Two Faces By: Justine Neuberger Poem Written By: Scarlett Neuberger

Dear reader,
I was having a little bit of a problem with pasting my picture up here, so to see it, simply follow the link below. Thank you.
 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/justineneuberger/5105734175/in/photostream/

Dark and Light fight against each other
But neither will give in
Destined to fight a never ending battle, they rage war
They need to be equal in amount
In every woman, man and child
Never tipping the scale
Always keeping the balance
Circling each other in an eternal dance
Black and White
Dark and Light
Good and Evil
Never tipping the scale
Always keeping the balance

Where The Sidewalk Ends

Where The Sidewalk Ends
By: Shel SilverStein 

There is a place where the sidewalk ends
And before the street begins,
And there the grass grows soft and white,
And there the sun burns crimson bright,
And there the moon-bird rests from his flight
To cool in the peppermint wind.

Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black
And the dark street winds and bends.
Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow
We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And watch where the chalk-white arrows go
To the place where the sidewalk ends.

Yes we'll walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And we'll go where the chalk-white arrows go,
For the children, they mark, and the children, they know
The place where the sidewalk ends. 

When I read the first paragraph, I felt airy and filled with light. I also pictured this beautiful scene. But when I read the second paragraph, I felt heavy and dark. I liked how Shel Silverstein created this to give you two idea's and two point's of view. It gives you an understanding of what the world around us has become and what there still is at the end of the sidewalk. He's also saying the place in the first paragraph is where humans haven't and can't touch. And because of that, it's where the sidewalk ends and where this beautiful lush paradise begins.

"And we'll go where the white-chalk arrows go,
For the children, they mark, and the children, they know,
The place where the sidewalk ends"

These last three lines really stuck out to me because they are saying that we are the future. As children we have the power to grow up and stop all of the harmful things that are being done to our environment. The first line in the triplet says to follow the white arrows. And the second line says that we, as children have drawn those white arrows. I like that because white is the color of peace. So when we are older and wiser we will be able to lead the world in to a more peaceful and happy state.

Overall, I think this poem is about trying to save our environment and then enjoying it together.  Keeping our earth clean is important. But it's also important to not overload. Every once in a while it's important to stop doing what you are doing and have fun. Or go to a little paradise of your own. No matter where it is.

No harm will come in taking a step back in life and enjoying what mother earth has to offer as long as we keep it clean. I mean, have you ever stopped just to sniff the roses? I sure haven't. But after reading this poem, I do want to. There are so many important things that we miss because we want to be going, going and going. In The Phantom Tollbooth there was a city filled with buildings that were bright and beautiful that everyone stopped to look at and adore. But when people just kept walking, urgent to get to where they wanted to go, the buildings faded until they were close to nothing. Sometimes, sniffing the roses is the right thing to do. After all, roses, are delightful.

  

Wilderness camp? I think not!

        Have you ever heard someone say "I tell it like it is"? Or if someone is talking about something important they will tell the truth? Well this isn't one of those times. As I say above, Wilderness camp? I think not!
       
        Anna Wheeler is a girl who her parents would label as a "troubled teenager". But I can't help but wonder if they know what they are talking about. To me, it sounds as if they never even got to know her. Her dad is a religious freak and her mom is to scared of her dad to do anything about it. What kind of relationship is that? I'll tell you. Not a good one. And because of that, before Anna could blink she was in what's called a "Wilderness camp". But the correct term for a place like where she went is more like prison. Or worse if you will.
      
        I watched a movie called Boot Camp to see what was going on in these kinds of places. The whole movie was based on real events. It turns out that there are over 200 boot camps like the one in Bad Girls by Alex Mcaulay with no government regulation at all.
      
        There's no warning. They come. They take you. And there's no if's, and's, or but's. You try to fight, you pay the price. Once you get there, it's just down hill. All day you have to do physical and mental labor. Sofie (the girl from the movie) has to go through these seesions where everybody from the camp gathers to hear someone answer why they were there. If you say "I don't know" they call on people to call you names like "liar" and other worse things that I can't write and shove you around like a play thing until you crack. It's physical and mental abuse. And it just get's worse. If you stop doing work for even a second, you get beaten. And it's done by the girls you call your bunk mates. It's gotten so bad that people have died. There are reports that show over 40 deaths in these camps.
       
        Anna Wheeler is just another one of those girls caught up in these camps. It happens plenty of times. But what hurts the most to me, is that people get away with it. These camp's are still going on. And children are still getting hurt. But because it's not happening IN the states, no one can do anything about it.
       
        What do you think? Is there any truth in "Wilderness camps"?