Just wait

Sometimes you look at life and think: "Is this all there is? Am I going to be doing this my whole life?"

That's when the best part of life jumps in.

Unexpected accomplishments, memories, and people drop into your life.

You could say it's God's way of saying: "I'm not finished with you yet."

Just remember the dull times and the trials; just make the good times seem a whole lot brighter.



Cheers.

Taking Notice

"Sometimes we focus so hard on what others think of us and we don't even examine ourselves. What makes us think they are right anyway? Its all prejudice or opinion. Do what you do and be proud of who you are."

One Last Word About Christmas

Yes, Christmas is over, but late stories are better than no stories at all!

I had a pretty decent Christmas. Good food, good music, and a family less shattered than usual all helped to make it special. I hope everyone had a similar experience. After all, Christmas is supposed to be a happy day, right?

Anyways, here's one last post about Christmas to hold you over for another 364 days. 

I hope you enjoy it and keep coming back each day for more poetry and stories from the eyes of Alex Arlington.

Photo by Kristen Nicholl

“Regalos para mi”

“Merry Christmas!” she shouts.  My step mother stares at me with hopeful  eyes while my father plays with a new gadget on the couch. She slides a large box across the floor to me.

Bright-red wrapping paper with green stripes and a sparkling blue bow; all I can manage to do is stare at it. If there’s a hidden secret to this mysterious box, I haven’t caught it yet.

“Open it!” she insists while holding her smartphone in picture-taking position. For a few moments more, I contemplate the gift before I move my hands to tear off the colorful wrapping.

Maybe… Hope fills the back of my mind as I tear the last bit of paper off of the box. Stark-white without a single mark to indicate its contents. Just maybe… I open the box slowly and pull out its contents. A new game system, fresh from Sony, is now clasped between my hands. I guess not…

“I wasn’t sure what to get you,” my step mother states, “but the man at Best Buy said that this was a popular item this year, and I knew you liked video games.” Three games sit in the bottom of the box with some candy that’d been thrown in to fill space.

I don’t let out the sigh which comes up my throat. I don’t let my frown show. How could she have known? I can’t blame her. Instead, a smile is put upon my face. It’s sincere, even if not my first emotion.

“Thank you!” I say brightly, bringing satisfaction to her worried face. “I’ve been wanting this for a while.” I hold the console up a bit and force my smile larger. A few shutter sounds indicate the pictures she takes.

“I’m glad you like it, sweetie,” her relief and smile never fade, even for a second. “Who wants brownies?” She stands up as my dad grumbles something from the couch. She leaves the room, taking my excited look as my consent.

Still, as she turns away, I look down and lose my smile. My eyes take in the new game console. I guess I shouldn’t complain. I had wanted this too, right? But my thoughts are little comfort against my wish for Audrey to suddenly appear…For the contents of the box to suddenly be some sort of sign that she’s come back…

“Brownie time!” my step mother exclaims cheerfully as she enters the living room once more. A silver tray covered in brownies brownies rests upon her upturned hands. Instantly, my smile returns, and I silently promise not to let it fade for the rest of the day.

Christmas Eve

Photo by Kristen Nicholl

It's the day before Christmas here in Ohio, and I can practically feel the excitement in the air.

People have rushed into stores, grabbing as much merchandise as possible. So much greed has been shown these past few months...but, somehow, tomorrow everyone will turn into "saints." Caring will replace hatred, and, for one day, I'll have faith in most of the human race.

Oh, what a great day it'll be!

Today's piece shares that feeling from the eyes of Alex Arlington. This week will be full of similar posts, stop by each and every day to read them all and join us on tumblr for the delayed post of each piece and special views of each of our Christmases.

Happy holidays everyone!

“Cuando era niῆo…”

I awoke to sunny  thoughts of the frigid air outside. Every year, when I was younger, I’d awake to snow-covered seas of frozen fields. Now, the scene has been replaced by the sight of cars as they pass by on the highway below my bedroom window.

“One,” I whisper the command to split into another form of myself. For seconds I sit on both sides of a border between the past and present before I come back to my regular self. Slowly, my face starts to mimic the happiness of the child I’d seen a decade ago.

A mask over my cynicism it may be, but the thrill is real. Only a day is left before Christmas. Soon the presents will come, and love will sweep the world. I can’t help but feel the overwhelming pleasure of peace soon to be realized.

Slipping out of bed, the feeling fails to fall from me. No. The feeling shall never fall from me.

Fate drives me,

hate divides me,

but love keeps me grounded.

~Christopher Shorten

Tis the Season.

So it's Monday again. Time to post.


This season is special, and not just because it includes my birthday. That just makes it even better. (haha.)

Christmas time is the time of year where families get together, even after not seeing each other all year. Its full of memories that go with you wherever you go; & those memories hit you when the season returns.

I myself have lost a lot of loved ones over the past few years, as many of us do since we are all growing up.

This time of year reminds me of the happy times with those people.

All throughout the year I miss them like crazy and my emotions go up and down on missing them so bad to the point of being depressed. 

But this time of year is special, yes so very special.

The warmth of love and glow of holiday spirit surround me.

I reflect on the whole year, see how far I've come, & I am grateful.

There is magic in the air & I am joyful as a child. Everything seems to fall into place.

