If this doesn't convince you...

No one has posted a video before, but I found this eye opening and very interesting.  Obviously this isn't my own video, but I wanted to share it with all of you, enjoy! 

Credits to: Gary Turk 

Until the lost drop

Until the last drop (pindaric ode)

Oh woah to his soul, he is a brave boy

Lost to the dull, for he is clever and coy

Savor his life, for it is played like a toy

Until the last drop, falls from his joy

If he shall live, brave is what he is

Nowhere to go, his mind is at bliss

His life is a timer, set from desires

Until the last drop, falls to the fires

He's casteless; adrift; does not even fit

Times wasteful; omit; the fire is lit

Past glimmer's; commit; he is every bit

Until the last drop, falls in the pit

His place; believe; it's where he belongs

Time’s careful; Patience, sings his sad song

Past remembers; vigilance defines not at all

Until the last drop, defines his last fall

He feels alone, but this is not foreign

There is a part of him that just isn't soarin’

A pain reminds him, this emotion roarin’

Until the last drop; reminds him next mornin’

He's never forgotten, despite life's intent

For that one part of him, was life's greatest hint

A pain to remember, but to thrive where he's bent

Until the last drop begins its descent

Two great sides his story does tell

Until the last drop falls down the wishing well

Everyone Hates Clowns

Nick knew this was a bad idea. An abandoned amusement park in the middle of the night? How dumb could you get? Apparently, very. Nick and his friend Kevin had been dared by some kids at school to visit the place at midnight. Nick had been adamantly against the idea, but Kevin just couldn’t keep his big mouth shut.

“We’ll do better than that,” he exclaimed. “I bet we can stay there the entire night!”

Nick wanted to punch Kevin in the throat. All freaking night? He didn’t want to be there for one second, let alone an entire night. However, nothing was going to convince Kevin to back out of his own dare. At 11:30pm, they left for the creepy carnival. As they walked up to the entrance, a beaten down clown face greeted them. This was no joyous greeting though. The smile worn by the clown portrayed a more devious mood then would be expected at an amusement park. Nick was thinking to himself that the clown looked less amusing and more terrifying. The hands on this clown looked like they were reaching out to grab them and swallow them up. All Nick wanted to do was leave. The luminescent moon in the distance mixed with the cold chill of Autumn made Nick shiver. Kevin had already hopped the fence. As Nick crept up to the gate, he thought for a moment that the clown’s eyes had moved towards him. He told himself it was just a trick of the eye and hopped over to join Kevin. Once they were both over, they saw just why this place had been abandoned. Nightmarish clown faces overran the entire grounds. Just thinking of this place back in its “glory days” chilled both off them to the bone. They kept on walking, trying to ignore the faces that seemed to be watching them from every possible angle.

“Why don’t we just leave now? Nobody’s gonna know we didn’t stay, and I have and Algebra II quiz to study for,” Nick tried reasoning with Kevin.

Kevin turned around and smirked at Nick. “Why would we leave a place this freaking cool!”

Nick wanted to punch Kevin in the face after that remark. That seemed like a frequent feeling for the past few days. Cool? This place would give the clown from that Stephen King book the creeps.

“Let’s split up and check the place out,” Kevin remarked.

“Are you insane! That’s exactly what you’re not supposed to do,” Nick whispered in a panicked voice.

When he turned around, ready to rant about all the horror movies that ended with people splattered against a wall, he realized Kevin had already left.

"That idiot is going to be some serial killer’s next victim.” How could someone be so stupid? There was nothing he could do, so he decided it was best just to stay where he was and wait for his idiot friend to realize just how much of an idiot he was being.

Taking a look around, Nick saw something out of the corner of his eye. It looked like a foot. Some sort of prop left behind when the place was shut down? He walked up to the building he saw the foot peeking out from. He opened the door, screamed, and almost passed out. Laying down right in front of him was the mutilated corpse of a clown. He backed away from the door, falling on his rear trying to get away.

“KEVIN!” He shouted. He spun around, trying to find his friend, but the place was empty. He started to hyperventilate. The only thing going through his brain was the disgusting clown body he had just walked in on. It’s nose wasn’t the only thing that was red. The blood had dried, but it was obviously the real deal. Nick began running around, screaming Kevin’s name at the top of his lungs. After five minutes of screaming and running, he decided it was every man for himself. He ran to the gate, hopped over, and burst into a sprint. His speed didn’t last long though. With a sudden feeling of whiplash, he was lifted into the air mid-sprint. He looked over his shoulder to see the entrance clown’s hands taking him closer to it’s mouth. The smile was now pure evil, and he could see sharp, bloodstained teeth peeking out. He screamed louder that he thought physically possible, but it was no use. As he was brought closer to what seemed to be his demise, he broke out crying.

Instead of the crunching of bones he had expected to hear as the demon clown head gobbled him up, he heard a rush of air as he fell for what seemed to be an eternity. Finally, with a loud thud, he landed on some sort of fabric-like material. He bounced back up and landed again, this time with a bit less momentum. When he looked down, he saw that he was in a bouncy house.

