Who sparked my interest to writing.

The first time I ever even began to be interested in writing was after listening to Amir Suliamen. He is currently my favorite spoken word poet. Here are the lyrics to the first poem of his I was exposed to.

How Beautiful

"How beautiful are you?

You didn't think you were beautiful enough to say

I want to be loved

Not taken advantage of

You must have not known you are dove

Aflying far above dark valleys of tears and blood

Of those that know sex

And carnal pleasure

But not love

You didn't think you were beautiful enough to say

Don't talk to me like that

You didn't think you were beautiful enough to say

Don't touch me like that

You didn't think you were beautiful enough to have

Any position but on your back

You didn't even think you were beautiful enough to fight back

So you laid lifeless

As you innermost chambers were

Attacked and torn

And attacked and torn

You closed your eyes

Trying to find some place black and warm

Somewhere you are safe from the storm

Of the norm

Of beast holding from you legs neck and arms

As your innermost chambers are attacked and torn

Attacked and torn

You lie being thrown

From your back to your front to your side

From your back to your front to your side

Bare cold and naked and desperately trying to hide

And any sign of pride has been torn from your insides

And you can't even conjure up the emotion to cry

You don't even spend your time wondering why

You simply wonder

If you'll ever be a wife or mother

Or if you'll ever be gently touched instead of grabbed

Or if you'll ever be gently guided instead of dragged

Or if you'll ever be appreciated

[As] opposed to just had

You didn't think you were beautiful enough to say

I don't want to be raped

By the time you are ugly enough

To know that you were beautiful it will be too late

By the time you are ugly enough

To know that you were beautiful it will be too late

I swear by God you are beautiful

Don't wait until it's too late"

A new addition to the family?

For the past year I've been wanting a dog with everything in my heart. Last week I put my writing skills to use and sent a heart felt email to my landlord.

"Hi Mrs. Ester, this is Jasmine, Rena's daughter. There's something that's been on my mind lately and I've been hoping to talk to you about it. Ever since we've moved here I've been hoping to bring a small dog into the family. I had completely given up on this thought but I was reminded a few days ago that it never hurts to ask. Our family has had animals in the past. Our most recent was a medium sized dog named Brandi who passed away March 19th 2010 due to cancer. It was a very devastating time for us. Things haven’t been the same since. My mother and I were hoping to brighten up this holiday with a new addition to our family. Please consider. Thank you. Happy Holidays."

Surprisingly she said yes! It was probably the happiest moment I've had since I moved here. I called my mom screaming in her ear. (: Currently Im looking at a little pomeranian/ chihuahua. His name is Little Bear. He has partially deformed hind legs so he runs a little funny and is slightly blind in one eye. I hope to go visit him this weekend while in anchorage and bring him home to Juneau at the end of Christmas break. Below is a picture of the little guy. 

Room 218 Keeping it Real. (Blog Reviews!)

First off I'd like to say that every single one of Mr. Clay's classes have great blogs! But of course, 6 period knows where it's at.(; The blogs I picked for some lucky reviews by yours truley were Life Passion, Explosive Content, and Till Human Voices.

Life Passion has a very serene blog with calm colors of a beautiful sunset in its background. Even though there is not much content, the content that is there is filled with much meaning. Their post titled "Redemption" gives great advice on friendship and forgivness. It's definately worth checking out.

Till Human Voices is actually one of my favorite writters in the school. I've seen her work flourish greatly from last year. All her post have great thought behind them and perfect visuals accompanying them. Keep up the great work.

Last but not least is Explosive Content. I did not expect to laugh this much just by one picture. If you go to their page you will find a picture of a elder man with his cain ready to beat the mess out of someone! Haha there is no way someone can pass up a post with a picture like that next to it. I will say some of the content can be found troubling to some bloggers. Please be aware when visiting.

Home is Where the Heart is.

<3Why did I not fight harder to stay where my heart will forever be. More tears could have been shed. I could have pleaded with everything I had. With all my might I should have faught...but I didn't. Too many times in life do we search for a pot of gold that sits cleary in front of us. Were just too blind to see it. It's like the old saying "You dont know what you've got till it's gone."

I didn't understand what he meant when he said I wasn't mature enough to leave yet. I did not know at the time how good I had it. It all seems crystal clear...now that I've hit the bottom. The view is different from here. The words I here, the things I see, the feelings I feel, they've changed. "It's just high school." they say. This I do not believe. Back to you I'll come running. With all the power I posses I will cling to you. Never again will I let this mistake take place. I love you Anchorage. <3

The Love of a Brother.

