The Robin Neighbourhood: Part 4

“The Tears”

One day, through the big window, the mother seemed to cry. Her red belly seemed to be a deep red, the colour of red velvet. Her already glassy eyes were twice as watery, feathers around them damp. The babies were big now, their eyes a little damp themselves. Drip. A tear rolled slowly down the mother’s face. Seeing this, the babies, now adults, couldn’t hold it either. Tears started falling, one by one. They didn’t care, didn’t notice anyone watching them. One of the adults rubbed his face as how a human wipes away tears. Their yellow beaks turned orange, in event of the crying. The new adults had all their feathers now, giving them a glamorous look. The bigger one got hold of himself, nudging the smaller adult to calm her down.

“A Speck in the Sky”

The mother wiped her face quickly and straightened herself up, remaining her posture. A stern look flashed in her eyes as she saw her babies so… sloppy. The adults felt a little happier, recalling the good old times. However, remembering the situation they were in, they began to cry all over again. The mother got angry and ruffled her feathers. The new adults hung their heads as the big one “walked” slowly to the edge of the nest. He puffed up his chest, head held high. He turned his head around, nudging his mother in a last good-bye. He spread his wings and with another drop of tears, the mother pushed. He almost hit the ground and the mother panicked. At the last second, he flapped his wings, and up he went. The mother watched, remembering him as a little chick, until e was just a speck in the sky. The smaller robin rushed to her mother and nestled beside her mom, one last time. She went to the edge and the mother pushed. She flapped easily, and then did a u-turn. She waved her left wing as to bid farewell to her mom and us. After a few seconds, she was too, a speck in the sky.

THE END


Epilogue

The baby was about to be born. God came to say good-bye. The baby was crying. 

“It’s okay. You’ll be alright.” God said to calm the baby down. 

However the baby kept crying. “Why are you crying, young one?” God asked. 

“The world is unknown and a mystery to a baby like me,” replied the baby. 

God sighed and checked His watch. 5 more minutes. “Look, I’ll send you one of my angels to look after you.” 

With that, the baby got all happy. In just one minute the baby will be born. Suddenly, the baby started wailing again. 

“I don’t even know the name of the angel! How am I supposed to address her?” cried the baby. 

“Don’t worry,” God said with a smile. “Just call her mommy.”


The Robin Neighbourhood: Part 1
The Robin Neighbourhood: Part 2
The Robin Neighbourhood: Part 3

Poems

Definition Poetry
A poem that starts with "What is..." and answers the question in each line. The poem ends with "That is..."

What Is Poetry

What is poetry?
  A way to express one's self
  A way to tell a story
  Full of feelings
  An artistic expression
  Painting a story with words
  Unique to everyone
That is poetry!

Cinquain
A poem that has 5 lines. The first line has 2 syllables and is the subject. The second line consists of 4 syllables that describes the topic. The 3rd line expresses the action of the topic and the fourth line expresses feelings. The last line is a 2 syllable synonym of the topic.

Raining

Raining
Gray and boring
Cold wet falling raindrops
Dampening all the clothes and fun
A storm

Limerick
Limericks make fun of everything and everyone. The poem is 5 lined and has a rhythm. Lines 1,2 and 3 rhyme and lines 4 and 5 rhyme.

Rean

There once was a girl named Rean
And her entire body was green.
"Mother", she said
"There's something wrong with my head"
"'Cuz everyone thinks I'm a bean!"

Also see Haikus

Haikus

Haiku is a form of poetry created by Japan. There are three lines in a Haiku. The first line consists of 5 syllables, the second consists of 7 syllables and the third, 5 syllables. Haiku poetry are usually about nature. Here are some Haikus I wrote:

Seasons

The nature cycle
Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter
Seasons of the year


Beauty

What is true beauty?
Your true face without the mask
Beauty in the heart


Friendship

Friendship is golden
Friendship links us together
Friendship never ends

The Storm

Dark clouds fill the sky
Scary silence fill the air
Waiting for the storm

Also see Poems

The Robin Neighbourhood: Part 3

“Our Mom -> Their Mom”

After these uncommon affairs, they’re actually like human beings. Our human mothers take care of us in any way they can. When babies are born, it is usually our mom that is doing all the work. They are the ones that feed us, nurse us back to health and change our diapers.  In the bird’s case, it’s the mother bird that feeds its baby, take care of it, and eat their poop. (They don’t have diapers). Most of the time, the human moms are the ones going to and fro, buying the groceries and all necessary items. It is them that cook the meal. For the mother birds, they have to find all the bugs for their babies to eat. She doesn’t need to cook the insects, but she needs to chew on the creepy-crawlies in order for the babies to eat and swallow without any sophistication.
The Robin Neighbourhood: Part 1

