I decided I'd try and post some of my poems on here, since I liked the first line poem thread so much. I would really like some advice on how to improve. Thanks!
Every year I take a trip to an Amusement park in China. Sadly, these "Amusement parks" are no more than a few scraggly and rusty rides and a smattering of dart throwing and prize winning. I usually climb a rock wall, go Euro-Bungeeing (look it up), and win a prize for my niece (four years younger) to showcase on the way home. The other rides are too rickety and to be honest, scare me slightly. Even the people that run the rides are a tad shady. One owner tried to give me a puppy that looked barely old enough to walk, an urgent smile plastering his face. However, this year a new Amusement park opened and it is quite a deal better. The rides are scary exciting and best of all, new. Teenagers and young adults flock to this new attraction, and I was led there too by my cousins and my niece on this sweltering morning. We rode on rides that spun upside down, and the classic Dragon boat. We ordered two blobs of cotton candy bigger than my head and ate until they melted in the sun. Then I saw the two rides I frequented every year; the Euro-Bungee and the Rock Wall. "Hold my bag." I instructed my niece, and she huddled to the rail to watch me jump. Unlike the other Amusement park, the man in charge of the ride didn't recognize me and didn't realize that I wanted to stretch the limits of the bungee cords to the very peak. He started stretching the cords gently so I bobbed gently up and down. I glared at him. "Er...do you want to go higher?" "Yes, please." Bemused, he continued flinging me higher and higher until my time expired. The one to tackle next was the rock wall. Unlike the other, this Rock Wall had five choices of difficulty. The one on the very left was short, with prominent hand holds and smaller prizes at the top. On the very right was a scraggly slope with few holds and massive prizes. I considered my desire for a large prize and my mounting exhaustion from walking in the hot sun, and finally settled for the one in the middle. It was obvious the man who was strapping me in did not believe me capable enough to get to the top. "If you fall, remember that there's a rope." I scaled the slope pretty easily, only getting stuck at the top where the holds were smallest and most sparse. But I reached the top, and as he lowered me back down, I dug through the basin of medium-sized prizes and selected a small black bear. My niece also cheerfully showed me her prize, won from shooting balloons with a bebe gun. As we waited in the shade for her Father, I watched with smug satisfaction as a spindly teenage boy chose the same slope as I and failed to reach the top. We concluded the morning by eating lunch at a barbeque. I then retired back to my Grandma's place and continued studying my SAT's and practicing my Brahms.
You finally had some fun. Took you long enough. My town is known for the world's largest free fair.
Thank you.
You're welcome. I never had a grandfather. They both died before I was born.
No. We just take burial to be a very serious business.
I can tell. I would ask for a picture, but I wouldn't want you to have to go through that again so soon.
Knight, darling, call Dragon by his right name. (d) Or I shall have to scold you.
Thank you, Tacky.
We concluded the morning by eating lunch at a barbeque. I then retired back to my Grandma's place and continued studying my SAT's and practicing my Brahms.
Wait, you didn't even spend the whole morning there?
Knight, darling, call Dragon by his right name. (d) Or I shall have to scold you.
(un)
Thank you, Tacky.
You sir, should have asked yourself.
---
Cool, looks like you had fun. Somewhat.
One owner tried to give me a puppy that looked barely old enough to walk, an urgent smile plastering his face.
I remember back when I used to live in that place I mentioned a few pages ago. In the city's market there'd always be at least one unkempt looking man with a cage of dogs next to him. By the looks of it he was selling off mongrels mutts for a bit of cash. They looked adorably pathetic in those boxes. I nearly, nearly teared up He offered to sell one for 10-20 USD to my sister. She felt inclined to take one of the dogs off his hands. Of course, the vendor looked like the kind of guy that randomly swiped nice looking dogs of the street for a quick buck.
I watched with smug satisfaction as a spindly teenage boy chose the same slope as I and failed to reach the top.