At the age of 12, he became the man of the house. He consoled mother and I as we grieved our father's departure to heaven. Little did I know that under his wing he had now taken me: protection, love, laughter and understanding.  

I will always remember the wind in my face as me and my brother cruised around town in Daddy's old Mazda 626. Music tuned out our doubts and trapped all our troubles.

 Crack! The pain shot through my foot as it said "hello" to the newly formed fracture. With each tear he told me I was ok and wiped my eyes. Up the stairs he carried me and stayed till Mommy returned home.

 He accompanied me on my first date to see the movie "Bedtime Stories" on Christmas night. In the middle of the movie he came down the steps and caught Sam and I holding hands. "YOU TWO, UP HERE RIGHT NOW!" he yelled in the silent theater. After the movie he calmly said, "Holding hands, none of that."

A day before New Year’s he came to me with a little black box. Contained in the box was a diamond star necklace. "Jasmine, with this necklace I want you to promise me that you will not have sex until you are in love and that you know, without a doubt, he loves you." 

Nine-thirty pm in the Walmart parking lot he hands me the keys to his stick shift, "It's time for you to learn." After being stuck in one place for about ten minutes we decided the lesson was over. The air was filled with the stench of burning rubber and gas, "Jasmine, you broke my car!"

Hours at the gym he would spend with me improving my basketball skills. "Come on, keep up, let's go!" He would yell. Around the track he ran me against my will. He made me stronger with every push, pack, bump, and, of course "Good job, Baby sis." 

One day Mother and I were not getting along so well so he decided to take me to the recording studio with him that night. With each lyric sent through my ears I saw a new artistic and creative side of him. He looked to me for my opinion on the songs and even used some of my ideas. He referred to me as "Coach."

 The day he graduated high school his smile spread from ear to ear. There was a sense of pride with each stride marched down the aisle. As he passed me on his way to the stage he gave me a couple of slaps on the cheek. I screamed, "Love you too!" and the crowd giggled. 

 When he left for college we gained the strongest relationship we had ever had. Updates on every single thing in my life were always being sent to his phone. I sent him a picture of a little denim skirt I had fallen in love with. He responded with the sweetest words, "You don't need revealing clothes to look cute. You do that already."

 I knew by his embrace we would not see each other for quite a while. His car was piled to the roof with his belongings. At five am he departed for his new beginning in Long Beach, California. Tears from all present eyes fell as the last glimpse of his car disappeared into the darkness. 

Life by Martin Wiliams

"I'll be there

up where the corners meet

where he heads of giants

seem to crack the painted sky.

I'll reach

and what I grasp

won't fumble or spill or break

and nothing will be any longer

too big for my hands.

I will float across the earth

in great soft step

and no one will ever make me go

where I do not choose.

The weight was more

bearable than I thought;

I thought by now

I'd be crushed

by every new grief

dragging my soul behind

like a baby's blanket;

I thought by now

I'd be in pieces

in piles of broken

ifs and shoulda-beens." 


I chose this poem because I feel as though life is what we make it, and what we make it only. Do it big. 

Give me your eyes.

I chose to past this fast write because I felt it gave a view on freedom of speech. For some reason I had the government in mind and the secrets held from our country. How patriotic would we be if we knew all those lovely secrets?

"We use all our might to open it, yet they rush to close it. Our eyes try to look, but they don't let us see. Our ears do their best to listen but they wont let us hear. Hi. my name is not George Bush, but I have the right to open my mouth, break the chains off my tongue and allow the words to flow like the Nile. Peace leading to violence? Who knows? We're human, we get frustrated. Respect? Yes, give it in order to receive.  They say curiosity killed the cat, but in reality ignorance killed the cat. Curiosity was framed. They don't want us to see, but we already know. "- Jasmine Brown

Gratitude, two little words: "thank you".

I noticed on each of the teachers doors were big hearts with the words "thank you" posted around the school. To many times we leave a class room with our brains ten times more full of information from our teachers and dont even care to stop and say thank you. I know I myself am guilty of this. Yes they frustrate us, make our lives just a tad difficult sometimes, but how difficult do we make theirs? haha I know a few students who are a couple of stinkers who Im sure drive the teachers up the wall, but think about it, our teachers are still here. Maybe one day we should try to test without information being taught to us by the teachers. Ummmm...epic fail. Next time before we leave our class room to rush to the next, take a second and say those two simple words.

BTdubs, thank you for reading(;

Young and wild and free

Were just havin fuuunn. We dont care who seeeeeess. So what we go oouuuttttt, thats how it's suppose to beeeee. Livin yoouunngg and willdd and freeee.