Nature Portfolio

Mother Oak & I

Good Morning Sunshine, Good Morning Critters, Good Morning Mother Oak

It is the First day of Spring

The birds are caroling their favorite tunes

The River relinquished from the grasp of an icy winter

Creatures awaking from their slumber,  Everyone is up and busy, the Flowers blooming, and so am I

I stretched my flowers toward the gleaming sun and at the moment noting could have felt better

As a child I was a beautiful flower,

My Brothers , Sisters and I all  holding on to my mother for dear life,

 powering through the night through every storm and obstacle we faced together

By the time summer hit in the forest, my siblings and I had grown to our full potential

Healthy we were, big and green

I am the center of the forest, I see all, from the highest point in the forest

But now we worked for Mama Oak, repaying her for her largesse sacrifices during the rough spring  

We worked day and night feeding Mama Oak, to make sure she became big and strong just like us

So she could in fact make it through the winter

Without my siblings and I Mama wouldn’t make it

We feed her, provide her shelter, and cloth her in beautiful green,

It’s the least we can do for our ma’ who brought us into the world

As the days come to a close, the days are shorter and the night, colder, longer

fall was approaching and winter soon would strip the forest of life itself

We worked double time for ma’ but once fall strikes my brothers and sisters and I began to change

Our green replaced with, yellows oranges and reds

Our stems becoming brittle, and weak

The air was now chilling and harsh

Winter was around the corner

One by one my brother and sister fell off mother tumbling to their deaths leaving mother naked and hungry

The days were dark and bitter, and winter was thrashing its ugly head in the forest, silencing our home, so all you can hear is the howl of winters cries  

Mother was almost alone now, almost all her children gone

But, we prepared for this moment our entire lives, In my heart I know Mama Oak will make it

The next generations will survive and do the same as I

Feed her, shelter her, and cloth her just as my sibling’s and I did

From spring all the way to winter, the lifecycle of a leaf it a magnificent thing

Lines: 31

Most Beautiful _______

When I was a little munchkin I experienced something that any kid couldn’t even imagine, it was breathtaking, and absolutely beautiful. Every year thousands of California gray whales migrate 6,000 miles from the cold waters of Baja California's central Pacific coast to warmer waters from mid-December through March, and it just so happens that I was able to experience this.

During spring break of 2003, my family decided to take a trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. It was the family’s first trip since my brother Ian was born, and it was our official comeback into the world. When we arrived in Cabo everyone was exhausted from the hours of endless chatter, and whining infants on the plane. When we walked outside a wave of heat slapped me in the face, and shoved me back a little but I powered through into the chilled air conditioned cab. Once we arrived to the hotel we got settled in our room, it was very inviting with large open ceilings with an amazing view of the ocean a city. I ran through the hotel room to claim me room and jumped into the bed as if I was superman flying across the city. After my parents calmed me down are adventures began.  We explored the city, we went to the snow white beaches, my parents chased me down the streets, and we explored their delightful cuisines, but noting in the whole world compared to what was coming next.

After lunch a local told us about a migration, I had no  idea what that was a the time, being a third grader and what not so I just continued on, after I got my hair braided and my mother applied a generous amount Aloe Vera to me bright red face.  We walked down to a wobbly dock, I clung to my mother every so close, as her scent comforted me. Once we got to the end of the dock she put me down, I peered over the edge mesmerized by the beautiful blue water, then I felt my father’s ruff hands grasp my shirt and snap me back. My mother then grabbed Ian and my father dragged me away from the cool crystal blue water. We went into a shack and my father buckled me into a tight bright orange life jacket that made it fairly difficult to breathe, but my parents found it quite humorous because I looked like a giant orange gumball, and Ian looked like a big ol’blueberry. They snapped a couple pictures of our pouty faces and we went on our way, back to the docks. The man that they had been talking with before now walked to a shiny glazed boats, with twinkling blue shimmering of the water onto the sides.  All of a sudden I am jerked up by my lifejacket, and tossed into the boat with my parents and brother sliding in cautiously behind me. I wobble to the front of the boat, as the motor purrs and rumbles. We pull off the dock into the endless blue and the wind suns through my blonde hair as it was thrown about. I didn’t know where we were heading, or what the plan was but this feeling of adventure, was absolutely amazing.

