felt full of pride. When I looked at the paper I nearly died. “F!” she had written, and I sobbed with no honor. The girl next to me laughed and said, “What a goner!” Why am I always so un-academic? How could she not like my topic: “Runny Nosed Children: Epidemic?” I sat and I glared at that mean Mrs. Smitt! No Fame, nor Glory, nor any Extra Credit.

6 Winter Winds

Anna L.

Winter winds whistle through the trees, Making pine cones take flight, gliding Through the woods, magically finding Their way to my bedroom window.

Winter winds blow snowflakes high Above my head, until they gently Float down, anticipating The impact; they rest on my hat.

Winter winds pick up the dust-like Snow sitting on the solid lake, Spraying the children who skate With crystals of ice.

Winter winds motivate a snowman’s Scarf to ripple like currents in The river, his flimsy arm carries away With the wind, as though he’s waving goodbye. (Arthur Rackham; www.doverpublications.com)

Different Anonymous

Everyone is different. Is being different bad? Some might say so Others might say: "Hey, no way." I think people shouldn't judge because they should know, That in the long run, It’s who you are that matters. And not even that, It’s the person you are. When things get tough, When people are mean, When they laugh at you for being . . .you, When you can't help it, Know that they're just afraid, Because you’re not afraid to be yourself. Because you know that when you’re okay with yourself You don't have to bring other people down. (www.doverpublications.com)

7 Why the Crows Caw Brianna L.

Long ago in the ancient city of Alver, the prosperous workers would often suffer. After working their land and growing crops for months on end, the two rivers that surround the city would flood unexpectedly. No one knew why these rivers flooded or could predict when they would. However, each time they did the outcome was disastrous to the city. Not only would these massive floods drown thousands of citizens, all of the crops would be ruined. Those who survived the floods would soon die because there was little food to go around. Famine and poverty often threatened the lives of many families. By the time Alver was cleaned and restored to his previous beauty, nearly half of the population would be gone. In just three years the population was reduced by half a million people. Although most people died, some people moved for the safety of their families. Concerned, the city officials brought this to the attention of the Prince. Prince Arthur of Alver was the most respected, wise and divine Prince one could hope to meet. He personally had witnessed several of these floods before. Although he sought to find a resolution for this problem, he did not take much interest in the floods until his only beloved son became victim to it. Devastated, Prince Arthur took action. He ordered all of his subjects to think of inventions or ways to ensure that the random floods would no longer harm the city or the people in it. The Prince stated that the person that created the best idea would be rewarded with all the riches one could ever want. Several ideas were created and tried but none were efficient. Finally, one brave, magical man named Nahia came up with a solution. Nahia proposed to dig an enormous moat that surrounded all of the city’s land. He stated that if the rivers flooded, the water from the rivers would get trapped in the moat. In addition, he said that the city could use this water for everyday use instead of having to travel down to the rivers. The Prince agreed to test his idea and hired hundreds of workers at the city’s cost. The digging of the moat took about two years to complete, during which only one flood came in. However, when the moat was finished, and another flood happened, the moat did not work. Instead of trapping the water, the water ricochet off the sides of the moat and into the city, causing even more damage. Furious, the Prince exiled Nahia to empty land by the distrustful rivers. For a year Nahia studied the rivers religiously. He learned all about their ways and the creatures that inhabited them. He particularly took interest in the crows that lived there. A day or two before a flood would happen, the crows would leave the river, only to come back after the damage was cleaned. After months of observing the floods, Nahia found the answer to why the rivers flooded. After a great rain, the basin of the river would overflow, resulting in a large pressure of water that had nowhere to go except out onto the land. The brilliant Nahia created and built a dam that would reduce the number of floods that would occur. All he needed was constant supervision of the dam so that if the dam broke or it rained too much then the people would know to come and drain the river. However, since no human would ever be willing to do this, he used his special powers on the crow. The crow was given the ability to caw loudly in addition to being able to sense dangers in nature. Nahia proudly went back and explained his observations to his people. He was gladly welcomed back into Alver by all and was recognized for his genius. From that day on the caw of the crow notified the people of oncoming natural disasters. With this system, Alver had no more floods and was restored to its previous beauty and population. From that day on, the Alverians believed that every time a crow caws caution should be taken because a natural disaster is nearby.

8 (Arthur Rackham; www.doverpublications.com)

A Witch’s Lament Kevin McM.

Into the darkness, high I fly Around my playground, the sky. Back to the labyrinth, in which I stay, In the woods hidden far, far away Into a cauldron I drop my loot Tongue of Snake, Eye of Newt. Making a concoction of such power, A sip means death within the hour. Though I have power of the highest degree, I live my lonely life in misery.

