4.9.12

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Week of April 9:  Click here to READ THIS WEEK'S SELECTIONS or click Photo #4, Famous and General Writing to read all recent submissions. To view or download the pages below as pdf files, click the newspaper's name in the attachments below. See the Weekly Photo gallery.

To view last week's Newspaper Series index, click here.

Full of despair, the girl fell to the ground.
With her umbrella, shining red in the dusk,
She dried her tears, and did what she must.
She let him go, pushed him out of her mind,
She had to move on, though she felt blind.
She was frightened, confused, and very uncertain,
But with her heart as a guide, she will never get lost.
She’ll put her li fe back together, red as a rose.

She needs that red umbrella
To catch the tears,
that are falling rapidly, from her,
green, green eyes.
She needs that red umbrella,
to trek through the storm.
The storm of her troubled life.
She needs that red umbrella.
She needs that red umbrella to hold onto.
Because it is the only thing to comfort her.
In her world of pain, sadness, and hurt.
Her life is like a lost ship at sea,
floating along the mostly - calm currents,
and then getting caught up in storms.
These storms of her life start out slow,
pat, pat, pat,
against that needed red umbrella.
But soon, the water is falling thick and fast.
And soon that needed red umbrella is useless.
The only thing that can help her,
becomes useless.
The thunder is clapping, and lightning is flashing, waves crash over the boat,
drenching her in salt water,
either from the waves or her tears,
it does not matter.
It may take minutes, or hours or, even days
before this storm is over.
But once it is gone,
all she can do is wait,
wait for the next storm,
with that needed red umbrella,
to catch those rapidly falling tears.

Her soul is blank.
Her heart is dead.
Despair tap dances across
her consciousness,
each step adding another
crack on her façade.
Happiness bleeds out the cracks,
creating a mask of optimisum.

Existence is just a drizzle.
Life clouds out happiness,
Life clouds out the sun.
Life becomes darker,
Finding light becomes harder.
She stays in her room trying
to stay out of the rain.

No one sees the cracks in her façade.
Just a pretty paint job over a dark
pealing undercoat.
That’s what depression is.
It is the smile when inside she is breaking.
It is living when inside she wants to die.
It is getting up when she wants nothing more
then to hide from the world.
It is her life.

I was left alone...

In a place where no one could find me,

I was hoping to find someone I love,

Just like in the story of Romeo and Juliet.

The only thing I had left,

Was my umbrella,

My red umbrella.

Lying down with me, on the floor,

While I was dreaming about having a family,

Living happily-ever-after.

I dream of colors,

It is not just black and white I see,

It is the color of a rainbow...

That goes where it belongs.

And I?

Just lying there...

Left alone in my pretty black dress.

When I dream of colors, I do the things I want.

Not like Romeo and Juliet,

Letting their parents keep them apart.

What I want is my dream to come true.

It might be impossible, but it might be possible.

I don't like to be left here alone.

In this little world.

Trapped.

They are all gone... but where?
There is nothing here
You look around...
nothing but the red umbrella
The only thing that keeps you                                                    
warm, safe, and home inside
You sit down look around and once again
nothing but the red umbrella
Sitting there
alone, sad, and hopeless
The only thing to keep you alive is
the red umbrella
But still you are sitting there wondering
Where have they all gone? Where?

We were walking back from a night on the town Hanging with friends and running around It was raining a little But it was only a drizzle We didn’t worry We weren’t in a hurry He bought me a new white umbrella I thought he was a pretty nice fella He offered to drive me home I said no, it wasn’t that long And so I walked away Lost in my thoughts of what I'd do the next day As I rounded the corner of Dishes and Glass A distracted driver decided to step on the gas When he hit me it felt like id been shot But he sped off without another thought I lay there bleeding on the ground I couldn’t breathe, I thought that I would drown As I was lying there, almost dead My body was turning my umbrella red

Smooth cool stone

A fallen shield

The crimson color

Of a broken bleeding heart

Heat and tears

Stain the stone

Blinded by the light

Of horrifying revelation

It wasn’t raining when Baby fell, it
was only fear of the rain that kept
a little splash of color in her black and white world.
Baby didn’t mean to do it but
She’d been falling for a long time
And now it was all bruised knees and bloody hands and that
Was too real,
And it hurt.

Baby just wanted to
Keep her black and white world, with
The color seeping in
But that was going, if the rains came
She would have to feel it on her skin
And that was
Too real, and it would
Hurt.

On the day she turned four she smiled
When she unwrapped the red umbrella.
It was shiny and new and it was all hers
It was the only one of its kind
It would keep her safe and away from rain
And she’d have it every day
Because her daddy told her to keep it close
Just in case it rained.