“Our dad -> Their dad”

+

“Birds -> Humans”

The father bird doesn’t do any of the things the mother does. He is there to protect the nest and lead any uninvited guests away. For human cases, the dad usually gets the most income so he could buy a house. The father bird visits the nest occasionally to guard it. If he senses any danger, he’s not going to be scared. Also, dads are usually fat (they don’t exercise unless their job is a sport). The father birds don’t need to feed anyone so they can eat whatever they can find. They are usually plump by all the bugs they eat (and not share to anyone but himself)

In real life, the birds are just like human beings, just that they are birds. The robin neighbours are only about 2 feet away from us and they are a family. The family of robins presently moved in the neighbourhood, leaving them suspicious about us. How are birds different? They are exactly like humans, only smaller, and they have wings. They think and act like us too.

TO BE CONTINUED…

The Robin Neighbourhood: Part 1

The Robin Neighbourhood: Part 2

The Robin Neighbourhood: Part 4

Quand J'avais 7 Ans (Français)

Quand J’avais 7 Ans

Quand j’avais 7 ans, j’ai changé les écoles. J’étais tellement peur parce que je ne savais pas aucune personnes et je n’avais pas du amies. Que je vais faire si mes nouveaux camarades de la classe sont méchants ? Chaque nuit, quand j’ai été dans mon lit, j’ai pensé du cet question et j’ai été plus peur du le jour que je vais change les écoles.

Finalement, le jour horrible a arrivé. Mes jambe ont tourné a gelée quand je suis entré la classe. J’ai été peur si mon enseignante allait me forcer à me présenter à la class. Heureusement, elle a introduit moi à la class alors je n’ai pas besoin du parler et j’ai été envoyé à un pupitre à l’arrière de la salle. Ma nouvelle classe regardaient moi alors j’étais très nerveux. Je n’ai pas des amies alors dans récréation, j’ai été toujours proche au port. Jai regardé mon classe jouer entre eu. Quand j’ai finalement arrivé à ma maison, j’ai pleuré.

 -« Je n’ai pas des amies ! Je suis tellement triste à recrée parce que il y a pas du personnes qui veut jouer avec moi » j’ai crié quand mon père a demandé si j’aime mon nouveaux école. « Je veux retourner à mon vielle école »

-« C’est normal que tu n’a pas des amies » mon père a dit.

Dans l’école, je n’ai pas parlé avec mes camarade du classe et je n’ai pas répondu les questions que mon enseignante a demandé.

Un jour, dans recrée, j’ai été a coter du la port quand un du mes membres du ma classe aussi nomme Sarah a demandé si je veut jouer avec lui. J’ai dit « oui » et dans la première fois en un mois, j’ai rit et j’ai été content. Quand je suis retournée à ma maison, j’ai rencontré mon histoire à ma famille. Ils ont été surprise quand j’ai dit que je suis excite à retourner à école le prochain jour. Chaque jour après, Sarah jouait avec moi et j’étais content d’avoir une amie. Sarah a introduit moi a mes membres du classe et j’ai connu ma classe plus et plus. Je n’ai pas très peur du mon enseignante ou ma classe et j’ai parlé plus. Pourtant, je n’ai pas joué avec les autres personnes dans ma classe et j’ai juste joué avec Sarah.

Un jour, je suis allée dehors pour trouver Sarah. Après deux minutes, j’ai trouvé elle avec une autre fille dans ma classe. Je n’ai pas compris pourquoi l’autre fille est avec Sarah parce que j’ai pensé que Sarah est juste mon amie. Sarah a dit que ce jour, elle va jouer avec l’autre fille. Je suis triste parce que j’ai pensé  je n’a pas du amis. J’ai demandé si je peu jouer avec lui et elles ont accepté. Pourtant, ce n’est pas vraiment amusant parce que j’ai fâchée avec l’autre fille pour voler mon amie. Quand la cloche a sonné, Sarah a dit que je dois trouver d’autres amies parce que elle ne va jouer pas avec moi tout le temps. Quand je suis retourné à ma maison, j’ai eu un l’air triste et quand j’ai préparé à dormir, j’ai pleuré.

Le prochain jour, j’ai rencontré Cathy, une autre fille dans ma classe. Elle est aussi gentille alors, nous avons été les bonnes amies très vite. Dans les semaines, j’ai fait plusieurs d’amies mais pas comme Sarah parce que elle est ma première amie. Elle a aussi changé les écoles après première ânées. J’ai été triste et j’ai espoir que elle fait des bonnes amies. Ça c’est mon histoire du première ânées et quand j’avais 7 ans.  

