Writers Festival, 2015

So, I entered a few poems in the Writer's Festival again this year.

The first one was inspired by... Well, a lot of things. Les Miserables, the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer, and Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly. And also just a sort of restless feeling, a need for more, to DO something.

Starting A Revolution

I will not be silenced

When I have so much to say

I will not just stand back

My soul cannot be tamed

Do not expect tranquility

From my raging heart

You cannot demand serenity

When I have wars to start

And there’s a revolution

Just waiting to begin

A fire burning in the people

Crackling beneath their skin

And I intend to call them up

The people all will rise

For we are stronger than you know

We won’t be blinded by your lies

But I know we need a leader

So for the people, I stand

I’m not a flawless champion

But I’ll give soul, heart, and hands

There’ll be no more tranquility

From my raging heart

And there is no serenity

For I have a war to start

We will not live under you thumb

For freedom we will fight

You never saw this coming, but

We know our cause is right!

And we will stand for everything

That we know is true

So we will be victorious

When the war is through

And the story will be told again

About our battles and our scars

How we would not be defeated

And we took back what was ours

So come against us

If you dare

You think you’re stronger

But we don’t fear

And we will not be silenced

When we have so much to say

And we will never stand down

Our souls will not be tamed

The second one was inspired by an essay that a girl in my English class wrote. We were assigned to write about home, and she wrote about speaking and performing on stage- something I understand, although I'm singing and acting. And in her essay, she said, "There's a delirium that comes from being on display." That phrase just resonated with me- I think it's absolutely lovely. So I stole it and wrote a poem about living on stage.

Life On Stage

There’s a delirium

That comes

From being on display

A release of inhibition

You feel

When you give your soul away

And it’s a madness

You live

When your heart is found on stage

Oh yes, a delirium

That comes

From being on display

Almost impossible

The high

You can’t get another way

An exquisite torture

You live

Under the lights each day

To taste the delirium

That comes

From being on display

And, cool news, I found out yesterday that Starting a Revolution got selected as one of the honorable mentions, and I got published in our little book again. Yay! :]

Eternity

This Saturday, I had the opportunity to go to the Payson Utah Temple open house with my favourite people in the world- my family!

So, it was me, my little sister, my little brother, Dad, Mom, GrandmaH, GrandpaH, AuntJo, UncleRo, Rip, Zap, and Taw. Kad and Cad would have been there, but one of Kad's best friends was getting married... So they opted out.

But ANYHOW. The Payson temple is absolutely gorgeous- I mean, they all are, but Zap and I walked into the first ordinance room, and our jaws just dropped. It was LOVELY. We basically were just slack-jawed through the whole thing.

And the funny thing is, we've gone to temple open houses before- with Dad's side of the family, we've been to the Oquirrh Mountain, Brigham City, Ogden, Draper... And a few more. So we've seen temples before.

But we're always blown away by how lovely they are.

And not only that, but there is this incredible feeling of peace and love- the strongest presence of the Spirit, and in a temple that isn't even dedicated yet! It's wonderful.

And I love temple open houses- because it's such a brilliant promise for the future, for the eternity that can come.

Walking through the Payson temple Saturday night, all I could think was, "This is where eternity starts."

And it's true.

I can't wait for my turn to go through the temple, and someday to be sealed there, to start my own eternity with my husband.

And of course, when eternity finally gets here, I know that I want my whole family there with me- because I can't picture myself without them.

The temple is seriously the greatest thing ever.

Families are forever!

HELP.

Short post, ready go! So, here's the deal:

The AP Psychology test is this afternoon, and AP Calculus is tomorrow.
I have Choir Festival this afternoon, after Psych.
Next Monday is the choir concert, Tuesday is the AP Government test, and our jazz band concert.

Here's the kicker:
I missed Thursday and Friday last week because of Small-School All-State Band (bassoon, YAY!).
I missed last Monday because of Band Festival.
I missed the Monday and Tuesday before that for all-day rehearsals for our school musical (I was playing keyboard in the pit).
I missed Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday before that for All-State Choir.

When I signed up for these AP classes, I didn't realise I'd be missing the three weeks immediately preceding them for all these other extra-curricular shenanigans. YIKES.

SO... I'm a little stressed. This is gonna be an adventure.