9 Cleaning is Dangerous! Katherine V.

“And be careful,” Mother said, as I Turned on the little Vacuum cleaner.

I started cleaning the stairs when My little sister walked over. She knelt down and watched me clean. “Isn’t there something you have to Do?” I asked.

I looked away from the vacuum cleaner, then back to my Sister as I heard her scream. Her hair was in the vacuum cleaner! I ran to mother. She looked at me and sighed, “Again?” No Explanation Required Dylan K.

Being a vegetarian Is the most hardcore thing In the history of culinary philosophies.

As it Is Chris K.

I would be a vegetarian If I could eat Bacon Cheeseburgers. If not, then forget it.

10 MYSELF

Maddy C.

Who needs a hero? I can catch myself when I fall.

Who needs a Romeo? I can hold the door for myself.

I don’t need anyone to tell me I’m pretty. I don’t need anyone to cheer for me.

But wouldn’t it be nice?

(www.doverpublications.com)

Perfect Moments: To be Taken with a Pinch of Salt Dylan K.

“Crikey!” I thought to myself. “What the blazes was I thinking when I decided to come here?” I am not someone whom you would probably call a social butterfly; my conversational prowess can be equated to that of a tributary of a river: starting off too excited and powerful for my own good, than petering off into a trickling stream of an incomplete sentence, hoping that no one heard me in the first place. Well, I suppose that’s unfair, I am a major player in my not inconsequential group of friends, but anyone who pays any attention to one of our rendezvous will notice how easily I and my ideas are pushed aside by more opportunistic personalities, hence my use of such a generic term as “major player.” My closest friend is probably Elvis Presley or Chuck Berry, or, depending on what mood I’m in, Bob Dylan, and I don’t mean to say that I have no real friends; what I mean is that none of my actual friends are nearly as eloquent at putting emotions into a form that I can digest and relate to. But anyway, enough with the preamble; let’s get to the good stuff. The reason I was so distressed at the time when the above exclamation took place is that I had just found myself in a very uncomfortable situation that was becoming worse and worse by the second. I was at a

11 small party hosted by my school’s Student Council, and, if nothing else, it was fascinating to see that my pessimistically low assumptions for what the council actually did were in fact rather bold and naïve. However my real reason for coming was that there was a girl there whom I very much liked, and had yet to talk to her openly about my feelings. This seemed like the perfect opportunity, as not only would we both be there, but, although everyone was welcome to this get-together (a more accurate term than “party”), hardly anyone ever went, and this would show that I really wanted to see her. Now as you may have already guessed, my successes with women are less than boast- worthy. Despite a few minor triumphs I had at the reception after some of my uncle’s many weddings, I have never really had a serious girlfriend - in the high school sense of the term at least. And then along came this girl. In the lunches that I shared with her, we exchanged more tidbits of personal information than I believe I ever had with someone in such a short time, and even I could tell that she obviously liked me. All I needed was a situation exactly like this one where we would both have enough time to relax and get beyond get-to-know-you chit-chat. The problem was that my nerve for tolerating annoying b.s. was taking more of a beating than it could handle. Most girls when in groups would have Mother Teresa pulling her hair out; when alone they are barely tolerable. I mean, even when they touch subjects that I find even remotely interesting, their ever increasing crescendo of white noise will not let me get a word in edge-wise. Now, at the Student Council event, I kept trying to convince myself that this girl wasn’t as bad as the others, as she more than once got away from them so we could share a quick word or two or a trip to the punch bowl. But I’ll be damned if she didn’t go right back (www.doverpublications.com) to that little circle of harpies with more enthusiasm each time. The one thing I picked up on the most was this horribly annoying laugh she had, which sounded like an epic battle being fought by hyenas and monkeys. “So I suppose it was good that I held my breath so long before taking the plunge,” I thought to myself, “Yup, bullet dodged.” Still, I realized it would be rude to just leave; plus, my calc. homework was calling ominously from my bag. So, I decided I would stay the duration of this venture, which seemed to be winding down anyway. As we were both waiting for our respective rides to arrive, I decided to again flex my politeness muscle. “Glad to see the immeasurable importance of our student government at work,” I said, wincing inwardly at my inadvertent bluntness. “Oh yeah…” she said laughing. “I think our greatest achievement is in how much we’ve convinced the rest of the school that we actually have a say in administrative decisions.”