La Fin

HEAR US SPEAK

Hear Us Speak changed me a lot throughout this year. Learning about Child Labor affected me and probably many on my friends. In a way, we were bonded closer together and we began to understand each other even better. When Hear Us Speak started in January, the class jumped to the idea. Without knowing, the campaign chanced us to be better people.

Our logo

When Hear Us Speak started, I was afraid to share my ideas. I was shy and uncertain about what I should do. Many times, I really wanted to share my ideas but fear held me back. However, now I feel safe and happy to share my ideas because my class respects what I say. Our meetings turned into a safe place where I could share my ideas and thoughts. I became braver each time I went to a meeting. I started to share my ideas in class as I became unafraid. That was very important to me because as a child, I never spoke to anyone. I always listened and nodded instead. My parents kept worrying so they tried to train me. Even though I started to speak more, I was very quiet and y teachers had to lean very close to hear what I was saying. My parents no longer worry about how quiet I am because I am starting to speak louder and more often.

The campaign also changed my attitude towards learning and helping. I am eager to help people in my school and neighbourhood whenever they need my help. The campaign made me see that I should help the people who need me. Also I am eager to learn more about child labor so I can, along with some help, stop child labor. Whenever I go home, I go straight to the computer to research about child labor. Very quickly, I gained a better understanding about the situation in some other countries and about child labor. Then I applied the eagerness to my school subjects. I started to explore and have fun while I learned and I was more successful. 

In addition, the way I was thinking changed. Before, I only thought of what I wanted and myself. Now I start thinking about the people who are less fortunate and live in different circumstances. Whenever I feel like complaining, I ask myself, “How would I feel if…” It helps me be a better person because I think about others and I don’t take things that other people don’t have like food, water and shelter for granted. Instead, I try to help by not wasting food and conserving water. Many people take things they have for granted and sometimes, they even ask for more. I used to do that but Hear Us Speak opened my eyes and what I saw were people who didn’t have water or food while we simply turn the tap and go to a store. I feel guilty after what stupid and inconsiderate thing that I have done and what I have asked for. I try to help by doing little things like conserving water. I also encourage my family members to do the same.

Some emotions I felt throughout the year were anger, gratefulness and a craving to help. I was angry because the factory owners first lie to the parents of the children promising them a better life then braking that promise and treat the children like machines, never paying them more than a few cents. I was grateful because I don’t need to go to work like the children in Third World Countries. Also, I have the necessities; food, water and shelter. I go to school with a great learning environment and have a better chance to be successful while girls my age in other countries walk miles to get a few buckets of water. Finally, I am grateful for a loving family and caring friends. Many people do not have friends and get sold so they cannot see their parents of family. However I cannot go to Third World Countries everyday to help but I have a craving to help people. So instead, I help people in my neighbourhood. I help my neighbor carry her plants from the parking lot and I give a loony to any one I find n the subway station that needs my help. I am changing into a better and more helpful person.

Hear Us Speak is a great campaign and it changed me throughout the year. It helped me find my voice, it changed my attitude toward new subjects, it made me see the world differently and it made me more helpful. These traits will help me in the future. I had a great year of Hear Us Speak and I can’t wait to continue the campaign next year.

The Fairy Doll Ballet (2)

Chapter 4: A Nice Surprise

The brochure

When we entered the theatre, we gaped in astonishment. There was artwork everywhere! Sketches hung from the walls and stuck on bristle boards. I was inspecting a sculpture of 3-D shapes when I suddenly remembered my friend, Erin, was performing that day. I told my sister and my father but they just laughed it off saying there was no way that my friend would be in the performance. We arrived very early so for about 10 to 15 minutes, we were sitting on a sofa waiting impatiently for the ballet to start. We started to hum and get on each other’s nerves when my father came back with some brochures of the ballet. My sister and I each took one brochure for my father brought two. I skimmed through the pages reading the plot to get a better understanding of the story. Suddenly, my sister poked my arm.

“Hey look! Isn’t that Erin’s name?” my sister asked.

I looked down at my sister’s brochure and found the name she was pointing at. To my surprise, Erin’s name was on the brochure under the subtitles German Doll and Chinese Doll.

“Ha! I told you Erin would be coming!” I shouted at my father and my sister triumphantly.

Maybe ballet isn’t so bad I thought.

