Give Thanks

As the American holiday of Thanksgiving is approaching, write about something for which you are thankful.

See you next week for our last meeting of the semester!

Journeying on Well-Traveled Roads

By Fatema Abdul Salik

I miss the days that were.

My brother was young and I could carry him everywhere.

When dawn would rise and I would not hurry.

Walk around with eyes sleepy and blurry.

My mother would take care—

Of anything I needed for my daily fare.

I miss the days that were.

My brother was young and I could carry him everywhere.

Sitting on the kitchen counter with my legs swinging.

The scents that now leave memories lingering.

Every year I waited for rain that would freeze.

My hair flying in the cold breeze.

Those childhood days that leave me pining;

Where mama and papa were my only stars shining.

I miss the days that were.

My brother was young and I could carry him everywhere.

Mother

by Ameena Z. Bakaev

Tears that are wiped

Hands that are held

A warmth that is around

Non limited joy

Kindness of an angel

Youngness of an immortal

One and only

Unbreakable love

Massive care

Over her own

To a yet to be born

Her feet's above paradise

Everlasting miracle 

Reaching closer than other

Weather

Weather doesn't really change much here; however, after a few consecutive days of rain and otherwise stormy weather, everyone thought it would be a good idea to write about it.

I am the Weather

by Ameena Z. Bakaev

I am the weather

I surround all around

I can show and I can hide

I can see and I can talk

And paint the picture that I want 

I am the weather

I am the one

I'm the dusty, I'm the fog 

I'm the snowy, I'm the sunny 

And therefore I can paint myself 

I am the weather 

I am the cause 

I am the ruler, I command 

I can switch and I can flip

The atmosphere that's in my fist

I am the weather 

I am your friend 

I am your enemy 

I am a family

And I judge back the way I'm judged 

And for the last time

Missed

by Nadia ElMeragawi

The vows they had made
To honour and love
In the eyes of God above
Had been broken
Simply tossed away
Left to fade
Day after day
Leaving nothing but despair
Leaving unlived moments
Days that could have been
But never were
Made up of words
Words of kindness
That our poor hears crave
Never spoken
Left to fade
Ended love, ended respect

Looking back
Things could have been done differently
Moments lived, moments loved
Words spoken
Nothing left inside
Our hearts opened up wide
With no need to hide
The feelings within
Out in the world
Expressed, lived, remembered.

I miss the moments
The possibilities
Days I could live
Days I could have lived
Feelings I once had
Vows that once were made.

How Do I Like the Weather?

by Alia Ali Al-Semeiti

The sun crosses the clouds
you can't see
the sun, but you can feel the heat in
the air.
When the clouds spit on me
wind and sun with blue sky
hearing raindrops
when wind makes trees dance.

Raining Tears of Joy and Happiness

by Noor Odeh

Raining tears of joy and happiness, wishing I can go back to the happy moments I shared with loved ones. Tears of happiness pour down my face covering the tears of sadness and sorrow. I express when darkness rises in the day, i feel, and see the past flash before my eyes. Trying to catch time, but it's so fast. Time is my enemy. Moments of happiness trapped in the past, I know it's certain they can never come back or be replayed. I just have to live in the present and future with the feeling of wanting to cry under the rain.

Exquisite Corpse Haiku Chain

This week, the Creative Writing Club members created an exquisite corpse composed of haiku chains. We all contributed words to the following master set of vocabulary: chop, cold, cry, extract, mountain, oil, run, table, tree, wave, wind and wrench.

Creative Writing Club Group Haiku

Oiling dead trees tables
Mountains full of cold snow
Cry for the shepherd

Running with the wind
Under the mountain's wing it cries
Tables shook nervously

Wind flows all the way
Drops of rain form in sick clouds
Who will cry for you?