I hope and pray that even if it is tough year round, that this season touches everyone. Rich or poor. No matter the life situation.

I pray everyone has the chance to tell others they love them this season. It doesn't matter if you can't afford them a gift. Just make sure they know.

I pray that you are touched by love and carry it on with you. 

I hope this season is good to, as it brings out the good in most of us.

& Just know there is someone greater out there than St. Nicolas to take care of you.

Good tidings to you, & may all your wishes this season, come true.

With love,

Kristen Nicholl

(Pictured is my brother, sister, & I many Christmas' ago.)

Life is beautiful

You don't have to be restrained to the negatives of life. A famous thing to say is, "Well that's life." But it is said in such a sour tone.

Life, its full of new and passing away the old. People coming and going. Born, dying. New memories outshining the old.

This week I had the privilege to stay in the smoky mountains. It was so quiet and surreal up there. I didn't want to move from where I was when I sat down on a hilly side of the mountain. From where I was I could see mountains for miles and trees of all colors. This past week I forgot about the election, my worries about working on the holiday, and financial issues. I breathed in that clear air and for a moment I was in heaven, I was set at ease, full of peace. The beauty was bigger than my problems. I came to the realization that life can be something I take as an opportunity for adventure, the bad times are the challenges that I will overcome and in the end they won't matter. 

"Beauty overcomes the ugly, Happiness overcomes the sorrow, and Hope overcomes the doubt."

Wonder

Wonder never leaves us.

Deep in our hearts we still wonder.

with this wonder comes our hope.

We look to the sky and things around us & on the inside we are thinking of all the possibilities and opportunities out there.

We dream as we see things pan out for us and see each goal being met.

We wonder in love.

Could it be? We wonder. 

With wondering comes exploring, with exploring comes adventures, with adventures comes experiences of a lifetime.

When we wonder we see things differently than each other. Yet we are linked by the subject of hope.

& of dreams.

Wonder. It exists in all of us.

Sidenote: 

-"wonderbabe" is what my father has called me since I was a toddler. He said I always looked like I was up to something or curious about something. I wondered about things and people wondered about me and the mystery I made of myself."

Sparks

You know how to light up my life, brighter than a north star in the black western sky.

You pull at my heart and have me falling more and more each day.


You feel what I feel and its not like anything I've experienced.

You, You, You.


So much to say about you, words can't fathom.

Your love is deep and true. You cannot deceive. You are real. That's the best part.

Life with you is a dream without being in the dream and waking up.

_________________________________________________________________________________

If they stop needing you, I'll still need you

I just want you to not let me go.

Is that so much to ask?

I don't want to fail you, I know it's going to happen.

I'm not a perfect girl.

But I'll love you.

I'll love you with everything in  me.

and I do.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Sun-gazing

photo by Kristen Nicholl

I find myself at a time of huge inspiration drawn from a completely wonderful friend...but hardly do I have any time to write. It's kind of pissing me off... Oh well, I guess that's the life of a college student, eh?

This next piece is about a week or two old and was drawn from the ideas generated by the picture to the left (which is also the blog's background image).

Let me know what you think. Next week will be another video installment from me and (hopefully) some fresh writing. 

Enjoy!

"One like no other"

“She puts too many thoughts in my mind,” I whisper, half dead. My back against the stony ground, my will against the world…The sun comes down so brightly, and the dull ache in my skull only worsens. “I wonder if she knows what she’s doing.” I sigh, the heavy motion pushing another stone into my back. I wince but convince myself to leave it. “At least pain means I’m still alive.”

“Hi!” she whispers in my mind. “What’s your name?”

“What’s my name, eh?” I smirk. “Like that ever mattered.” Back-track a few months, back to when we first met on a bet from my best friend. “ ‘Go get her!’ he said. ‘You’ll have fun!’ he said.” My heart jumps as I remember the first kiss we both enjoyed. The sweet taste of the raspberries she enjoys still lingers. “Why couldn’t everything be so good?” And so the sun shines down. “I swear I’ll never fall for her again.” So I get up and brush the stones from my bare back.

“Steven!” she yells from our house not far away. “Come back in, there’re clouds rolling in.” I follow without concern, a heavy mind dragging behind.

The rain soon follows and so do my regrets. By our humble fireplace her eyes shine so radiantly, I can’t help but want a taste. A stunning smile and a jealous kiss. How could I possibly resist? I’ll always be falling and wanting her on my mind.




Fate drives me.
~Chris

Can't sleep, Can't Speak

When you just want to turn around and run back to where you came from. Back to where you started, back to who you were, who you knew, and what you so loved. But you can't. You mustn't. You can't get anywhere with focusing on the past, it just drives you into the ground because you want things to go back to the way they were but there's no chance, no way, no how, they could be the same.

I get lost, ya know? I'm getting older and losing grip of time. I feel nostalgic listening to this song. Part of me goes numb. When I sit alone, my thoughts conflict each other. One side says: "Oh, if only I could be who I was, or if I could relive that..." The other says: "Don't waste your time. You know you can't go back. Things are just going to have to progress whether they get better or not."

I've been going through a rough time right now with someone I love..They tend to take advantage of me being here for so long. When a few years ago I was everything to them, I want to feel that way again.