My Bench
1:
The bench that I chose for my assignment is at the boulevard
park, right next to the big soccer field. I chose this bench because it sticks
out; you notice it sitting there, all by itself with nothing around except the
walkway leading up to it. As I walked up to the bench I noticed it had a plate,
and on that plate it read: “we played, walked & joked together, your
friends”. As I examined the bench it seemed quite old, maybe around 15 years. I
noticed little spots of rust on the arm rests and around the plate where the
writing was. The wood had rotten in some parts but still maintained its
structure and stood tall and strong. The was one of those six-pack plastic ring
holders stuck onto one of the arm rests, and a little bit of graffiti on the
other metal arm rest. I was careful of where I sat on the bench because I
noticed that there was some bird poo on the back rest as well as on the base, I
eagerly avoided that!
2:
3:
If a bench were dedicated to me for any reason, be it that I
passed away or it was simply just a gift, I would want it to be placed somewhere
away from civilization. Somewhere alone, where it could sit and not be
vandalized by people, but still remain where a passerby or a tired jogger could
sit on it and take short break, and soak
in the surroundings like I did with the bench I sat on. Somewhere like on the
side of a trail, in a forest, or on the edge of a lake, sitting and waiting to
have someone sit on it. I find it difficult to think of something to say on the
plate, because most of the time these benches are donated to someone, and that
person that donates it, picks what to say on the plate. But if I had to say
something (assuming I was dead) it would be something along the lines of: “loved
life, lived life, every second of it”.
4:
If I was to dedicate a bench it would be similar what I said
in chapter 3. It would be placed somewhere unique, where people would only see
it if they looked for it. I believe in my mind this is more special than just
placing a bench in a park, or on the edge of the seawall or something like
that. Say for example, you’re walking through a park, and you encounter a
bench, you think to yourself “oh this is just another bench I have found, just
like that past five I have seen”. But if you’re walking somewhere, some place
that normally not a lot of people walk, somewhere that is less populated, and
you discover a bench, I think that that would be more special and unique than
just encountering another bench in a park, or along a seawall or beach. If I
was to have an inscription on the bench it would say something like: “Never
forget about the paths in life you desire”. What I mean by this is, never
forget you dreams and goals in life, and don’t give up on yourself.
5 (Journal response):
Today I had to find and pick a bench for an English project.
Once I had picked the right bench I had to sit on it, and think about things
like how I felt, what I thought, and also what I saw, and experienced while
sitting there. So I thought it would be a good idea to head up to the boulevard
park because I had saw a couple benches there before and thought that that
would be a good place to start. It was a cold, crisp but sunny day. The birds
were chirping and as I walked out my front door I felt as if spring was coming
early. As I arrived at the park, and walked up the grassy hill, I saw the
perfect bench. It was at one end of the field, sitting all by itself facing me.
It looked awfully lonely there so I thought that this would be the bench that I
would choose. As I walked up and sat down on it, I felt like it was the right
choice for me. The cool crisp air was blowing through my hair, and I could
smell spring time. The grass was slightly frosty, and the bench was really cold
on my butt. As I looked around and took in all of the things going on around
me, (as odd as it sounds) I felt like I had become connected to the bench,
through the writing on the plate that read: “we played, walked & joked
together, your friends”. This writing seemed like something I would say on a
bench plate, if I was donating one, so in a way I related to it. I continued to
sit there and absorb all of the things that were happening all around me, and
after about ten minutes my feet started to get cold and my butt was definitely
frozen. So I packed up and rode away on my skateboard, feeling good about what
I had just experienced! And I was also very confident that I knew what I was
going to write about in my response.
True Friend by: Clara Odelia
Ciutara
Friend gives you smile
But true friend gives you happiness
Friend will lie about you
But true friend won’t tell your weakness
Friend knives your back
But true friend will slog your face
Thousands friends come when you’re happy
But only one true friend comes when you cry
Friend comes when he needs you
But true friend comes when you need him
Friend leaves when everybody does
But true friend comes when everybody leaves
Friend comes and leaves
But true friend is yours forever
I picked this poem because in a way it related to the plate
on the bench I chose. The plate on the bench referred to friends as being
funny, joking, always there for each other, at least that’s the way I saw it.
This poem is exactly how I would describe the perfect friendship, and I see it
as the perfect way to describe my friendship with my best friend, Luciano.
7:
My philosophy of life is that one should live life to the
fullest, live every day as if it was your last, and always have good friends in
your life. Have friends that push you towards success, friends that give you
happiness, and are always there for you when you need them, and vice-versa. My
poem relates to my philosophy of life in that having a best friend is one of
the most important things. It’s a special relationship between two or more
people that only they can share. A connection that draws each other closer
together, and makes them cherish that special energy they share. I believe that
if someone has lost everything in life and has nowhere to go, if they are lost
and have given up and don’t know where to go, all they need is a best
friend...If they have a best friend, then all is not lost.
The purpose of a park. I believe the purpose of a park is to bring people together, as a meeting place for people to share good times and enjoy nature. A park can be the host of soccer game, or a place to let the wind carry your kite as high as possible. A park can be big or small, long or wide, and has room for everyone. It is a place to lie on your back beside someone special, and gaze at the stars in the night sky. It’s somewhere peaceful, a place where no piece of ugly machinery or a monstrous building can invade, a paradise if you please. It’s a place where you can get lost, and find yourself again. A park is somewhere to release all negative feelings and tensions, and to breathe in the healing crisp air. But most importantly I think a park is for getting away, a place for some thinking room, somewhere to sit, and ponder of why you are there.
9:
My bench
My bench is cold, very cold
It sits by itself, all alone
Like a lost soul searching for a companion
But when I rest my bottom upon its hard surface
Like flipping on a switch
I feel connected to this bench
It takes me places, places I would not have thought of
I show’s me my surroundings, unlike how I would have seen
them before
Like a ride, travelling through the park
Yet we do not move
We stay, not moving a smidge
And as easily as I started this ride
I get off
And once again, it’s a lost soul
Searching for a companion