“What the-,” Nick uttered, confused with the odd scene around him. It felt like he was lost in the middle of nowhere. Everything around him was pitch black, other than the red and blue bouncy house he had finally stopped bouncing around on. Every direction he looked, he couldn’t see a thing. It was like he was in some sort of dark void that never ended. Standing up, he started to walk along the inside of the childish carnival attraction. He hadn’t been in one of these since Marissa’s 10th birthday party. Of course, the circumstances had been extremely different. At Marissa’s, he had been guaranteed cake afterwards. Here, he was uncertain if he was even still alive. Distracted, he tripped and fell out of the entrance. Hitting the ground face first, he blacked out for a minute. When his eyes opened, he was surrounded by...himself? Looking around, he came to the realization he was in a house of mirrors.

“I’m getting pretty freaking sick of these lame carnival gags!” Shouting wouldn’t do any good, but he needed to let out some frustrations. Spinning around, he felt trapped. His claustrophobia had never felt this intense. Searching for an exit to this nightmare, he froze. Out of all of the mirrors, one was out of place. Instead of his own reflection, Kevin was right in front of him. Kevin’s eyes were filled with terror, and he tried to shout for help. No sound escaped from his lips.

Nick shouted in shock, “What the hell is going on here?” He ran toward the mirror, only for it to shatter into a million pieces. In front of him now was definitely not Kevin. Standing at what seemed to be seven feet tall was the mutilated clown corpse he had seen earlier. DIfferent than before was the fact that this version was walking towards him with a prop hammer. This hammer had a bit of an upgrade to it though, seeing as it was covered in spikes that could easily kill a person. Nick backed away, running into a wall. All of the mirrors were gone, and the clown inched towards him. He stared into it’s dead eyes, screaming so loudly that his throat felt like it was going to start bleeding. Tears rolled down his face as the clown came closer and closer, smiling like a deranged lunatic. The first blow from the torture device hit him in the side. The pain was unheard of. He cried out in pain as the blood started to drain from his body. Nick was paralyzed from the pain. His eyesight grew dim, and the last thing he saw was the hammer swinging towards his face. The last thing he heard was the maniacal laughter of the rotted, bloody clown. Everything went black, and everything was silent.

“AHHHHH!” Nick sprang up with lightning ferocity. He gasped and sputtered, taking in every breath he could. His eyes began to focus, and his breathing quieted down. Looking up he saw the moon and the stars peeking out from behind the trees. He felt the crunch of leaves beneath him. As he stood up, he felt a sharp pain in his side. Lifting his shirt, he saw multiple dark bruises all over his side. His head was pounding. Confusion was the only emotion going through his head.

“I was dead,” he said to himself. “I should be dead.” Walking through what he assumed were the woods, he found himself on a road. He recognized the road and decided to follow it into town. After around thirty minutes of walking, he finally reached city limits. From here, getting home was going to be a piece of cake.

Reaching under the welcome mat, Nick pulled out the spare key. He opened the door and strolled inside. Honestly, he couldn’t care less if his parent’s caught him out so late and decided to ground him for life. Staying home for the rest of his life sounded like dream come true. Kicking his shoes off at the front door, he climbed up the stairs and practically dragged himself along to his room. As he lied down, he felt all of the stresses and fears he had gone through that night drift away. It didn’t take long for him to fall asleep.

Kevin’s eyes opened. His head was pounding, like a hammer against a nail. It took a while for his eyes to focus. Once he could finally see, he stood up. Looking around, he saw he was still at the amusement park.

“Nick, where the hell are you?” There was no answer to his shouts. “Must’ve have ran away. What a chicken.”

Walking around, he searched for the gate. It took a while to find, since his headache kept him from thinking straight, but he did reach the metal gates. Climbing over, he mumbled about how he was going to kick Nick where the sun don’t shine for leaving him behind. He hopped over, stood up, and tilted his head.

“What the...how the...what?” As he lifted his head, he saw he was still in the park. confused he climbed the fence again, only to land back on the same side. Confusion turned to anger as he climbed and climbed over and over again. As he tried to climb over, he slipped, ending up tangled and hanging from the fence. While trying to wiggle free, a glimpse of light caught is high. Looking up, the last thing he saw was the glint of the knife and the bloodshot eyes of a deranged clown.

There was a creak in the room. Nick opened his eyes. Above him was the nightmare he had been trying to escape all night. The bloodstains on the polka dotted outfit seemed brighter than he remembered, and it’s eyes were more menacing than before. The smile was the same. Still horrifying as before. It’s yellow teeth and foul breath were enough to make a man vomit. Nick tried to scream, but there was no time. Before he could even let out a shriek, gravity brought the spiked hammer down onto his face.

At least his dream came true, even after all of the nightmares he had faced that day. Nick never left his house again. Well, alive that is. His corpse was dragged away by the clown, never to be seen again. The bloodstained sheets were all that remained. As for Kevin, they never even found his body.

