Remember

I'm choosing to remember Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with Martin Luther King Jr. Day coming up on Monday by sharing a song that I found commemorating him.  He was a extraordinary man with a remarkable vision and legacy that will be remembered for lifetimes.

'Martin Luther King's Dream'
by The Strawbs

Speak only with your voices
And not the sword
Listen to your leaders
And the words of the Lord.

Shake hands with your brothers
Has been my theme
For I have had a dream.

While fury gathers around you
Provoking you to hate
Remember what I told you
Don't heed the dangled bait.

The leaders of the country
Are speaking much the same
As those who've gone before them
And those who are to blame.

Proclaim a day of mourning
And let the flags fly low
The future is before us
As I have told you so.

Now What?

I am very excited for the start of the New Semester, finals and all that added stress will finally be behind us.  Tuesday marks a fresh start with our new classes and new teachers.  The start of the New Semester also marks the half-way point of the year, meaning only a few months left until graduation and the beginning of the rest of our lives!

 I think that change is not only inevitable but a good thing as well.  I think that while it will be different to have a new teacher for awhile our class will adapt and we will still remain the community we have created.  I think that Mr. Dwyer will (and already does!) fit in perfectly and that the rest of the year will fly on by.  My preparation for Tuesday is to just go with the flow and be open to the new things that will come.  My recommendation to Mr. Dwyer is to listen to the students suggestions and have fun!

Caged Bird

BY MAYA ANGELOU

A free bird leaps

on the back of the wind   

and floats downstream   

till the current ends

and dips his wing

in the orange sun rays

and dares to claim the sky.

But a bird that stalks

down his narrow cage

can seldom see through

his bars of rage

his wings are clipped and   

his feet are tied

so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings   

with a fearful trill   

of things unknown   

but longed for still   

and his tune is heard   

on the distant hill   

for the caged bird   

sings of freedom.

The free bird thinks of another breeze

and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees

and the fat worms waiting on a dawn bright lawn

and he names the sky his own

But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams   

his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream   

his wings are clipped and his feet are tied   

so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings   

with a fearful trill   

of things unknown   

but longed for still   

and his tune is heard   

on the distant hill   

for the caged bird   

sings of freedom.

Blog Review #2

Thought Observatory: Misconceptions of an Atheist 


This My Turn was very informative and personal.  It also displayed open-mindedness which is always refreshing.

http://tyrannicaltypings.blogspot.com/

Recommended a Dream: Dec 7 Post


This blog post made me laugh at first because I love the quote from the movie 'Mean Girls' but the review is serious and true.  I like how the blog made you realize something serious by using humor.

http://recommendadream.blogspot.com/

Same Building, Different Views: Going Backwards Through Ridiculousness


I like this blog post because it sounds real and exactly like the ramblings of a teenager, in a good way!


http://prestonsveryhappythoughts.blogspot.com/

Blog Reviews

dipped in sauce?: quote
I liked the quote in this blog post and I think that if people were more accepting and viewed humanity as one the world would be a healthier and more positive place to live. 
dipped in sauce?


Fear the Unknown: Give me your eyes.
I really liked this post about freedom of speech.  It shows perspective and opinion as well as creativity which is very brave and I commend that!
Fear the Unknown
 
NSomnium: What I learned
I liked this blog post because it very accurately describes a scene and how students at JDHS act as well as portray deep emotions about an event that had an impact on our class and the school community.
NSomnium

by: Martin Williams

Life Part 1

I'll be there
up where the corners meet
where the heads of giants
seem to crack the painted sky.
I'll reach
and what I grasp 
won't fumble or spill or break
and nothing will be any longer
too big for my hands.
I will float across the earth
in great soft steps and no one will ever make me go
where I do not choose.

Life Part 2

The weight was more
bearable than I thought;
I thought by now
I'd be crushed 
by every new grief
dragging my soul behind 
like a baby's blanket;
I thought by now
I'd be in pieces
in piles of broken
ifs and shoulda-beens.