Amazing Read!

My sister, who just began the fourth grade and won't be ten until December, wrote the following poem for her class. The only prompt she was given was to write about what she thought was deep inside her. I may have some biases since this is my little sister writing, but I'm really not one to lavish praises on anyone. Honestly, I found this amazing writing. Anyway, read and see for yourself.


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Deep Inside Me


Deep inside me is a door. Behind the door is a room. In the room is my mind, my thoughts, my imagination. The ceiling is high; the room is round and mammoth. Both seem to have no end.

The rainbow walls are covered in colors: cherry, lavender, and emerald.

There are animals, people and things. There are immense mountains of objects, some pictures you cannot touch, and some real things I know. The pictures are memories, some of enchanted times and gloomy times, timid times and boring times.

Images of grandma’s house with the smell of delicious cookies, or of fourth birthday parties with thrilled friends. The piles go on forever.

But in the center is a ball of light, like the sun. It shoots out pictures, smells and objects, never ending, never stopping.

In the ball are two faces. One that looks like you and one that looks familiar.

The familiar face is inside you, speaking to you. It echoes in the room.

It makes me feel light and cheerful. An excellent feeling you want to last forever.

The place is my mind,

my thoughts,

my imagination.


26 August 2009
Sara Garrett

Summer Squandered?

[NOTE: Wrote a good part of this a while ago, but never posted it. Not really my current state of mind, but it does capture a lot of how I used to feel.]

Since graduation, life has been more than sufficiently empty and hollow. Having optimistic long-term goals did not help with the short-term "what's next?" I've taken opportunities to fill my time with wholesome activities, particularly last week (Camp Helaman, YSA Conference, family camping), but a great deal of my time has been vacuous. Granted I may have passed on few opportunities, but I don't honestly think that many. My main hang-up has been not creating more chances for good times, or being more proactive in getting myself to a better place. This may be end-of-summer regret, but I worry I could have done more to get myself where I needed to be. Or at least taken more advantage of the available time in other ways, instead of wallowing in a self imposed limbo. Regardless, life goes on and summer time ends. There were bright spots (beaches, hikes, friends), but not enough of them in my opinion.

«So much for summer being the bestest season.»

After two crappy summers in a row, I may have to pick a new favorite season.

«Winter? Or spring?»