11

I am standing outside tonight

I feel the cold wind blowing on my face

The wind brought loneliness with it

Maybe loneliness is like the wind

You feel it when it comes

But you never notice it when it goes

一人で外に立っている

冷たい風は肌に触れた

風は寂しさを感じさせた

おそらく、どちらも同じように

来た時に感じる

消え去る時に、気づかない

10

I always wanted a bird. But no ordinary bird. I wanted a bird unlike any other. I got one. It was still an egg that time. It grown big, strong, and mesmerizing. 

I first taught it to speak. It spoke with a voice so soothing that it can take your worries away. Next, I taught it to sing. Sounds and notes so heavenly that even angels are jealous of it. It kept it in a cage and fed it a feast fit for a God. Not even my fellow men were able to taste the delicacies that it consumes. I wanted it to fly higher and farther than any other bird. So I let it out of its cage.

Days turn into night; Seasons pass one after another. Then one night when the moon was crescent, it came back to the cage. I never want it to fly away again, so I broke its wings.

It still speaks and sings, and now it can't fly. It truly is a bird unlike any other.

9

You wished upon the heavens for power and they gave it to you.

You could tame the vicious seas; Out run the fastest beast; Strength so great that mountains were made. You soared through the skies as free as a bird. The best gift of all was immortality. You could neither age or die.

Humans started to worship you as a God. But not all. Some grew fearful, and their number grew each passing day. Your friends feared too. They made a plot to catch you in your sleep. You were placed in a stone coffin. They sealed it and sent it deep into the sea.

When you woke, you were sad. The only thing that still made you human was the connection you had to your people, and know they thrown you aside. You stopped being human at that moment. You mustered up all the strength you had and made the seas split into two. Your rage was shown in the skies and earth. The ground would tremor and the heavens roared as you made your way back to the humans.

You were worshiped as a God. Now, you became one. You saw humans beneath you and you ruled the world with an iron fist. The world was finally peaceful. It was orderly and prosperous under your rule. Now tell me, is power good?

8

I got out into the cold autumn night. It wasn't as cold now as it first. I gotten used to the cold. I sat by a bench overlooking a field. It was empty tonight, and quiet. The wind blew gently. I took out my pack of Marlboro and lit up a stick. The sound of the cigarette burning in the night of autumn was satisfying.

I stared to think of all the choices I made to get here, to this foreign land. I had to stay here for the next 2 years. But already I felt bored with this place. I knew that my potential will be realized. However, It would not be any time in the near future. Time passed swiftly here. It already been a month since I got here.

I had a companion with me tonight. The autumn wind wishes to share my cigarette. I allowed it, for a while. The wind was greedy, he stole half of my stick. I lit up another. I think back to the time when I caught my mother smoking in her room. She tried to hide it, but I could smell the scent of tobacco on her. I was acquainted with that scent. She advised me not to smoke, yet she goes on doing the same. Ironic, is it not?

I hear the sound of cheering from a far. It must have been the soccer game. I tried to think of other thinks that were not important, to fill my mind with thoughts less toxic than the tobacco I was inhaling into me.

I saw the stick get shorter with each puff. I thought to myself, is my life the same? It becomes shorter with every breath I take, with or without the cigarette. My feet and hands were starting to get cold. I tasted the residue of Jack Daniels on my lips. My bladder was starting to fill from the water I drank earlier. It was time to leave.

But before I left, the thought which I sought to escape from caught on to me. I could not run from my true self anymore . I am a wolf, despite what others may think of me. They see me as kind and good. But I know the truth. I am but a wolf that wishes to be among sheep. So I dress myself in sheep's clothing. It is only during my time alone that I can truly be honest with myself.

My heart yearned for a person that will do the same - a person to be honest to me. I stepped on the stick of cigarette and took the unlit buds on the floor. I threw them into the trash. But I took up my sheep clothing and continued to wear it.

7

I took a joint last night. I haven't done it in a while. It reminded me of all the things that I left behind: all the drugs, the alcohol, the girls, the parties, the money, and the fun. I have mixed feelings about them.

That joint helped me think about what I really want in life. I saw a cozy apartment unit; there was enough space for a small get-together; a view of the city skyscrapers and elegantly furnished interior. It was not big, probably 1000 sq ft. It was my own little fortress. I know I can make it there. But the dream seemed so distant, not in distance but in time, which made it seem even more distant. I'm certain that I can get that little apartment unit after graduation.

I wanted to see a girl there. In fact, I want a girl there. I have seen the darkest end of society, seen things that good people should not see, things that would make stomachs churn with disgust; yet the worst part is that there is nothing a single man can do about them. I need some comfort in my life. I soft, gentle touch. A lap where I can rest my head on; shoulders where I can cry on; arms that will embrace me and a voice that will comfort me. For too long I have struggled, I want some peace.

I see her in that little room with me. Does she see me too?

6

A boy meets a girl. The girls speaks a different language. The boy thinks she looks attractive. He gets to know her and finds out that he admires her qualities for than her beauty. He strives to learn a new language to know more about the girl. The girl helps him. He helps the girl to learn his language. They became friends. The boy mustered up the courage to tell her how he feels. He was not surprised that she already had a boyfriend. He felt disappointed. He settles to be her friend instead.

Is there a moral to this story? Is there really a right and a wrong?

I think things do not happen for a reason. They just happen. It is our job to make the most of it or let it consume us. In the end its about choices. How will the boy act now?

5

I'm the weakest
Not the strongest; Not the smartest;
Not the fastest; Not the bravest
Despite it all, I am still here
I have survived
I now lead
The strongest, smartest, fastest, and bravest
And all I did was try
I tried the longest and hardest
I'm the weakest
But it's my weakness that gives me strength