Earlier That Day…

“I can’t believe you said we’d stay the whole night. I really hate you right now,” Nick mumbled to Kevin as they left school.

Kevin laughed at the remark. “What’s wrong Nicky? Scared of a few clowns?”

The End.

May

May

                                            -   1   -    2      -    3     -      4        -         5

Twas a fair fall night in which you brought May (-1  A

Per/haps it/’s beauty that loves thee pro/found     B

For I am a fool, I have no other way   A

To where you are, is where it's to be found   B

The sea glows, a re/flec/tion of fair eyes (-5   C

The last thing is to de/part with our lives  D

But where a spark sur/vives is where love thrives  C

No mat/ter how of/ten this love re/vives  D

The sun/light so fond of your bright in/tel/lect  E

A mind so fond of ma/king sun's bright light. (-10  F

For once it’s night, I return to ne/glect   E

To bask in your warmth, your arms hold on tight.  F

For with/out a spark, your soul knows no light  G

So look u/pon me, and i'll make you bright. (-14  G

Good afternoon authors!

I wanted to provide some context for this usbmission. I wrote the poem "Bad Day" several years ago on an afternoon when nothing went the way I wanted it to go. You see: we, as teachers, have those bad days too. I let Mrs. Samantha Neill read the poem a few weeks ago, and she challenged me to write a follow-up, because bad days are not the norm. Most days are good. Really good. So, I have been trying to write a follow-up. I do not know yet if I like it or not, but I am going to share both of the pieces.

Now, if you want to flip the script on me as a teacher a little bit, here is your chance. Comment and critique. What could I do better, and what can I change?

"Bad Day"

Jason Kohls

They’re standing all against you

Massed to strike you cold

Plotting for your downfall,

Punishment for being bold.

Forget about your planning,

Meaning, it has none,

Ignore that hope for glory,

You’re not the Chosen One.

Don’t think yourself triumphant,

Such dreams are but in vain,

You’ll only be embarrassed,

As you see your vision slain.

So sit back in your silence,

And let the world move on.

Do not try to leave your mark,

For soon enough, you’re gone.

---------------------------------

“After a Bad Day”

Jason Kohls (2/7/2016)

Now take a breathe and ponder,

What really made you say

That you can’t make a difference

In your unique, own way?

Are they all there against you,

In wait to see you fall?

Or is it just the spectre

Of doubt that stands up tall?

Have you tripped in your efforts?

Oh, yes, they’ve seen you fail.

But when the road easy,

Life is a boring tale.

So ignore the doubts the holler,

And do what you know’s right.

The way to cast out shadows?

Turn on a brighter light.

The Other Side

The other side

You can cross over

Whether willingly

Running to the border with light feet and a lighter heart

Ready to step out into the brave new world

Prepared for new experiences, new challenges

Fingers crossed and mind open

Or unwillingly

Drug over by a force all-powerful

Pulled kicking and crying

Wanting to stay safely on the current side

Where the surroundings are familiar

And changes reach the significance of a new cereal

Or a new haircut

Or maybe oblivious

Oblivious that you are crossing over

Oblivious that life as you know it is done

And a new dawn awaits

This crossing over

Will change it all

It may seem small

A small change

But that little change is like a domino

Crashing into the next

Clanging loudly to the ground

Because they will not go quietly

Falling, falling, falling

Until the rubble lays

Defeated, waiting to be set back up

Yet after you cross to the other side

Willingly, unwillingly, unknowingly

You can never come back the same

You can’t set dominos the exact same way twice

You can never be that person

Who ran to the other side, excited for this new chapter in life

Now you are the person who has come back a little less naive and a little more experienced

You can never be that person

Who was dragged to other side, dreading the horror that awaited

You are now the person who comes back learning to live with loss, stronger and more aware of the treasures that don’t last forever

Or the person who crossed unknowingly

Who returns with their life jumbled around

Flipped upside down

Or maybe right side up

You’ll never know

Until you cross

The other side

Tap Brush Click Clack

They were so intimidating, the sounds were intimidating

The studio walls pictures barre's

Tap, brush, click, clack

Tap, brush, click, clack

That’s all I heard every class, every time, every week

Yet I was told I belonged there

That I had worked very hard, spent so much time to improve

Although I don’t feel like I belonged there, not even a little bit.

I was just there

I tried pretending

I tried to forget

I couldn’t because the invisible barrier was still there

Tap, brush, click, clack

Tap,  brush, click, clack

Whispers, secrets, laughing in the background

I want to feel overjoyed

Yet I seem so out of place

Will it always be this way?

Hope, pray, believe that someday

Someday it will change

There won't be favorite's

There won't be "better dancers" than others

Everyone will be accepted as individuals

Everyone will be united

Everyone will be equal

Without conflict

Without groups

Together

As one row

As one class

As one dance

Tap, brush, click, clack

Tap,  brush, click, clack