On her first day of kindergarten
She carried her umbrella to the bus stop,
Just in case it rained.
But it didn't rain until her day was done,
And the boys had pulled her pigtails
And the girls had laughed
When she colored "wrong",
But she put up her umbrella
And the drops of rain spilled off the sides
Falling down around her and pooling at her feet.
She went home to her daddy and smiled
And told him it had rained.

On the night of her first date
When she suspected rain,
She set her umbrella in his car
Just in case,
And she waved goodbye to her dad
Who she knew was watching
Because the curtains moved,
But there was no rain,
Only movies and dinner and a kiss goodnight
And a look from her dad
That she could never understand
When she walked through the door
Umbrella hanging, unused, by her side.

On the day she left home
The sky was blue
And her car was packed with boxes to fill her room.
She said her goodbyes
And was backing out of the driveway
When her dad ran to her
Waving something in his hand.
He reached through the window
And set the umbrella on the seat beside her
Saying, “Just in case it rains.” Read more »

Until then, she had been moonlight, living in

monochramy, everything translated to

black and white.

Until then, she had been devil-may care, taking life

as it came, stringing pearls

along life; creating a beaded 

mosaic of duldrum, of

despair.

The light streamed from a silver

sky, the day she looked up and saw

a flash of neither-black-nor-white

neither-here-nor-there

nothingness given

shape and color and she shielded her eyes against the

vibrancy of

red, of color, of something outside of the world and yet

closer to reality than the

pearly moon-face.

It drifted lower, taking

shape and definition, and

before then she was moonlight, but as the

umbrella fell, she found herself

falling back into 

sun and sleep and hope and

somehow, somehow,

the avalance was stopped

by the tiny stone that

set the boulders rolling

Dreaming of Rockefeller Plaza
The lights, stilettos, and sequins
Musical battle of shoes against orchestra

Filling with hope of making it big
Dancing and humming through the streets

Clickity-clacking on cement
Tapping away, flaunting jazz hands
Big white smile incased in red

Sloshing and sliding through puddles of rain
Downpour falling unnoticed before
Until…
…
Her foot misses,
And she falls on her ankle
In a moment everything is shattered,
Her ankle, her dream.

The Famous Me

If I were to become famous I would be overjoyed.
I would always stay humble and think of others in need,
I would stay close to the heart of my family and friends.
I would take nothing for granted and always see the big picture.
If I were to become famous I would remember who I am as a person,
and always lend a helping hand.
I would remember you don’t need everything you want,
and stay true to myself.
If I were to become famous I would probably freak out but, most importantly,
remember I am not the most important there’s a BIG world.

Red carpet walking
for a movie premiere or
for a celebrity birthday.
Getting your name on a Hollywood star,
thousands of people want a picture of it,
hundreds of people want to be you.
Cover of People magazine,
newest trend of Seventeen,
voted hottest by OK!
Autographs, photos,
posters and t-shirts.
I wouldn’t mind it.

I am drifting,

Drifting away,

On a sea of torrents,

Searching.

I am dreaming,

Dreaming the world,

On the way to the future,

Changing.

I am gazing,

Gazing at your wonderment and beauty,

On the ride of a lifetime,

Living

I'm standing here.

My tears could fill the silence,

I'm sure.

My sweet, simplistic protection.

Perfection.

Umbrella.

The rain would never hurt me,

the way your angry words did.

My pride won't let me

touch

my memories of you.

Umbrella.

I'm drowning in my own mind.

The rain

understands,

in ways you never did.

Never could.

I tried

to put my hands up

in a surrender.

Brace myself

against the inevitability

of it all.

Umbrella.

Well today was interesting.  The second my eyes opened, I had toclose them again thanks to random people in my room.  My eyes shot open again.  "Who are you people?"  I asked.

"Oh, don't worry, we're just going to snap some quick photos."  One replied.  "Show us a sexy pose."  Said another.  Still groggy, I left the room to brush my teeth.  Instantly I saw a golden toothbrush.  Confused as I was, I used it, then went to goeat breakfast.  "Maybe this will be normal."  I muttered.  I was wrong. Read more »

My tears come crashing down,
Surrounding the world with my sorrow.
Trying to hide them,
From tomorrow.

With everything crashing down,
Suffocating my whole world.
Questioning my existence,
I lay here in this storm of tears.

Trying to hide from my pain,
I cover my sorrow with an umbrella.
With it’s redness, oh so bright,
I want to see the sunlight

Arlington Memorial High School

one day i met this old man,

he lived by the docks,

he ate beans from a can.

i was walking home when i got caught in the rain,

this old man stopped me,

and spoke tales about pain.

there was this woman,

all dressed in black,

the only thing she said was she couldnt turn back.

the blank look on her face,

what ever is stopping her,

has stopped her pace.

this man said,"wait young fella,"

put his hand on my shoulder,

and said,"the only shelter was her big red umbrella."

Creeping up on you,

You never will be alone,

Fame is a joke right?