By the time we made it about two miles from the shore it was as small as a ant and the whole coast could lay in my hand, the mist of the deep blue sea was refreshing, and the sun was bright with not a cloud in the sky. I could hear my parents and the man chatting in the background faintly. Staring at the blue velvet water in a trance all of a sudden I hear my parents and brother start yelling in excitement. I looked up and saw endless blue, but all of a sudden a huge tank like figure appeared out the shimmering water and shot out a mountain of water. It was amazing, something I had never experienced. I spun around and asked my mother what it was, she replied that it was a Gray Whale and they were migrating, whatever that meant. All I knew what that I was seeing, the giants of the Ocean that I had only seen on television and in stories.Its huge tail reached to the clouds and slid back into the endless blue disappearing into the sea. As I stared at the ocean it was motionless and still the smile that stretched from ear to ear now vanished. I searched across the miles and miles of blue and noting moved. All of a sudden the still glistening blue turns into mountains of gray flippers, and white caps. There were hundreds of them, Gray whales everywhere! I never thought I would ever see anything so beautiful and so simple. They were elegant, big, and strong, and I wanted to be just that. Seeing the migration of the Gray Whales in Cabo was one of the most beautiful thing I have ever experienced to this day.

Crazy Weather Experience 

            Every year my family and I would go down to Aspen Colorado, to ski and snowboard down the milky slopes, and experience the wilderness. From the moment I could walk my father put me on skis and sent me down the hills of the Rocky Mountains. After a couple of years of tumbling down the hills and getting my share of bumps and bruises, I was now expert. One year a huge unexpected storm rolled into the little city in Colorado, and it just so happened that my father, grandpa and I got stuck in the middle of it.
            The day started off fairly normal, the family ate breakfast got changed and headed downstairs to the locker room to collect our gear. The locker room was covered in warm inviting colors with isles of chocolate wood lockers, with enormous crystal windows, that stretched all the way to the ceiling. The view was even more so extraordinary; the mountains were covered by mammoth green pines, and a sheet of untouched peal white snow. The ski was clear and sea blue, the sun was shining making the snow almost blinding but magnificent. Once my father and grandpa got all the equipment we were off, it was time for me to tear up the slopes.
            After hours of skiing down the rocky mountains, we were all warn out, but, I insisted that we do one more run down the mountains. Bull Run was going to be my next victim, over the past years I never ever wanted to do this run. It was steep, with millions of moguls or weird dips and bumps in the snow. I sealed my once we got on the long lift ride, about five minutes into the ride the sky grew dark and the light snowfall grew into a thick white blinding cover, the wind began to whip around shaking the lift and slapping you, leaving your face burning. This was bad judgment by me, why did I even want to do this? I thought to myself. By the time we got to the top you couldn't even see your skis, as the unrelentless wind threw you about. There was no turning back now. I pushed of the ground and started down the moment with my father and grandfather besides me, but soon they faded away from me and all you could hear were their loud incomprehensible voices. The snow stung my face, as I hurdled down the mountain. The snow was so thick and dense you couldn't see anything. We got to another lift checkpoint about half way down to the base of the mountain. The base was where the warm fire place and food was, and I was determined to get down there. Once I came to a stop I scanned for my father and grandfather, until I saw their figures in the distance. It was time to go home, one more time down the mountain. Of course I was terrified because I didn’t want to experience that feeling of abandonment and constant fear of something bad happening. They started down the moment, leaving me on the edge of the plateau, as the disappeared into the storm again. I closed my eyes and started down the mountain whipping my skis back and forth avoiding trees and rocks, I was practically blind speeding down the Rocky Mountains at high speeds. The constant snowfall made the slopes thick and heavy on your skis, as they were swallowed into the white snow. My feet and hands where now freezing to the point that they were numb, and soaked with icy water. My nose was burning hot, and my clothes covered in white powder, and ice. I could see the Complex in the distance; all I could think about was shelter, warmth and smoldering hot chocolate.  I raced to the base of the mountain, snapped of my skis as the wind threw me to the ground, and whipped my skis about. I made it home, I survived one of the craziest storms, and I defeated Bull run!

