Did the Pen Bleed for a Worthy Cause? (An English 11 exercise in publication)

There were quite a few things that I did for the publication,

And I must say, it's only just begun.

I made a copy for every teacher I know, and with it enclosed a personal thank-you note, so that it's not just all about spreading the poem around.

When I couldn't find the teachers personally, I just left a note on the doorknob.

Unsurprisingly, there were many positive responses to these notes, and I'm sure all of them have read and pondered the words enclosed within.

I also gave away some copies during lunch at Save-On-Foods, mostly by placing them at empty tables, but I'm sure they were appreciated by some people eating lunch there.

After School, once the people had cleared out, and I asked the custodians to keep everything in place...

And behold, this is where the real distribution begins. I mean it when I say "It's only just begun"

Common areas? Check

Student bulletins? Check

at every classroom entrance where it could stay on without tape? Check.

(We don't need to burden the tape anyhow)

...And of course, the obligatory Facebook post, but on a group with my fellow poets in this endeavor. As we can see, there's been quite a lot of attention given to this poem.

So what exactly is the poem in question that I'm making such a big fuss about? Well...

"What Shall the Pen Bleed For Now?"

The pen has bled
Because it is mightier than the sword,
And all the world has raised it up
For wealth and glory.

The pen bleeds now
Because the world turns
with the strokes of ink
Shifting across the page,
Turning inspiration to reality
Mystery to mastery.

The pen shall bleed forevermore
To commit words to eternity
In hopes that the sum of ink and paper
Will defeat the mightiest blade.

What shall the pen bleed for next?
Perchance as an engine of change
Perhaps as an instrument of death
When it writes with the ink of life.

The pen seems feeble before us now
Yet only before one feels the weight
Of the essence-stained paper.

... So, how successful will this have been?

At this rate, I can say without many doubts that I've reached a large proportion of the student population, as well as most of the staff. Maybe even some of the public will have heard about this.

This brings the grand total to around 750 to 800 people, if everything goes well.

Also, this won't be the end of this type of publishing. Hopefully we will have the start of a fruitful enterprise here with all of our poetic talents. It will be great to see more people coming to share their thoughts.

Let's consider this again: Physical or Sedentary?

    It appears that in the modern world people are becoming more detached to the world around them, rather focusing instead on the virtual world in which we all, to some degree or another, have a presence in. This, of course, is somewhat detrimental to society, as people become more isolated from our corporeal reality, where many of us choose not to talk in person or send letters any more. Moreover, this is an inevitable conversion as our mastery of the virtual world increases, people will no longer need to be bound by the world and its conditions.
   This is all just speculation though, because for now, our bodies are still bound to this world, and that is inescapable without giving up our consciousness, which is something nobody wants to do. As I am quite the sedentary person and somewhat of a futurist, I am not surprised that I have mentioned what I have already, given the most exercise I get regularly is walking to and from school. This does not mean that I do not enjoy the physical world, far from it, as a matter of fact. The world is after all, quite the place to be in. I do, however, like my gestures, and do use them quite frequently to augment my words whenever it is needed. Anyhow, I don't really prefer being in physical contact with most people, and I generally choose to keep a cordial distance. Overall, I choose to be relatively still and inactive, but that's just my physical self.
    Eventually, it's not that we will lose our connection with the physical world entirely, it's more likely that we will be unable to distinguish between the real and virtual realities as our technology improves. We are moving towards a distinct juncture in human history, where we can now simulate reality, and bend it according to our wishes. The problem is: Just what will all of this mean when there is no longer a distinction between physical and sedentary? In the mannerisms of people, I guess.

...And another

Poem Number 2 Everyone.

'Tis now a world of black and white
Shadowed bouquets in my sight
Seems first that I don't belong
Yet Here I stand, dark and bright

It hasn't yet now been too long
Since we've last now heard birdsong
Alas 'twas something hither
That's but now all gone

Here we are, let us not wither
For among us eldritch things slither
Isn't it too much to ask from above
Strand us ourselves in this dither

The world's yet not within our glove
Yet all here are within our love
Infinite are what's unknown of
Infinite are what's unknown of.

Something dead, now alive

Finally, New post time! Here goes.....

