Albatross

I think that most teenagers have felt like an albatross once in their lives. Adolescence is the strange period when everything seems uncertain and the mirror you are looking at reflects a brumous image of yourself: your arms look like two long and white wings unable to fly in the sky of your skills and feelings. Unfortunately this feeling of inadequacy is spreading more and more in the world of adults too. Probably the indifference to our neighbour’s problems and the inability to communicate is making our daily lives meaningless and aloof from the rest of the world. We feel as if we were the only survivors of a wrecked ship, walking alone on a desert island. However as soon as we start to socialize or make friends, we succed in finding our real identity because we find out that the others too often feel clumsy and inadequate like an albatross walking on the deck of a ship.

Polluted ink

The black ink of our polluted warmongering world turns the positive lexicon of our life into dark words of despair and death. After listening to “A Hard Rain’s A Gonna Fall” by Bob Dylan I have tried to summarize it through this picture of mine.

"... on a Snowy Evening"

I’m back again at last. Here is a new fascinating post, a poem and my comment on it, that can help you overcome your difficult moments in life.

Enjoy it.

After reading this poem for the first time, you think that all the four stanzas merely describe a man stopping near a wood to watch a familiar landscape around him while it is snowing. However, after a second and more profound reading, we realize that all the elements of the poem have got symbolic values  that, once understood, reveal a tough aspect of human life.

As in the most famous soliloquy of English literature, i.e. Hamlet’s one, human beings often stop and wonder whether it is better to stop and “suffer” the painful darts of life passively or face them until the final sleep.

The woods and their owner represent God and what he created. The man on the horse could be any human being who is living a difficult moment in life. He stops and, unable to go on, starts wishing to surrender and accepts the sad events of life without reacting. The snowflakes slowly falling around him are like the grains of sand falling in an hourglass and make us think of time passing by. The horse is the rational element that awakes the man so that he can understand that it is useless stopping before reaching a goal, the farmhouse in the poem.

In the final stanza the man is finally conscious and aware: he realizes that even if it would be easier to give up fighting for life, thus living carelessly, it is always better to go on and try to achieve an aim until the very last day of life because living is always worthwhile .

FEAR IS AN UGLY BEAST

Halloween is over but be careful…FEAR NEVER DIES! Read the following short story I’ve just created and then let me know what you think of it ;).

FEAR IS AN UGLY BEAST

Last year I went  to a holiday camp in a Scottish forest. Our group leader formed some groups of three: mine was composed of James, from the U.S.A., Sarah from Sweden and me, from Italy. Our first task was based on orienteering. We were given a map and told to find a clearing (a red cross on the map) where we had to put up our tent. We were thrilled with this task because we could show our bravery. 

While we were walking through trees and bushes, trying not to get hurt, we heard a wolf’s howling  which startled us. Soon after two sparkling yellow lights appeared behind a bush. We thought it might be the wolf approaching, so we started running as fast as we could. When we stopped we realized we were lost and the map was useless. As it was getting dark, we turned on the torch light and went on walking. We arrived near a small fall that was fortunately marked on the map. Nevertheless, Sarah was still scared because she was afraid of darkness. «Why don’t we follow the river to get to the clearing?» I suggested. James and Sarah agreed, but there was no path along the river. We could only swim in it. «But I can’t swim at all!» Sarah shouted «Are you kidding?» James chuckled giving her a slap on her back. 

Unfortunately the slap was too strong and Sarah slipped and fell into the river. «Help me, help me!» Sarah started to scream «I can’t swim, save me!». «Hurry up , Kate. Take the rope out of your backpack and give it to me.» James yelled. I did it at once and together we tried to rescue Sarah. «Just move your legs as if you were on a bike, Sarah.» I told her «And try to catch the rope! We’ll save you» She took my advice and succeded in catching it, so we could pull her back onto the bank of the river. She was finally safe and well. We were all relived but Sarah was freezing because her clothes were soaked! So James and I cut some branches with our pocket knives and lit a fire, but when Sarah and her clothes got dry it was already dark. «Why don’t we pitch the tent and wait for help?» Sarah suggested. We did as she wanted to make her feel more at ease. While we were trying to find a flat spot for the tent, we found a boat hidden under some branches. «We can use it tomorrow, if nobody comes to save us.» James said. He had just finished speaking when the boat suddenly lifted up and a ghost appeared. 

We all let out a squeal. «Don’t worry.» I said  «We have our knives, he won’t come closer.»

«Are you sure?» The ghost asked and began getting nearer and nearer. We looked around to find a way out but found ourselves surrounded by some other ghosts crying out: «Trick or treat? It’s Halloween Night!» They took off their white sheets and our leader and campmates appeared. «Silly guys! You were really scared stiff!» one of them giggled. Everybody was laughing at us and Sarah was about to cry when all of a sudden a U.F.O. materialized above us. We were all shocked and paralyzed with fright, when we heard Sarah laughing out loud. The U.F.O. disappeared and we all looked at Sarah. «Why are you laughing? » The leader asked her. After a while she replied: «Don’t you know? He who laughs last, laughs longest!».

Welcome to my blog

Hi,

Welcome to my blog J. My name is “No One”, but you can call me Lady K. I’m 17. I live in Apulia, Southern Italy, where the Sun shines 12 months a year ☼. I like swimming but not only in the pool, as I can go to the seaside from May to the end of September. I’m not as good as Federica Pellegrini (the Italian world champion of 100 and 200 crawl) but I’m pretty fast in the breast stroke. It’s a commonplace thinking that Italians love or play only football…we have also great champs in several other sports such as waterpolo, volleyball, rugby, martial arts, tennis and so forth. As for me, swimming and waterpolo are a good way to keep fit and relax. I’m keen on reading. One of my favourite genres is “Fantasy”; for instance, I’ve read all the “Harry Potter” saga and some books by Philip Pullman. In my leasure time I love drawing and looking after my two lovebirds which have just had two little chicks! One of my dreams is flying to San Diego when the COMICON takes place to meet the cast of my favourite TV series, “The Vampire Diaries”.

So, if you want to become one of my “bloodmates”, sharpen your canines (LOL) and get in touch!

Bye!