12 “Sorta like government in general, huh?” I said, also laughing. It was while we exchanged this rather mindless banter that I began to think to myself, “You know when was the last time you made a complete fool out of yourself, and gotten a little pissed at people who couldn’t let that go?” As I thought about this, she pulled her hair back to get it out of her face, and I was struck by how remarkably beautiful she actually was. As she was talking, I leaned in and kissed her, gently but slowly, to give her time to respond, which she did rather impressively. Afterward she smiled and hiccuped that horrible little laugh of hers. And I thought it sounded lovely.

Class Joseph K.

White board, blue bird In this classroom. Mark Twain, Robert Frost. I tried to read them but I got lost. Emily Dickenson, Carl Sandburg, The Titanic hit an ice berg. Cummings, Robinson, This is no fun. The Human Comedy vocabulary. Where is the sun? Now I must write a phrase, I am just having one of those days.

13 Can’t Trust a Rip Tide

Samantha S.

If you’re the little seashore The ocean is your love. We know the little seashore Spent all her summer days, And gorgeous summer nights, Looking, longing, loving At the light translucent tide. But you know you can’t trust a rip tide, Can’t resist his constant pull. The more violent, pushing, angry Meets your maximum of love. Can’t take it any longer, Let the bad one pull you under. Cold water slaps your sense, When you realize all you loved Was in the seemingly pretty face Since the innocent little seashore Is always his embrace.

(www.doverpublications.com)

14 Joy

Madeline F.

Some see life as nothing more than a play, With false faces and scripted events. Some see life as an infernal oppressive thing. They wait for time to pass, And lead us to what we call "death," So that they may be passed on to whatever waits On the other sides.

This description of life would leave some livid Some say it is the apathy of these poor souls That drives them only to see the negative. The optimists take refuge in the joys of life They expel all doubts that life is magnificent.

Me, I see life as something we are blessed with. An endless joy. A gift that can never be re- wrapped. And given to someone else.

Soon, as we all inch closer to the end, All thought that life is worthless Is terminated from our minds, As our loved ones gather at our beds, (www.doverpublications.com) And we see smiling faces about us once more, Before we slip into the arms of the angels.

15 Lost

Maddie L.

I can’t honestly tell you that it’s all been in vain, I mean, after all, if I’ve got you, what else is there to gain? But to me still it feels wrong, it’s all far too cliché. Is this really what I want, this false, sweet soirée? For me it’s far too typical, this ‘perfect’ little game. I can’t say I like it, and I hope you feel the same. (www.doverpublications.com) I don’t want to be like them, you haven’t got a clue. I just want to live my life, and I don’t need you. Can’t you see this can’t possibly be real? I’m really sorry… I know just how you feel… Please understand, I say this with great strain, I need to find myself before I find you again.

16 Six-Word Stories

For Sale: Broken Heart. Band-aid necessary. (Linsin S.) Beautiful house, but a broken home. (James B.)

Some education. More determination. Much perspiration. (Makai McC.)

Staying here. STOP. Send children. STOP. (Makai McC.)

She is an angel among demons. (Michaela L..) And all that remained was ash. (Robbie J.) Lived a lie; lied in life. (Linsin S.)

And the train passed us by. (Kassie S.)

I'm peacing dude, OK dude, bye dude (Clint B.) She Tries. She Fails. She Succeeds. (Anna L.)

Freedom, liberty, spirit, inspiration. That’s America! (McKenzie T.)

Blue skies, fresh powder, freshly groomed. (Connor C.) Followed the rules; wish I hadn't. (Jeff G.) Duxburians think: Dux Lax! Dux Lax! (Linsin S.)

17 Home Maddie S.

Home is a place of comfort, A place where you feel safe and at ease, The only place where you can truly relax, And eat as much as you please.

But home is more than all that. It’s not just another place. It’s where you belong, Like a instrument to its case.

(Beatrix Potter. www.doverpublications.com )

18 Pop-Pop

Steven K.

This is for my Pop-Pop who would always give. He fought in the war so others could live. And even when he returned back home, His loving heart had always shown, He always had a dutiful and patriotic sense, He helped others with the law for very few pence. And then, even in the face of death, He did exactly what he did best, Was kind to all and cruel to none. I love you Pop-Pop and then some.

Another Downfall

Erin N.

Every Super Bowl Sunday, "The diet" goes down the drain. Fiber's replaced by syrupy sweets, And buffalo wings leave stains On gaudy tablecloths, covered With flashy fake helmets, and plates. And the men's shouts almost smother The crazy young boys' flight As they run wild, fingers sticky With cakes, candies, they're not picky! Tomorrow I will surely be ill.