                The date is March 6, 2012. I woke up this morning and turned to the news channel on my TV and there I was. “Man wins Power Ball Jackpot” yes, I know. I couldn’t believe it myself when it happened either, but I now have over one billion dollars. That is a lot of money. When I won I knew I would be living the good life. Oh I forgot to mention the TV I’m watching the news on is a 70” PRO-70x5FD LCD elite. Money buys everything and anything you want or need. When I won the Power Ball the 1^st thing I did was give all my friends and family $500,000 to make sure they themselves could live a little of the good life. It is nice to have money and it is an awesome feeling to help those who don’t have much of it. That’s why I donated a lot of money to a bunch of different charities. Wining the Power Ball is the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me and I can say I am set for life.

Light then dark,

Hot then cold,

The sudden changes as the storm takes its hold.

Dry then wet,

Joy then sorrow,

As the rain sheets down, beginning to burrow.

The red umbrella,

In my hand,

Captures no rain as it trickles like sand.

Safe then scared,

Huddled in a ball,

Get to safety before thunder rings it's call.

Lying there,

When lightning streaks the sky,

The storm is dangerous and sly.

In this world

defined by the black and white

I clutch to the color

this red umbrella

It dare to stand

to be different

Not blending in

submiting to the will

I have fallen prey

to the world around me

Now I look to this symbol

to renew myself

I will soon feel the colors

that express me so

From the firey red

to the mellow blue

My feelings

will show through

Soon my world

will not be so black and white

My body is wet as the rain gently tickles my skin.

The small beads of rain trickle from the sky falling to the earth below.

My red umbrella lies on the ground in front of me, just as tired and helpless as I am.

My breath is heavy as I am thankful for this rest.

The sidewalk is cool against my skin and my limbs are heavy and weak.

I hate having to run.

Step by step.

Breath by breath

The anxiety of the situation was far to grand for me to handle.

I had to run.

I push myself up and look at the sky.

The rain is beatiful.

fascinating.

I take a deep breath and gather my thoughts.

My social anxiety had hit it's peak.

Time to go home.

I lay back down and allow myself to breathe.

Just breathe.

I can't help but allow a single tear to drift down my damp cheek.

It blends with the rain and brings peace of mind.

I gather my strength and reach up to the sky as I stand up.

Red umbrella in hand, I walk down this street heading to my safe haven.

Home.

“And here comes Guinea, the talking pig!” I say into the camera. I drag a little toy pig out on a chair, wearing a tuxedo.

“Thank you, thank you” he says, with the deepest voice I can manage.

Making funny videos is my life...practically. I post them all on YouTube, although I screamed at the top of my lungs when my videos reach sixty views...in all. No one watches them, they are just fun to make; so far I've made five videos, and yes that means that all of them have only received twelve hits.

I finish the video and post it; making it six videos. I say goodnight to my parents and go to sleep. Not expecting anything good to happen tomorrow.

I stretch and yawn as I make my way out of bed. I don't bother brushing my hair, or changing my clothes, I just go straight to the kitchen for breakfast. But I'm stopped by a mob of people.

“Janie describe how your feeling!” Shouts a lady with a pad of paper.

“Shocked, um, what are you guys doing here?” I say. But no one can hear me, they are all too busy shouting over one another and flashing bright lights in my face.

“Janie! Janie! What is it like to become an instant overnight hit!” Shouts a man, this time holding a camera. Read more »

A person that inspires me is my aunt Angela. She died from cancer, but she will always be my role model and a hero to me. She wasn't really my aunt, she was my uncles fiance, but I know my family and I will always take her as and aunt to me and one of my bestfriends, and a sister to my mom and dad. We used to pick on my uncle on every little thing he did wrong. When I think of her I do think of all the good and funny times we had together. She was sick for a long time, but she didn't want to go to the hospital. She knew she was badly sick, but she didn't like going to the hospital. She needed a lot done, she knew she didn't have the money for it. So she just put it off, and kept a simle on her face and lived through the pain for so long. The cancer started getting worse and she had to go to the hospital, so she did, and she ended up getting put on life support and was in a comma for a long time. My uncle Micheal couldn't make the desision of keeping her or taking her off life support because he wasn't her gaurdian. They weren't married. So her family ended up taking her off life support, and she lived a little bit after that, but shortly she died. I will always love her and she is my role model and I will complete everything I try to for her. I love you Angela.

My heart shattered into many small pieces
The tears are rolling down my face
The night that he broke my heart was......
The night that I lost my faith
The rain coming down
There is no sun to be found
Just me and my red umbrella
Racing home in a painful zone Read more »

Of life and love he sang

But when his set was done

The crowd wanted more

Oh, yes they demanded more

But he had nothing left for an encore

Music, word, melodies, none

So he played random music scores

Exhausted, tearful, he sang no more