New Writer: JG

Here are two pieces from my friend JG. Please enjoy and fill free to send me works to post at jessy@jessicashamburger.com


"Balloon"

A balloon filled with helium has formed inside me,
Pressing against my lungs,
I slowly inhale – but cannot catch my breath.
Panting,
Gasping,
Choking,
Retching,
My body trembles as tears escape my eyes.
I struggle to suppress this all-too-familiar parasite,
While my worries echo loudly – a song on repeat,
Once again I ask myself,
Will I ever be free of internal oppression?


"The Baltimore I Love"

The sun slowly fades over the harbor—another busy day in Charm City has ended.

The industrious concrete jungle with its imperfections, pollution, and herds of people is now engulfed by the shadows of night.

Gone is the sight of trash that floats in murky water behind a vacant pier. Explicit graffiti has transformed into a beautiful dark silhouette.

Gone are the sounds of drills and jack hammers which woke me before my alarm sounded. The once noisy and crowded streets are but a memory.

Above me, the dark sky is filled with glowing beams from street lights and towering buildings. Their reflections dance across the water in a repeated rhythm—today it is slow and gentle.

In quiet reflection, I walk the short distance to Federal Hill.

As I climb the steep steps, the anxiety of my day slowly begins to dissipate. Reaching my destination, I feel a soft breeze brush across my face—I close my eyes as it carries away my worries one by one.

Standing there, I feel like I am on top of the world.

I follow the path to the well-loved spot which overlooks my city. The concrete jungle of the day has transformed into a beautiful festival of lights from buildings rich in history and culture.

I take a seat on a bench and glance at the older woman sitting beside me. She wipes away a tear and then smiles. Softly she says, “This is the Baltimore I love.”

Otherworld

Here is a piece of fiction I am working on. If you have any comments please fill free to leave them and if you would like to submit works for posting email me at jessy@jessicashamburger.com.

Sitting on the transportation to my new school gave me turmoil of emotions. I have spent most of my life by myself and now I am surrounded with all these people. The chatter is unnerving and strange. The leader of the school is personally escorting this bus. He is fearful that the others will attack. I have seen them and they are evil. The Gargoyles are their henchmen now. Stories say once Gargoyles used to be our protectors.
The bus is jarred and comes to an abrupt stop that throws me to the floor, thankfully. Gargoyles walk onto the bus and I begin to pray, “Please make me invisible.” I know they came for me. I can see one of the henchmen’s gray and green, crusted foot in front of my face, but he does not see me. I am still praying, “Please make me invisible.” Berthold, stomps up to the Gargoyles with authority and strength demanding answers and immediate evacuation of the bus. The lead gargoyle senses that I am there but can not see me. He leans into my leader, sneering, “Ah, I see your sister then.”
“I don’t have a sister and I demand you leave. You have no rights to be on this transportation.”
I begin praying that the gargoyles will die. If they do not then everyone on the bus is in danger. I have seen the havoc they can wreck on even talented people.
“Listen here..” the lead gargoyle stiffens in mid snarl forever turned back into stone. Everyone turns outside and sees all the gargoyles in different frozen poses. My leader is stunned at first then gets a few older boys to remove the gargoyle that is trapped on the bus. As the gargoyle is pulled out the doors, I come out of invisibility. Everyone stares at me.
“Where were you?” Berthold queries.
“Right here. You didn’t see me?”
“No, how did you do that?”
“I prayed. I’ve been doing that since I can remember.”
We both stare at each other pondering the statement the gargoyle made. Berthold opens his mouth to speak, but instead closes it quickly and turns. I am left with the question, Is he my brother? I remember once before Mom and Dad were killed a boy lifting me up and swinging me around in the sunlight. I don’t remember him after that. The bus and the chatter start again, but I can feel the stares and whispers burning the back of my head.
By dark we arrive to home base, which is settled into the trees. At first glance no one can see the homes or the people who are living in the trees, but once close enough everything is visible. I am put into a room with three other girls about my age. They are giddy and giggling as they make their way up to the room. I let them arrive first so that they can pick their beds. What they leave me with is actually surprising. I have a queen size bed that is in the more secluded part of my new home. My bed is backed into the trunk of the tree and faces a panoramic view of the forest and valleys. I quietly thank the girls and return to my new room. I crawl into bed and fall asleep to stars and lightening bugs glowing all around me.
I wake slowly with the light filtering through green forest leaves flickering across my eyelids. I stretch slowly realizing this is the first time I can remember sleeping so comfortably. Yet, in the back of my mind there is a nudge that tells me not to get too comfortable; there is a reason I am here. I was sought out by Berthold to join Jophiel because of the rumors and my foster family. My foster family was scared of me and wanted me as far away from them as possible. I climb out of bed and begin getting ready for the first day of orientation. I am thankful that my roommates left me alone and headed out before me.