19 Horror Films Anonymous

As I watch them I get a tingle up my spine. While I’m sitting I’m afraid to get up. I know by the end there will be a direst decline, But until then all I see is a suffering wolf pup. I will never get over the ones I have seen, And I will always be afraid of that zombie queen. From the second it starts I have chills all around. You might be wondering why I own more than twenty. I really don’t hate those feelings and I will never back down. Which is probably the reason why I watch so many.

(www.doverpublications.com)

20 The Truth Behind The Eyes Caitlin D.

The world was created with many different people inhabiting it. All people were created with different eye colors, depending on the previous life the person had lived. There are many different types of past lives that a person could have experienced, along with the rare option of having no past life. A person could have previously lived as an animal, a human being, a plant, an insect, or a sea creature. How a person lived in their past determined the color of their eyes. As a mother polar bear led her cubs on a search for food, the winter storm intensified. The snow was coming down in thick, heavy sheets, which made it impossible to see. The temperature was below freezing and the mother bear had to stop to make a shelter for her cubs. Then the mother left to search for food so that her cubs would not starve. The harsh conditions made finding food for her cubs a great deal harder and longer than usual. By the time the mother bear had returned to the shelter, she found her smallest cub had not survived. The young cub was too small and too weak to endure the bitter weather and lack of food. Though the young cub had passed away its spirit lived on. As a result of its live spirit, the cub was reincarnated as a human with warm brown eyes. Leah, an elderly woman whose health was deteriorating, was no longer able to take care of herself. Day after day, her family did their best to make her comfortable. Leah’s daughter brought soup, bread, and other supplies to her to keep up her strength. Her grandchildren read stories to her and drew pictures for her. Every day family and friends prayed for Leah’s health to return. Although Leah was receiving great care, attention, and love, she could no longer hold on to her strength and she passed away from old age. Leah’s soul was strong, which is how she was reincarnated as a human with hazel eyes. In a little floral shop, there was a beautiful bouquet of roses that had been freshly picked that morning. By that afternoon a young man had purchased the roses and brought them home to his beloved wife. His wife put the roses in a vase on their table to display the pure love and admiration that they withheld. After a few days the flowers slowly wilted, until they were no longer a vibrant red, but a dull brown and had to be thrown away. The great love signified by the roses allowed them to be reincarnated as a human with green eyes. A young girl was walking through a field of flowers and she picked up one flower that was really pretty. The little girl did not know that inside of the flower was a bee. The bee was startled when the flower was picked up and immediately thought that it was in danger. The bee became protective of itself and when the girl brought the flower to her nose to smell it, the bee stung her. The bee lost a lot of its strength from stinging the girl and no longer had a stinger to protect itself. Slowly the bee became weak and could not carry its own weight. Because of the bee’s lack of strength, protection, and ability to move, the bee passed away. The life of the bee was lost, but its essence was not and that essence turned into a human with blue-grey eyes. In the deep waters of the ocean there has always been the game of the predator and the prey. So, when a hungry reef shark came within distance of a yellow snapper, the game began. The reef shark

21 stalked the yellow snapper, but by the time the yellow snapper realized this, and began its frantic swim for safety, it was too late. The reef shark swiftly followed the yellow snapper until it was directly behind the smaller fish. The reef shark caught the yellow snapper and swallowed it, ending the life of the yellow snapper. Nevertheless, the determination of the yellow snapper that remained from before the fish’s death sparked the creation of the life of a human with blue eyes. A baby boy named Eli was born with very pale skin. Once he opened his eyes it was a shock to many to see that they were a beautiful shade of reddish-purple. His unique eyes are not often seen, which is why he surprised so many people. Eli’s eyes were reddish-purple because his spirit was not carried on from a past life. To this day a person’s eye color can be explained by their existence or nonexistence in a previous life. An individual’s eye color is linked to their past life. A person with brown eyes was an animal, like the polar bear cub, in their previous life, whereas a person with hazel eyes was a human being like Leah. The roses explain how humans that previously lived as a plant now have green eyes. The reason behind blue-grey eyes is that the humans were insects before they became a human and the individuals with blue eyes were sea creatures in their previous life. The unique story of Eli explains how a few people have the rare reddish-purple eyes because they did not exist in a past life. These are the reasons why humans have many different colored eyes.

“Youth is a blossom whose fruit is love; happy is he who plucks it after watching it slowly ripen.” The Count of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas

Kara O'L.

Youth is a cherry blossom Growing in the early spring, Youth is the fruit, On the tree of life.

Youth is a bird Arriving as the winter storm fades, Happy is he As he chirps his love song.

Youth is a flower Growing in the long grass, Youth is the child Who plucks it with joy.

Youth is the seed Plant it in good soil, You will witness the changes. After watching it slowly ripen.

22

(www.doverpublications.com)

23