So much depends
Upon

A mist
dreaming

Amongst us darkness
Here

Of some purity
Still

“A fool and His Money are Soon Parted”

Although we believe we are smarter,

The truth is with what we have spent.

Look out the door, what do you see?

Barrels of money, into the sea.

From those smallest things like wasting

To others that cause us much grief

For rich or poor, we are all the same

We are fools when it’s down to the money.

My Earliest Memory

            The earliest event that I can fully remember was most likely the “extended” my parents and I took to the U.S when I was three. The reason I used quotation marks around the word “extended” was that it lasted an entire year. No kidding. Although my “vacation” was too long to remember all of it, especially since it was 11/12 years ago, there are still some distinct memories that I still hold. I still remember the calm, sleepy university town on the boarder of Alabama and Georgia that we called home, where I could still remember when I accidentally ran into a door and split my head open (no, not as bad as it sounds). Because we were in a foreign land, we traveled a lot, and I could still feel that I only visited New York yesterday. Even though the real deal happened in the August of 2001, and as a matter of fact I did tour the World Trade Center. Yes, in hindsight, I was certainly a very fortunate child.

            During most of our time at “home”, I spent most of my days at a church school that I went to. As it was my first time coming into contact with English, I was nowhere near as talkative as I am now. So I mostly observed my surroundings and tried to learn as much as I could gather from the teachers. I could still remember that one fateful autumn might, while I was playing tag with a few other children. As I was chasing this one person through the gates to the sanctuary, I could still see in my mind the gate ominously closing as I was running straight forwards, my puerile reflexes unable to stop me. I could still feel the shock of the impact as blood started to gush out of my head. Thankfully, my parents were around, but that didn’t stop me from… well, not remembering anything else until my abrupt awakening on a hospital bed with 3 stitches on my forehead. If one looks close enough, they can still see the tiny imprint of history woven amongst my hair.

            Now that you’ve heard about the place we called home, and my escapades there, let’s zoom out a bit. We went all over the United States, sometimes to visit friends and colleagues of my parents but mostly just to see the sights before we inevitably go home. One of the most memorable trips I had was when we took a road trip all the way to the Eastern Seaboard of America. I could still remember seeing the most famous monuments of the US capital. I could still feel as if I was standing behind the front fence of the White House, peering curiously beyond the boundaries to see if anything unusual was happening. (Un)Fortunately, nothing quite did. What was amazing was our visit to New York City. Believe me when I say that the Big Apple was the grandest skyline I have ever seen. One can only appreciate it by standing at street level and staring upwards in amazement. Or staring down from what was the highest office building on the planet. Actually standing on the skyline was an entirely other sight to behold, as the bustling city down below seemed tiny, with people blending into the dull backdrop of urban life. Even such mundane activity was very exciting for me. Of course, being on top of the world does help to create a sense of wonder that only a child could experience. Such was how I felt to see the world.

            But inevitably, we had to return to China, I cannot remember the exact events, but I assume that sadness ensued. Because as children, we remember only the present, and at that time, the U.S was all that I knew. Although I did adapt to life back in China quickly, some things just stay with you forever. Having the English skills helped me greatly when I came to Canada, but the greatest gift was the memories. I still yearn to return today, to see again what I had twelve years ago.

Physical or Sedentary?

     Now then, most people greatly emphasize the importance of exercise and physical activity, which is indeed a noble cause considering the utmost importance of health and fitness on one's quality of life. Nobody said that is how I live my life. I personally am a relatively sedentary person, spending most of my time sitting around and performing activities usually associated with being static and unmoving. But being static does not equate to being a couch potato or (insert combination of upholstery and vegetable here). Being sedentary brings with it a plethora of advantages not able to be obtained by mere activity. Yes, condescension is indeed one of my fortes, please don't feel offended. If not, good, allow me to continue onwards. If not, feel free to start a litigation against me, who do you think you are, Apple?
     Yes, my sedentary lifestyle has certainly seeped into the fibre of my personality, but worry not, because they are mostly positive.

You say? I think not, read on.

        When you're listing the advantages of being sedentary, first think of what you're NOT doing while exercising: Absorbing knowledge and information, observing your surroundings, and most importantly, learning. Sure, exercise improves the brain, but that's for diddly squat unless you actually use your brain for something. In retrospect, a sedentary lifestyle doesn't seem too bad after all. But I advise moderation, as always.