Melodyis & Rebeibus: Creation Story Of JB

 Long ago in the Heavens above the goddess of Music, Melodyis was terribly sad. Melodyis was utterly alone in the heavens, none of the gods and goddesses wanted to be bothered with her. According to them they always had something better to do, or they already had a prior commitment. She knew deep in her heart that no one truly appreciated music as she did and did not want to be disturbed, they only thought about gods and goddesses like Zeus and Aphrodite. Nobody ever gave Melodyis any attention, not a single story or myth; she was just in the shadow of the superior gods.

Melodyis was tired of the feeling of emptiness and sorrow, and tired of being ignored and pushed to the side by the other gods and goddesses.  One day she decided that she was no longer going to hide in the shadows, that she would make something so beautiful, talented, and amazing to be her companion so she would never be alone, and all the other gods and goddesses would be jealous. She went into her room and began conjuring up her knew friend but she realized that to complete the process she had to find three things from earth, something beautiful, talented, and remarkable that would finalize her magnificent product.  She traveled down to earth she went to Canada a found the most beautiful flower the Trillium from Ontario. Next was talent, she traveled across the world to Australia where she took some of the Lyre bird’s talented voice.  Finally she needed the Wow factor to finish this; she pondered on this for days until she looked up and saw the twinkling stars above. “That’s it!” Melodyis yelped, “I will put star quality into my concoction.” So she reached up on her tippy toes and grabbed a star and plopped it in followed by the Lyre’s talented singing voice and, the beauty of the Canadian flower the Trillium. She stirred and stirred until a burst of glittering purple dust busted out of the pot and a beautiful figure stepped out, his skin glistening in the sunlight,  and his eyes twinkled like diamonds, but when he sang it lit up Melodyis ears and drowned her in beautiful tunes. “You have finally arrived, we shall call you Rebeibus!”

Melodyis and Rebeibus made beautiful music, but she hid him from the other gods so she could have him all to herself. One dreadful day Rebeibus wandered out of her palace into the common grounds of heaven where he by mistake revealed himself to the other gods and goddesses. They grew extremely jealous of Melodyis creation, and every god and goddess in heaven wanted him for themselves. Soon a full out war broke loose in the heavens and Rebeibus was accidently pushed off the Heavens and onto Earth. When he landed on Earth a human woman known as Patty took him in as her own at 17, and she renamed him Justin. But when Rebeibus began to sing for her she realized his talent and encouraged him towards show-bizz. Now he is known as the reigning king of Pop Justin Bieber!

-Grass-

The main point that the author was trying to get at in the poem is that grass is a dominant force in nature, and is illustrated in this poem. I really enjoyed the mood that the author applied to the poem because it was dark and he made us think of an uncommon image of grass and what it does. Sandburg illustrates grass’ powerlessness with the idea that over time it can cover up the worst battles, and events. In the poem it states “Pile the bodies high at Austerlitz and Waterloo…I Cover all.” This quotes shows how much and what it is able to hide and disguise history beneath the grass. How the grass disguises the battles and makes anything that happened in the past hidden is supported by the quote, “Two years, ten years [people would ask] what place is this?”  I really enjoyed the way Sandburg was so direct towards the poem, even though it was dark it was fairly intriguing. This idea of that nature conquers all is still out in the world, and is still very relevant in modern society even though it may seem as if we are taking over nature with our expansion of society and destruction of nature, it will overcome and lash its ugly head eventually.

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Nature

            After reading Ralph Waldo Emerson’s poem “Nature” I was very torn between his ideas but I found it very enjoyable but fairly different and interesting.  I was torn while reading this poem because I do not necessarily agree with all the transcendentalist philosophy and ideas about how you should live. In his poem he favors and discusses transcendentalist ideas, like how by experiencing nature at its simplest you can enlighten someone. I agree Ralph Emerson’s ideas of transcendentalism to a certain extent but I feel it becomes too demanding and secluded, and secluding yourself in nature is the only way to truly experience it and become in a way enlightened I believe that you can experience nature in a multitude of ways and you do not have to seclude yourself in nature. In the quote, “I become a transparent eyeball: I am nothing: I see all…” I believe that this is how you truly feel when experiencing something absolutely breathe taking and truly beautiful, and that you don’t have to submerge yourself into it, but you just need to experience it in a way that you can get the full effect of this transcendentalist idea, of receiving happiness and enlightenment from nature. But in today’s society technology is taking over and we are so consumed in it and its fairly difficult to truly experience nature. Whether it be hiking, camping, or just playing in the woods you are appreciating nature’s beauty and being enlightened we should do it. This was a great poem and I really enjoyed it.