You finally had some fun. Took you long enough. My town is known for the world's largest free fair.
Nice.
You're welcome. I never had a grandfather. They both died before I was born.
That's a shame.
Wait, you didn't even spend the whole morning there?
The whole morning. Then it got too hot.
(un)
(l)
You sir, should have asked yourself.
Be a man, Dragon. Trololol. :P
@knight Yeah, there was this woman on the street selling daschund puppies. So cute. And a man was selling ducklings. I picked one up and it walked on my hands. <3
I know. My dad's dad was a great man. Even in his 70s, he could put his foot behind his head. I am actually named after him... and his dad... and my dad... and my brother... and my nephew...
As I've already pointed out, my Father's side of the family has a bit of a temper. I never quite thought about where that particular temper came from though, until my Grandmother decided to unviel her temper, aimed at her oldest daughter and her youngest son; my Father. I would have been more worried or alarmed, but her anger was less akin to my Father's murderous temper and more like that of a sulk. After my Aunt decided to flee the house, my dad was left to bear the brunt of the anger. By then her temper had cooled down, and she simply sat and lectured him heatedly for a few minutes, lips pursed in dissatisfaction. "Shame, shame." She grumbled. "My youngest son going off to AMERICA to live? A Qindao Ren working in Foreign countries? SHAME." I couldn't stifle my chuckles at my Father's obedient face, one that I rarely ever saw. After her speech was done, she turned her attention to me and patted my cheek lovingly. "You are such a good child. Unlike your father."
This morning, we headed off to see the grave of my great-grandmother; a woman I never knew. Originally my Uncle was to drive us, but he got stuck baby-sitting his granddaughter. I smiled, thinking of him and his ramrod straight back and military discipline carrying a tiny infant. After we arrived, we made our way through a forest until my Grandmother stopped at a bent tree. With a jolt of shock, I realized that this was the grave marker. How my grandmother who could barely remember where he cane was could remember this exact tree boggled me slightly. She straightened her crooked back. "Mother, we are here to see you!" She bowed three times and we followed her lead. "I brought your great-granddaughter. She's such a good child. Unlike some of your grandchildren." My Father snorted. She finished her chat and upon that conclusion, ended our morning.
Yeah, there was this woman on the street selling daschund puppies. So cute. And a man was selling ducklings. I picked one up and it walked on my hands. <3
That's cute.
(un)
(l)
(no)
LOUISIANA
I believe some parts of India verge on 40 C (~104 F) during the summer. I'd mention Kuwait, but that place is desert so we all know it's as hot as hell there.
THe one thing Qingdao is most proud of is its oceans. Stormy and temperamental like its people, the beaches of Qingdao are frequented by floods and floods of tourists from America, Europe, and other parts of China. Since the beaches get unbearably hot and crowded in the afternoons and mosquito infested at night, the best time of day to smell the salty water is in the morning. For some odd reason, in the few days I've been in Qingdao, it's been foggy and cooler than usual. Thus our view of the blue and gray waters was somewhat inhibited though I could still make out the fishing ships on the horizon, silhouettes fuzzy. I myself don't like the sandy beaches, and instead head to the rocky parts, where I will climb the steep cliffs and sit for a few minutes, enjoying the silence and solitude. Then, inevitably, my Father will come running after me, warning me of the dangers of slippery shells and other hazards. But in that small space of time I'm filled with a sense of pride in my Chinese Hometown. How grand the ocean is. How very majestic and how breathtakingly beautiful the coast is. I don't usually like going to the ocean, honestly. The salt water stings and seaweed wraps around my ankles which makes it unbelievably uncomfortable. The sand covers me like a powdered donut and takes forever to wash off. However, there's no denying that this particular coastline, where my parents and their parents and their parents after that had stood and marveled evokes a certain kind of serenity that no other could. For Qingdao is my second home, after all. For all the years to come I will sit on my lofty perch and I will enjoy the few minutes I have alone breathing in Qingdao Ocean air.