Run with the wind in your hair
Trees running alondside

*

Chopping trees
Wrenching roots, watching oil flow
Crying trees, green blue

Mountains scream aloud
In horror they hide under tables
Wind's throat turned sour

Water comes from mountains

Seeds grow into new trees, chop down
Wind, clouds, rain, winter
Watch dancing water

Wrench and extract happiness
Crying soul of Earth

*

Oil created through centuries
Water flows through centuries
Trees drank, death made tables

Mountains devoured
Oil extracting from the ground
Wind running to watch

Mountains formed crystals
Watch water move
Extract oil, soil, water

Your soul flows closer
Cry, run, get blown far away
Water chops, waves arise

*

Water cries when wind blows
Watch it flow and run wild
Wind forms what we need

Water is what we need
Suspend life in tables chairs
Our seat in the trees

Cry for chop of trees
Water wrenched and suspended
Crying leaves on trees

Watch trees cry
Mountains cringe, oily rivers
Flow through the desert

*

Trees crying leaves
Extracting useful materials
Watch trees cry

Mountains firm, green life grew
On dead wood we watch closely
tears run like river

Mountains watch Silence
Extracted flowers pensively
flowers flow over the trees

Trees whispering fears
run toward an opening wound
watch the wind blow right

*

wind blows cold sweet
trees get chopped when water flows
Mountains wrenched to run

Trees taught survival
wind send what we need.
oil fumes run with wind

watch our city tip
fun on table like crazy
Mountains watch and celebrate

Running ants in trance
ants cry over trees
chop-chop the trees down

*

Glowing oil flows
dinner table's sticky tears
oil gets suspended

wind chopped through trees
cries echoed lonely Earch
watching wind flow

seeds scatter, life grows
wrenching meaning from a sun
watch the wind get mad

oil boiling, not flowing
Trees producing hunger reducing
watch mountains run

The People Behind the ABP & Clubs Join Forces

For the second time this year, we tried to bring two clubs together to work on an activity. As the end of another marking period nears, November is a tough time, and interest seems to drop as there are numerous rival activities such as ACT, IELTS and SAT preparation courses, other clubs and the ever-increasing strain of homework.

Even though Mr. Mike was the lone representative of the Photography Club to attend our meeting this week, we made a goal of trying to capture the people that make the ABP work. The Creative Writing Club members did it in words, and Mr. Mike tried with photography.

If you could not attend, feel free to capture the people who help make the ABP function and send them to me or post them here. Read some of our results below...

ABP

by Ameena Z. Bakaev

walking, strolling, whatever it is they call it

right, left and all around 

there he sits, there he learns

there she chats, and there she laughs

love and friendship all around

sharing some and keeping some

learning news and sharing olds

there they are, there they are 

doing something or doing nothing

as long as they are here

there is nothing to fear

upstairs and downstairs, all around

there are the great ones with the tiny ones

there he teaches and there he learns

giving and taking from each one another

and food is all around

and there is coffee along!

all of these are in one thing indeed

starts with A, along with B and ends with P

its not home but its good enough to be 

where learning and fun gathers to one

by Michael Grossman

ABP's Building Blocks

by Nayruz A. ElAzzabi

SawSan
Smile
Fill life with happiness.
Food is delicious.
Pasta
Let's be friends.

Anonymous Girl
Barefoot
Red shoes on the ground.
Doesn't care
Give me my coffee
Blah Blah Blah

Workers
Give me a gray shirt
Give me purple trousers.
Let's make a change.
Let me make it better.

Starbucks Worker
Nourish people
Exchange riyals
I'm sharing milk
You'll feel better.

Miss Paula
Life is a process.
Just keep going.
Solve for x because
y can't be
left alone (unsolved).

Dr. Avril
Synthesize your thoughts.
Activate the enzymes.
Catalyze your life, keep the
process going...

by Michael Grossman

Counselling Her Students, She Gathers the Pieces of our Future

by Fatema Abdul Salik

Counselling her students, she gathers the pieces of our future,
Teaching his pupils, the math class is full of rationality.
Cleaning tables, I would not like to study on dirty furniture,
Secure the perimeter, without security there would be so much danger.

Banging on the keyboards, where would we be without an internet network?
Oxford dictionaries falling over, teaching English needs a lot of passion. 
Heads full of enzymes, the Biology teacher is good at scientific methodology,
Ages past from parchment to paper, the librarian keeps record of all the borrowing.

Whispering in low voices, the students are play eating,
Each person in a hurry, they might miss the bus.
Clinging like a lifeline, the clubs are a relief from a hard day.
Some talking, some studying, all the students are busy.

by Michael Grossman

People Smile

by Alia Ali Al-Semeiti

Dr. Marci Linsey
Dr. Mark
Ms. Jean Ann Witthoft
Fatima Chowdhury
Paula
Suzzanne Pautler
Ms. Marci Brown
Ms. Aggie Ellam
Ms. Christine Fuller

by Michael Grossman