A Tribute to 14
By Joseph Eck
Introduction
"Where I'm From Poem"
I am from suit and tie, from KitchenAid mixers and Coca-cola.
I am from the loving, open house where friends are always welcomed and food is always plentiful.
I am from the blue skies and ball parks, from pickup games in the backyard to little league, to the bright lights and my favorite players in the Bigs.
I am from family dinner and vacations all over this country, from John and Tammy and the reserve the whole row because everybody's coming.
I am from the hard working and supportive.
From all animals talk on Christmas Eve and "you can do it".
I am from the Cross, a believer in Jesus Christ, from organ music, choirs, handbells, and contemporary choruses.
I'm from Texas and Minnesota, Saturday morning breakfast and chocolate chip cookies.
From the mission minded grandfather, the entrepreneurial grandmother, and the great grandmother who believes I can do no wrong.
I am from scrapbooks that capture moments in time and collections that touch the heart and imagination of young and old.
Narrative Poem
It was dark, and the people were not home. As she jumped the fence of her backyard her bandana had fallen off...it was too late for it...the wind had already carried it to the ditch. She ran free with only the thought of exploration. As she ran she passed through another ditch, this one being wet and filled with water but that did not stop her.
She found herself at a crossroads after some time of running; and after treading through bushes she finally reached a place to take a short break. This short break slowly felt longer and longer... eventually the thoughts of "what will my owners think?", "I don't know which way to go", and "if they come home and there is no one to greet them at the door...what will they do?"
She turned and looked back toward the way she came and realized what she had done. Slowly she began to walk home. She was tired, but still she was determined to get there somehow. When she finally reached the house there was no light within and not knowing how to get back into the yard she decided to wait on the front porch, but just in case she scratched at the door hoping ever so slightly that someone would be there.
Eventually she fell asleep. Some time went by before she heard rustling behind the door. As the door opened she walked into the warm house only to fall to the ground to be cleaned up with a blanket.
She slept in the next morning, eventually waking up to the smell of bacon. Happy.
Structure Poem
MUSIC
Music is
addicting,
it constantly
appears to
everyone
and gets
in your
head.
Music is
creativity,
it is
created
all over
the world
for many
reasons.
Music has
speed and
emotion,
from fast
to slow,
from loud
to quiet,
from happy
to sad.
Music is evolving, from hand written to electronic,
from strings to horns. Music is its own language,
even though there are so many around the world.
Music comes in differ-ent types, from long symphonies
to short tunes.
Ode
Ode to Homework
My teachers think I need this, my parents think I need this.
Would I need to know what sickle cell anemia if I was stuck in the wild?
If I was writing a 200 word essay about space would I need to know what xylem and phloem are?
Would I need to know how to set up a trigonometry equation in the middle of a tennis match?
Home is not for school work, home is for relaxation and hanging out.
The worst is when teachers assign homework over the weekend or break.
"Seriously?" I ask, they actually expect me to do this?
Does the president know how to right a CER or SAR?,
If he does he probably does not use these "skills" often.
Do billionaires have homework, I'm guessing not, besides counting their money by the thousands?
Teachers and other people who assign homework need to know that we have lives too...
If teachers want us to pass why not let us use reviews or give us the answers
because studying is time consuming?
At least in college you study what you want to study.
Do famous song writers need to know exactly what diseases Columbus brought to the Americas in 1492?
Do historians practice geometry in their spare time just to get better at it?
Do chef's go home every night only to remember the fact they have to know what the filament on a
flower does or how the shoot system transports nutrients through the plant?
In the middle of an orchestra concert do the musicians have to know how to find the area of a triangle?
Some people have easy homework and some people have hard and unnecessary homework.
It may seem like I am complaining but there is a lot to do because
someday I hope to be more than a student who has filled his head with facts.
May the homework of today lead me to the career of my future.
Is there value in trigonometry or in understanding flowers?
I guess it all depends on where I want to go and right now the homework is part of the path to get me there.
Sonnet
Sonnet to Games
Everyone has their own way of life,
Everyone is different from one another,
I use mine to escape life's strife,
This is so I stand out from others.
Games are a different type of joy,
Most games are the perfect escape from everything bland,
Some games are played with toys,
Some games are played with sleight of hand.
When I find myself bored or broken down,
Tired from the day to day grind,
I know you will be there to go another round,
My only hope is if I will have the time.
For all of life's struggles,
I can count on you to help my troubles.