Basketball is the ultimate two-way street. On offense, you must have sharp cuts. You must have hard passes and dribbles that move you down the court. You must drive to the basket, you must rebound. On defense, you must watch sharp cuts. You must steal passes and stop dribbles. You must block drives to the basket, and you must rebound. Basketball is a two-faced game. Whatever you do on offense, you should be able to stop on defense.
Colorful, bright
Yet so frustrating
Small rainbow pieces
That I want to shatter
Confusing
Colorful
I hate you.
What am I?
Grief, pain, sadness. All of these feelings are coursing through the veins of people across the world. Today we are all in Paris. Today we are all French. We mourn the loss of hundreds of innocent people. We send thoughts toward the friends and family of the dead and wounded. We hope for the quick recovery of all survivors. Recovery of physical and emotional pain. The world is grieving, the world is on its guard, and the world is shaken. Together we can mourn and then rebuild. My thoughts go to all suffering in France.
We peer around the corner. There it is, the list. Dreaded, expected, excited. We rush to it. There they are, twelve names. One belongs to me. The Junior Varsity 2015-16 girl’s basketball team. I made it. My friends made it. We made it together. The click of a phone camera. A squeal or two. And we rush back around the corner.
Pitter patter.
Rain on the glass.
Droplets on the pane.
Leaves weighed down.
Wet, wet, wet.
It’s a wet world.
Rain, rain,
Go away.
Come again
Another day.
Pitter patter
Wet.
Zero Tolerance by Claudia Mills is and intriguing and admirable book. Every page is thrilling, but this is a simple, realistic novel. In Zero Tolerance, an honor student named Sierra is punished for accidentally bringing a weapon to school. A fatal lunch box mix up results in Sierra bringing her mother’s paring knife to the cafeteria. At her in-school suspension, Sierra discovers a mischievous side of herself, and a good side to the rebels around her. Sierra goes through ups and downs with friends, boys, and school activities. In the end, it must be decided if the zero tolerance rule will be upheld. This is a fun and entertaining read for middle schoolers.
Cold liquid rushes from the tap
Hot water streams from the shower head
Delicious snacks at our fingertips
Warm food in an instant
Bright light to scare away the darkness
Cool air flowing through the house
A fluffy blanket covering me from head to toe
I have so much.
Some have so little.
I am grateful.
The recent film Pixels is a hilarious movie with witty one-liners and fantastic actors. Adam Sandler is, as always, hysterical. The other actors are equally suited to their respective roles. There were a few uncomfortable moments, mostly involving Josh Gad, but overall this film was a hit. Pixels had me laughing every few minutes, and I enjoyed it from top to bottom.
My cousins think I’m a vampire. I’m pale as a ghost, practically transparent. At least that’s what my family thinks. Apparently I have sharp canine teeth, close to fangs. I drink Kool-Aid just to freak them out. I’m a vampire on Halloween, and I can’t wait. Happy Halloween to all the other monsters out there. 🙂
1 o’clock
Thunder rolls
2 o’clock
Doors creak
3 o’clock
All is dark
4 o’clock
Lightning cracks
5 o’clock
Blood drips
6 o’clock
Chains rattle
7 o’clock
Ghosts moan
8 o’clock
Lights flicker
9 o’clock
Wind whips
10 o’clock
Branches snap
11 o’clock
Monsters creep
Midnight
They are watching.
Boo.