Paper Café  2004

Mr. Greene/ Ms. Barker, Mr. Wetherall:  10th grade

WILLIAM’S STORY

by Rémi Campagne

Mr. William Wetherell wears a blue shirt and grey shorts. He was as tall as a monkey.  He was a good teaching assistant. In one moment, he has a lot of paper in his right hand. Now he is reading. He doesn’t understand what he reads. It’s so difficult for him because he hasn’t been to school for some years.

But now William is  tired and wants to go to sleep. It is 10: 30. It was very early but William sleeps nineteen hours by day. No work all the day because he is sleeping.

William is now talking to a student. William often plays guitar and I like to box. Today, he is working on his computer and it is so difficult for him because he doesn’t understand how to operate the computer. It’s a very good problem for William. Now he works to understand the computer. William is very funny for the young students. After the break, now, he is watching his computer and he is so tired. Today William was so tired. He is reading and he is writing now. He is writing on his computer. He doesn’t smile. His face is as red as a tomato.

Today William is reading a book. This morning, William tried to be the teacher, but it is very difficult for him. Yesterday, William was to play to basketball with other students. Tomorrow, William will want to go back to his house because he is so tired from work and from playing sports. But he doesn’t want come back to his house. He will be must to go at home but William doesn’t understand this sentence. It’s been not good for him.

Now, William is thinking and writing on his computer. He is quite angry but I don’t know why. Maybe, he is reading a website or a story. For the moment, he has outstretched arms on the computer. He is surprised when he reads a passage that concerns him.

Today, William doesn’t wake up because he doesn’t sleep a lot, he just go to bed at 5: 00. It’s true. When William wakes up, he says: today, I will try not to sleep. It’s going to be very difficult for him not to sleep. He is too very angry. His eyes are angry.  Yesterday, William was playing with his pen, it was very funny. All the students were smiling for the moment.  

             In the future, maybe in ten years, William goes to the hospital to take medicine because has a big problem because he is so crazy and he sleep a lot of days. He must go to the hospital now, William will have now thirty-one years. In this hospital, William meets a girl. After few years, they were married and they have two children. It’s the end of this story.

                                               WAR

                                                  by Nicholas Ivanov

There is darkness

instead of light

gun firing like

hungry dogs

barking day and night.

Jets dropping bombs

left and right.

Not one side is bright enough

to realize that the machine guns

outlive everything that breathes.

Dancing

By: Kimmy Le

Slender tendrils of song

Consume her, liquid sound slices

 Through the wind, her skin

Tingles, her feet move

She sways in time

To the music, the world stills

To watch her, the music

Stops, she freezes

What Is Different Between USA and Hong Kong

by James Lin

1) School         The school here is much bigger than Hong Kong’s.

2) Food          Chinese food is delicious. But American food is nutritious.

3) Weather       The weather here is cool. But in Hong Kong , the weather is so hot.

 4) Driving        The driving seat in Hong Kong is on the right, but in the USA it is on the left.

 5) Sports         American’s favorite sport is baseball.

 6) Time           There are 12 hours between USA and Hong Kong 

 7) President      In America, people choose the president, but in China the government chooses the president.

 8) Population   The population of China is 13 million. And the population of USA is 220,000,000.

 9) Music       Both American and Hong Kong’s young people like listening to popular music.  

 10) Games    Americans like playing PS2 or XBOX, Chinese people like plying online games.

Ertanu

by Lisa Miller

            Deep, deep in the forest lies a secret.  It’s hidden in the largest tree in the woods, the one with the biggest blossoms on it in the spring.  It’s the one whose leaves don’t just turn red, orange, yellow, and brown in the autumn, but every color imaginable, even tickle-me-pink and lavender.  It’s the one that never gets touched by snow, though it towers above the rest.  It lives in the roots, its soil, and its bark.   In its every branch and leaf.  What is this secret?  It’s ertanu. 

            Ertanu is Mother Nature, or Mother Nature’s Helpers, whatever you want to call it.  But, most importantly, it is home to the fairies.  These fairies control nature, each one to a different part or element.  Like Petal controls all of the flowers and Snowflake controls the snowfall.  Each of these fairies has an interesting personality and put all of their emotions into their part of nature. 

            Usually, when a fairy is born they come out in a light shade of gray, barely able to use their wings.  Later on, the fortunetellers and elders get together to test and decide where that fairy would suit nature best.  Then, they would study hard under an elder to learn to connect with nature and their job as they turn into the color and name best associated with their job.  Before that, they are just a number.  When they are first given a job, they start off with something simple, like a fairy of water would start off controlling something like morning dew, then if it is smart enough, strong enough, and powerful enough it will move up in its category.  The rare powerful ones become elders in their area and never die, but if they are even stronger than that, they come to rule all of ertanu and the elder council, they become a Top Elder.