232

-Thanatopsis-

          
         I have to admit this reading was fairly difficult for me to read at first, but once we went through it was read allowed in class and explained I understood it, and I actually enjoyed it. Personally I am really nervous and sacred about death, but this poem actually helped me think about death in a different light. This will always be relevant because in society death is always an issue in our lives. In this quote “Thou shalt lie down with patriarchs of the infant world, with kings, the powerful of the earth." This quote means that when you die you aren't alone but that you are buried or die with powerful people of the past, and that you are considered equal with others that passed on before you. Bryant basically says that we should not fear death but embrace it because it beautiful and we rejoin nature, and provide for future generations in various ways. His idea are so extraordinary because most people don’t have that same view  on death as most people do, I believe that he embraces death and does not fear it because once you die you rejoin everyone that you  had known eventually. Also you are now a part  of something grander and bigger, nature, but also not to fear death and be able to live life to the fullest with no worries. 

230

To Build a Fire-

            In the story To Build a Fire by Jack London I did feel sorry for the guy but I believe that he had it coming. I understand that it wasn’t the traveler’s fault that the weather was unexpectedly colder than his expectations. But the man did have warnings, the first thing was that the person in the story did in fact warm him about how cold it was and that he shouldn’t attempt to travel in this weather. The traveler was also way to confident about his journey, I say this because he claimed he knew everything for example the he thought he knew the temperature, how long it would take to get to his destination, and a lot of other information. The traveler made a lot of mistakes like traveling alone, traveling in bad weather, and his lack of preparedness (forgetting supplies). Once he began his journey there was no turning back, he caused his own death. I feel like the dog was the perfect contrast to him, instinct, which was the dog versus knowledge, which was the traveler. The wolf was way more equip to the environment unknowingly the dog just knew what to do naturally, while the traveler used facts and techniques that were taught to him rather then something he was born doing like knowing/ understanding to walk. I feel that this poem had a great life lesson in it, to trust your instinct, to always be prepared and listen to your gut. 

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The Tide Raises, the Tide Falls

            I really enjoyed this poem, when I read this I felt that it represented the cyle of life and the everlasting power of nature. I feel that Longfellows view on nature was that even if other things change nature will always be there no matter what supported by this quote, “The tide rises and the tide falls... [And the] traveler hastens towards the town and the tide rises and the tide falls…the day returns, but nevermore returns the traveler… [and the] tide rises and the tide falls.” In this quote it means that tide rises and falls while the traveler walked alongside the beach, and even though the traveler did not return ever the tide continued to rise and fall. When the author discusses the tide washing away his footprints I think that it means that you  are just a small part of the world, also that nature fixes our mistakes and helps us clear are head during bad time, sad times and troubled times. I really enjoyed this poem because it encourages me to go to nature to find peace at mind and enjoy myself and forget about all the negatives going on.  That is why I enjoyed this tranquil calming piece.

209

Reaction Essay
     The first essay that I read was Walking by David Thoreau, I really enjoyed the poem “Walking,” Thoreau is very clear in the first sentence that nature is the most intense form of freedom and wildness in this world. Thoreau also makes it clear that you must reject society and materialistic values in today’s world that doesn’t truly bring happiness. In the quote, “… the best part of the land is not private property… [but the]…freedom.” This means that having something does not make it enjoyable but experiencing the wilderness is what makes it enjoyable and amazing. His idea was that this was man's attempt to seek and to understand the wild, to confront it directly, on its own terms, outside of ordinary life and of what we think we know to be reality. Like in his poem “Walden”, he purposely separates himself from society away from the business of life, to live in the cabin all alone to truly experience the wilderness. I really appreciated this poem it really made me re think my values, and I feel this is one of Thoreau’s last hurrah to his audience, before his death to be aware of nature, and the beauty it beholds.