Chapter 5:The Theatre

Soon the performance was about to begin. We quickly took our tickets and went in the theatre. The theatre was breathtaking. The stage was the size of our gym, which I used to think, was the largest room on Earth. The place for the audience was double the size of the gym. The theatre could probably seat 300 people! The curtain was shaded black and dark red. The walls were shade the same shade of red and the seats were covered in dark red velvety material. There were a lot of doors for people to enter if they sat on different seats. We kept on looking until the people behind us hissed for us to get moving.

Chapter 6:The Lonely Seat

We checked our tickets to know exactly where we would be sitting. To our surprise, one of the tickets was separated from the others. The one separated was the best ticket. It had a clear view of the stage and the person sitting there didn’t need to crane their necks to see what was happening. I longed for that seat but none of my family members would be sitting there. When I sat there, I started to think back on my decision. People kept coming in the theatre and the seats around me were getting filled. Luckily, there was still an empty seat beside me. Every time someone came close to my row, I would get worried thinking that that person will sit at the empty seat. After a few minutes, no one sat there so my sister came. Still, I was worried that the person who bought the seat my sister was sitting at would suddenly come. Soon, the ballet performance started and I started to relax.

Continued in Chapter 7: Act 1

The Fairy Doll Ballet (1)

The Fairy Doll Ballet (3)
The Fairy Doll Ballet (4)

The Robin Neighbourhood: Part 2

“…The Nest?”

Where’s the nest, where’s the nest? There must be a nest! It should be on that tree, close to our house. The two robins must’ve been protecting a nest! Guess that was wrong… We sat down on the couch and turned on the T.V. Whoosh! What… was… that?! The leaves by the window rustled. There was a great commotion in the house as we went to check. By the time we got there, everything was normal. However, the bird was a tad late, as we saw the robin fly away. The tripod was taken out and the camera was set. Through the humongous glass window, there laid a grand tree, so close that even the twigs are brushing the window. There! Just about 2 feet away, there was a basket made out of twigs and sticks, which we humans call nests. Just to be sure, we stood on a stool and peered over the nest. Two tiny heads came out…

“The Babies”

Ugly. That was the first thing that came into my mind. They weren’t fully fledged yet, leaving lots of bald spots. They had a dirty, orange-ish, yellow-ish colour, kid of like the pee that comes out in the mornings. And the eyes! Oh, what horrid eyes! They were just so small, not at all matching their big bodies. The black of their eyes weren’t the shiny, metallic black, but the dull, flat and lifeless type. Their bellies aren’t even red! They were white! Their feathers were all ruffled up, making a messy approach.

“The Wait”

They squirmed around fluffing their tiny weak bodies. Both were pushing each other down and stretching their mini beaks in unknown anticipation. There’s a blur of black and red that came surging from the trees. The mother is back, the mother is back! By now, the two chicks were stretching their beaks so hard, propelling themselves up with one another and straining their equivalent to a neck, trying to reach the prize. A worm. The mother calmly chewed the worm and gave half of it to the chick closest to her. Then, she gave the rest to the other one. Never hurry, never worry. The chicks were ducked down, only their ugly backs showed. There feathers still growing, which made them exceptionally ugly. The mother was still waiting. Shouldn’t she be going off, trying to catch more worms? What was she waiting for?

“Secrets”

The wait didn’t take long for the mystery to unravel. The babies were finally finished chewing and swallowing their food. However, the process of eating wasn’t finished yet. One of the babies stuck up his butt and his mother leaned forward. Time turned slow again as the mom opened her mouth. Her eyes seemed knowing what will happen is going to be horrible. Her beak was getting closer to the babies bottom. It’s tail and rump feathers ruffled. Soon the mother’s beak as right at the baby’s behind and… an egg came out! Wait, no. That’s not an egg! It’s a poop sack! The mom took it in her mouth and did the unimaginable thing. She chewed the poop and swallowed. She ate the poop. After that, she took flight and left. 2 bird mysteries were discovered. 1. How do birds keep their nest so clean? (Mothers eat the poop) And 2. When do baby birds poo? (Only after they eat)   

TO BE CONTINUED...    

The Robin Neighbourhood: Part 1

The Robin Neighbourhood: Part 3
The Robin Neighbourhood: Part 4

The Fairy Doll Ballet (1)

Chapter 1: The Horrifying Ballet

Right before our favorite TV show began, my mother suddenly cried excitedly for us to get dressed. She told us that we were going to a ballet performance. We instantly refused for we went to a symphony before and the moment we walked inside, we fell asleep. Ballet wouldn’t be different. My mother insisted. She tried to persuade us saying it would fun and our first ballet we would be going to. She begged us to go explaining how the tickets were free because one of her colleagues donated the tickets that were $30 each. We still refused to go, all the while not peeling our eyes from the television screen. With an exasperated sigh, my mother marched up to the television and tapped the on/off switch.