            Once in awhile, the council of elders would find it especially hard to place a newborn fairy.  The newest fairy was one of these troublesome matters.  She was gray just like all the others, but she was born much smaller than the rest with abnormally larger wings and extremely full of life and enthusiasm and energy.  Some fairies remember the council being locked up in their chamber for more than a week over her matter.  The council is comprised of about 120 elders and fortunetellers though the number does sometimes change.  Each area and element has a different number of elders based on its needs and size.  There are 25 elders for earth, 15 for fire, 8 for wind, 25 for water, 10 for hot, 10 for cold, 15 for sun, 6 fortunetellers, and 6 Top Elders and each of these people are lucky enough to have an actual name.  The Top Elders know everything for every area and they rule over the entire council making the final decisions and trying to keep things peaceful between everyone.  But, these types of elders come once in every 10 blue moons, so in all of their years of existence, they are very lucky to have 6 Top Elders at all.  When all of these diverse elders come together they often bicker saying “Fire is the most powerful, she should control fire,” or “No, she shouldn’t the sun is much stronger than fire so she should help us with the sun.”  And that’s always when the fighting gets ugly but with fairy number 763829 it was certain to get ugly.

            “Let the case of Fairy Number 763829 now come to order,” one of the Top Elders boomed to be heard.  “Oracles, what do you have for us?”

            A beautiful woman with her golden hair sweeping the ground and the colors of the rainbow blooming from her neck with a train dragging on the floor walked forward.  “I have had dreams of this little one-to-come for ages,” she said.  “Such power she will have though see it not in her shining eyes you will.”  She looked back at the elder who spoke.  “My friend, Borak, troubled be not, always here you will be, whether she is or not, whether above she is or not.”  There was always a moment of silence after Adia spoke, her words were always spoken in a way that made you have to ponder them for a while afterwards.  The Top Elder thought about it for the longest amount of time and it took him a while to remember that they had a matter to attend to.  When he finally did remember, he decided to adjourn for the day so he could muse on it some more. That was only day 1. 

“This girl is to become quite powerful, but we need someone who can train her extremely well, for if she is to come to be of this council she must have the best master.” Another Top Elder started off the next day sighing deeply knowing that this always took the longest.  They went on for 3 days bickering back and forth over the girl’s area of work.
            “I will teach her in the ways of the sun.” Declared one of the sun elders.

            “No!  The sun will blind her and what good will that do.  She should control the wind.” A wind elder screamed back in his face.

            “The heat in the spring and summer, the loveliest time of year.” The only woman of heat cried.

            “No it isn’t!  Fall and winter are!  She should control the cold.” One of the women of cold announced.

            Suddenly, on the 5^th day a hush fell over everyone and they sat back down in their seats.  Another Oracle flew forward and landed by the Top Elder’s Table.  She walked down the line to the end and curtsied in front of the oldest one, the wisest one, Borak.

            “Excuse me, sir,” she said as a sign of respect.  “I know I haven’t been an oracle for long and new-comers like me aren’t always regarded highly, but I have a vision and I believe more than anything that it is right.” Pause. “Oracles most often don’t say where one should be placed but how one should be placed and about one’s future.  So, I know that I will be reprimanded for saying so, but I must say what I feel, what I see, for I know it is right.  And, I hope that you will forgive me and my bluntness.”

Dr. Ploid’s Invention

                                                  by Michelle Sola

Dr. Ploid is in his dreary, quiet room running around with a paper and pen in his hand.  He has a haggard look on his face as if he was strongly thinking about something truly important.  This is what he did every night before he went to bed.  Dr. Ploid is an inventor who always attempts to make something to help people all over the world but always makes an error and ends up having to pay for repairs all over the neighborhood.  One time when Dr. Ploid was a lot younger he tried to make a machine that would iron clothes and dress you.  People all over wanted to have one.  So he made many machines and gave them to people.  He thought that everything was running smoothly until it burned Mrs. May’s favorite shirt.  Then it nearly killed Mr. Sario’s ten-year-old cat.  Everyone in the neighborhood hates his crazy inventions and they would never even think about letting another one of his inventions in their house.  Except two young sixteen-year-old teenagers, Marvel and Jane who always seem interested in what ever he does.  They never spoke to Dr. Ploid but see him at work from a distance.

            Dr. Ploid has been planning to work on a project.  His latest invention is an automaton that would work for people. (Which I would say is every inventor’s dream.)  Marvel and Jane heard about this at the park where everyone in the neighborhood gathers to talk and have a good time.  They of course are poles apart from the rest of the neighborhood and thought it was an amazing idea.

