I had retired early
        to wake up four o'clock.
I fastened all my hooks
         and tuned into a fishing talk.
Asembled all my bait and
        jitterbugs by Arbogast
Tomorrow's the Fishing Derby - and
        I want to be the best.

I closed my eyes-but sleepless remained
I thought of the weather - what if it rained?

I'll need a raincoat, boots, and umbrella.
I tossed off the covers and sneaked to the cellar.

As I went downstairs
        I heard my dog's shrill

I gave him a hug
        But he would not quell

I saw that a barb had pierced his lip
I ran for my tackle box.
        My heart almost flipped.

I pulled out pliers
        and rushed back to Harb
with a gigantic effot
        I cut off the barb.

My best fishing rod was chewed up into shreds
I punished my dog and went to my bed.

(I first thought I had drawn a live lobster on a white background. It turns out that most live lobsters are a dull grey/green/blak color and only turn red when cooked, and only one in two million are naturally red...)

 

I was always superstitious.
Some would say I’m just suspicious,
I knew better than to cry,
“Superstitions are a lie!”
Then one day my neighbor said,
“All this stuff’s just in your head.
People fear silly signs,
Fantasies of their minds.”
I thought about this idea.
Now, what was I to fear?
If a black cat crossed the road,
Would I turn into a toad?
So I squared my shoulders boldly,
Looking in the mirror coldly
I ventured out for a view
Of the whole world anew.
The sun was warm, the birds were singing,
And in the distance I heard ringing.
I pranced onto the road, gleeful,
When something made me stop all fearful.
A shaggy horse walked up the street,
Chewing on a sheaf of wheat.
I ogled at the tired beast,
Who utterly enjoyed a feast.
What gave me such a dreadful fright?
The startling fact- the horse was white.
I crossed my fingers, clicked my toes,

I have always worn glasses. Whenever I took them off, the world would double, triple, quadruple; everything would blur and jump around, and I would hastily cram my “second sight” back on. Therefore, as soon as I woke up, I would ram my glasses up my nose before even opening my eyes.

One perfectly normal morning, I woke up to the persistent crowing of Mr. Whitney, the king of our left-hand neighbor’s chicken flock. The steady hum of the kitchen toaster sent out an invitation to breakfast. To the right, a lawnmower was already making progress around a yard, spilling sweet grass clippings over the cropped lawn.

My fingers fumbled the bedside table for my glasses. Nothing. I continued to search, sliding my hand over the bed, lamp stand, and even the Bonsai pot. Guessing they had rolled off the table, I shook myself awake and opened my eyes.

I wonder why so many Americans make grammatical mistakes in spoken and written English. Some of improper grammar became an acceptable and overwhelmingly popular, such as the notorious short cuts: “4 sale”, or “I need 2 do it”.

My introduction with improper grammar came with my tennis instructor, who used to say “don’t hit no balls.” I had a hard time with it, though later I realised that it is a surprisingly common mistake to use double negatives. I don’t know why people after the graduation of a high school, “ gotta do” those “clumstrocities”. I also wonder where all these “wouldya's” came from? So I made a brief research.

Everyone in my family possess a superpower.

No, no, we aren’t the Incredibles, we are just the most normal family, but everyone had a little special something that they chip in for good use.

For example, my aunt specialized in locating items tossed and lost in the weirdest places, my Dad had a great intuition: he could win any Go Fish! match, and my Mom could fall asleep particularly anywhere, (especially in the middle of the most interesting part of a book).

Even our family pet, Lappa, had a handy quirk: think about food, he’d run up to you, think about shutting him in the entryway for a fitness stay and he'll take off as fast as possible, away from the ill thinking evildoer.

My brother, under inspiration, can figure out your thoughts, annoying anyone.

What about me? Sorry, I am the outlier. And of course, I am the most useless and most boring geek in the family, without any kind of real superpowers.

The blizzard was raving all night. Snow fell from the sky as from a gigantic thrower. The morning was brisk and crisp, the sky cloudy. I dragged a blue plastic sled with two pairs of skis behind me, my feet sinking deep into the fluffy snow. My brother was happily plowing through the huge drifts, creating tunnels. The wind was blowing up high, rapidly changing the cloud’s formations, occasionally revealing glimpses of the cerulean blue sky.
We were going sledding and skiing at a local hill, used by all neighborhood kids in the winter for the exactly same purpose, in the summer for rolling down in dizzying circles log-style on its grassy slopes.

The blizzard was raving all night. Snow fell from the sky as from a gigantic thrower. The morning was brisk and crisp, the sky cloudy. I dragged a blue plastic sled with two pairs of skis behind me, my feet sinking deep into the fluffy snow. My brother was happily plowing through the huge drifts, creating tunnels. The wind was blowing up high, rapidly changing the cloud’s formations, occasionally revealing glimpses of the cerulean blue sky.
We were going sledding and skiing at a local hill, used by all neighborhood kids in the winter for the exactly same purpose, in the summer for rolling down in dizzying circles log-style on its grassy slopes.