“We’re going whether you like it, or not”, she growled.

We sighed knowing we lost the argument and went upstairs to get dressed still wondering what would happen in the television show.

Chapter 2: Fancy Mother

When we came back down, we saw my mother dressing up. She was combing her hair when she spotted us. She looked with disapproval when she saw that we wore a normal top with worn jeans. She  sighed and went back to her makeup.

“You could’ve worn something more...pleasing”, my mother said while putting on lipstick.

She then told us to get the TTC tickets and tokens. We obediently retrieved the tickets and tokens from the table my mother had described. We dropped them in her expensive beige and brown Coach purse leaning against the washroom door where my mother was fixing her hair. After 10 long minutes my mother finally came out of the bathroom. Our mouths dropped open for she was now a completely different person. My once plain mother was now wearing her favourite, white Ralph Lauren sweater instead of her striped top. She wore long black pants complementing the sweater. She wore some shiny magenta lipstick and a bit of blush. Her hair was smooth and straight and it was pinned up with a flowery hair clip. We smelled a sweet scent so we knew my mother put on perfume. She smiled when she saw us gawking at her and strolled up the stairs as if it was the red carpet to retrieve my father.

Chapter 3: Going To Our Doom

After a few minutes, my mother finally dragged my father down the stairs telling him how "exciting" the ballet performance would be. One look on my father’s face told us he wanted to go back to his computer. At least he wasn’t alone.

“Another sleeping pill”, I muttered as we trudged across the gray, sun-baked sidewalk trying to be as slow as I could.

My sister agreed.

“The Fairy Doll is the name of the ballet”, my mother was explaining. “It is about a doll who has magic and makes other dolls alive.” 

Yeah, whatever I thought.

We were soon in the cool subway station that blocked out the blazing heat of the sun. The coolness was some comfort to what would happen soon. To our dismay, the subway arrived too quickly and soon we were back outside into the heat of the sun trying to find a theatre named Cardinal Carter Theatre. Every inch of my body wanted me to turn around, run back into the subway station, and go back home. However, as I was thinking these thoughts, we were pushing open the doors of the theatre.

Continued in Chapter 4: A Nice Surprise

The Fairy Doll Ballet (2)

The Fairy Doll Ballet (3)

The Fairy Doll Ballet (4)

The Robin Neighbourhood: Part 1

"The Robin"

The robin never moved a step. Its eyes were fixed on us like it was weighing us, seeing if we were friend or foe. Its tail twitched in anticipation. It jumped to a branch and stood still once more. Now, the bird seemed the size of an orange. Its wings ruffled preparing for flight. It jumped on another branch yet again, this time higher up. It was leaning forward, wings spread out. The robin's eyes narrowed, wondering why we still didn't disappear. In its mouth, hung a lifeless worm. If that worm wasn't there, the robin would've probably screeched. However it just kept jumping on branches, not leaving and sizing us up.

"The Battle"

Like out of nowhere, another robin, this time much bigger, much more horrifying, came out of the shadows. With a battle cry of anger, the bird came lunging forward. It zoomed past, trying to get the attention from the smaller bird, to him. The bird with the worm (the smaller bird) leaped even higher, still persisting eye contact. The other one screeched. He jumped, flapped a few times, and soared right to the branch where the smaller bird stood. There, they both were, so striking with there blood-red stomach, glaring at us with those beady, lustrous eyes. The "arena" fell silent, not a single bird, but the two mysterious robins, remained. Still, they did not leave. The fierce bird puffed up its chest. With another battle cry, it hurtled across the yard, in a final attempt to lure attention and lead us away. His eyes glowered in a human-like way, as he knew his attempt didn't work. He leaned forward, wings spread and eyes knit together. The robin sprang up, and fluttered back to the other, smaller bird. That one was still bearing the worm in its beak. The worm made her look silly, mostly because it was still the size of an orange. The bigger one hovered around our heads, and did the most repulsive thing... it pooped.

"The Final Act of Defiance"   

Time turned 10 times slower, as the poop slime sack came closer... and closer to the ground. It splattered right in front of our shoes, as it made contact with the ground. A very near hit. His intension was unmistakable. Leave! This is our home! He flew so close, not scared one bit. We slowly slipped into our backyard door.

The last thing seen was the birds fly up and vanish in the trees.  

TO BE CONTINUED...    

The Robin Neighbourhood: Part 2

The Robin Neighbourhood: Part 3

The Robin Neighbourhood: Part 4