            Marvel knocked on Jane’s’ door one morning.  Jane let him in and they headed to the kitchen to talk.

            “Hey, Jane have you heard of the robot Dr. P is making now?  I think it’s really cool.”

            “I have an idea! We could go up to Dr. Ploid and tell him that we really like all his inventions.  Then ask if he would be willing to let us help with this.”  Jane said with the most excited look and with the most animated smile that Marvel has ever seen. 

            “That would be a good idea.  But we can’t.  I don’t think my mom would let me or yours.” Marvel said while still laughing at Jane’s expression and her rather random remark.

            At the same time Dr. Ploid was working on his robot.  He figured out a way to get the robot started and it was through a program.  The robot won’t be able to work in light or hear or it would destroy the robot’s “brain”.  If it does get exposed to heat, the brain, where all the information is stored, would shut down or get reprogrammed.  He would have to start all over again.  Dr. Ploid worked for two weeks straight and with the help of his notes he was able to program everything.  So the day came and he shut all of the doors and turned on the robot.  Nothing happened.  Dr. Ploid’s look of excitement turned into a look of disappointment.  “All of my work was for nothing.  Another experiment gone wrong.”  For what felt like the longest time in the world to him, the room was completely silent.  Then suddenly at the same time as he was about to throw away his notes the robot moved its heavy metal arm and then his machine-like legs and began to walk.  Dr. Ploid gasped and then began to laugh.  He was amazed at what he saw and didn’t realize that the robot was headed out the door.  It was walking and Dr. Ploid was not noticing what was wrong.  He just followed in amusement while the robot was in the 110-degree weather and bright light. 

Wonderful Songs

Joanna Barker

I said, “I don’t know much about life,”

as I sipped my hot chocolate by candlelight beside you.

But you assured me that it didn’t matter either way.

“No one truly does,” you sang.

We sat, cuddled on the couch, waiting –

but waiting for what? An answer?

It didn’t end up showing its face that night, the answer.

We stayed up all night, talking about our life –

our life together, our lives apart, how sometimes we’re waiting

for a sign, or for a call or a note if one is away – like how I’m now away from you.

The other day I listened to a song, and along I sang,

thinking how I long to be with you, if there was a way.

What path will our lives travel upon, which way?

I guess there is no correct or set-in-stone answer.

In my dreams last night, my heart sang

of dancing clouds of love, laughter and life,

and among those dancing clouds was me… with you.

My heart told me that it isn’t planning to travel elsewhere – for us, it is waiting.

One can wait in a line, for a train, for a bus, waiting.

One heart asks another, “Are you going my way?”

The other answers, on the fifteenth, “I’d love to travel beside you.”

“I think that response is wonderful.  I love that answer.”

The hearts set off on a whirlwind adventure of life,

and all along their journey, “there have been wonderful songs,” they sang.

Songs of myself, of yourself, of ourselves, we sang

of how we didn’t want to keep waiting

for the questions about life

to be answered – we realized that eventually they’d find a way.

What are we hoping to have revealed in this answer?

Is the answer to my question about life “you”?

There is no right song for me to sing to you.

All the nights that we heard the music, he sang

of a world full of love, and I decided that the answer

is indeed “you”, and it is paired with “me”, and we are not waiting

for our life to begin; we are already on our way.

My life, your life, our life

“My life with you

is traveling the right way,” I sang.

Until the fifteenth, I was waiting… I’ve found my answer.

Every Day Since (9/11/01)                                                      

William “Brad” Wetherell

I wrench my neck to see the building top

but can’t because it’s hidden in the clouds.

The sheets of glass reflect distorted me’s.

I recognize the face I see and yet

it seems too big to be the me I know.

A shadow passes overhead with speed.

I look at feet as they re-travel steps

and walk into the past with strides so grand.

The window gives me toddler’s feet that are

Second Chance

David Greene

If I had it all to do over

            I’d play baseball

I was never bold enough to try out for the team

            (afraid the ball would hit me)

If I had it all to do over

            I’d play golf

I was never confident enough to walk the green

            (afraid I would look foolish)

If I had it all to do over

            I’d race motorcycles

I was never daring enough to face the track

            (afraid I’d break my leg)

If I had it all to do over

            I’d spend four years in the Navy

I was never brave enough to risk boot camp

            (afraid of facing myself, I guess)

If I had it all to do over

I’d face my fears

I’d ask someone to dance who’d turn me down,

I’d take a class I thought I couldn’t handle

I’d seek a job that only brilliant people do

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