More poetry

Here are some more poems I've been working on.

"Fields"

Looking out over the fields
Of destruction
On top of the world
Of metal rolling

Shaken from foot to
Head, gone
Broken, stone
Bodies, pieces
Me

Looking out over the fields
Of destruction
Under the world
Of metal, rolling

Crimson flying high
With hands of loyalty
Filtered through
Blue-eyes, blond hair
Promises of a future
On another’s back
Dismissed from humanity

Looking out over the fields
of destruction
In-caged-metal-bound
Of humanity gone


"Quaking Fear"

Heaviness on me today
I can’t rid myself of despair
I look for God
Wanting to remove the feeling in the air
That is smothering, drowning, blocking my view
I feel tears on the verge of falling
Standing behind my eyes, waiting
Why must they be there?
I should not fear
But I do
Walking through the valley
I do fear evil
And natural disasters
How will I protect the one I love?
Can I protect them?
Is it in my hands?
I know I am not God and I have to let God be God.
Let Him take control, save, spare, protect me, my family, friends
Still it is my job to protect my daughter and I have an overwhelming sense to protect everyone I love
How?
I want to cry to get it over with
I have never lived in fear of tomorrow
Or the next second
Will the next few minutes bring down my world like Haiti?
Will I have to search rubble to find my daughter, friends, students?
Will I have to live not knowing if help is coming? Knowing my family back home are crazy with frustration as they lean towards a TV hoping for news or a glimpse of me and my daughter?
Will I be able to live through the cries for help?
The smells of death.
I want to believe that I can because I have someone stronger with me and in me.
I just don’t know. I want to cry, scream, prepare. All I can do is prepare my lamp.
I can’t even prepare my daughter’s lamp.
I can tell her to prepare her lamp.
Will she?
I pray God, lead me, light my path, guide me. Lead me through the valley so that I fear no evil.

"Lake"

Moving mirror
Reflection distorted under the surface, murky
Deep, dangerous, mysterious
Hidden wildlife
Reflecting blurred, rippled
Images of trees, sky, me

At night
Moon shines leaving
A shimmering black surface
What lies below the surface?
How can I believe in your beauty?
You draw me into you, leaving me guessing
What is below
I believe I can change
You by causing mirrored surface to ripple
Giving me a glimpse of the depth
Wonder, and life teeming below
Only to disappear once settled
I see my reflection again.

Your silence pulls me to you.
Allowing others to sing.
Frogs croaking their love songs,
Birds flocking to feed,
I sit and stare hoping to gain the stillness within
I want to reflect the world as you do
A view Narcissus would envy

I can’t be you.
I would only be another mimic, distortion of you,
Your reflection

I want to have me, new and refreshed.
You only have rain
There is no spring, river, stream
Deceit is what your mirror beauty brings

"Ocean"

I go to you to calm my insides
My brain
With you rhythmic crash sloshing shore
Even if I cry at your edge
You wash my tears and take them out to sea
If I see them again they will be washing my feet

You are changing but constant
Always rocking back and forth
Depths radiating deep blue
Hypnotizing
White crests curled upon itself
Beckon me to come
Crash over me

Pieces of you are out of reach
Withheld
To deep, under pressure, dangerous
Enwrapped in jeweled liquid and silent power
Currents that pull and drag, unseen

Pulls in me
I still sit at your shore
And breath

Revamp of this blog

Hello everyone.

After some thought I decided to change this blog into a creative writing blog. I will post some of my work and ask for input and comments. I hope that some of you will also submit work to be posted. I would love to put it up. I will also give announcements of any contests, workshops, or seminars that may be going on in writing.

Currently I am working on some poetry. I will posting soon on that and hope that you will comment freely even if you hate it.

Thanks,

Jessica

Writing Poetry

So, I am writing some things again. I have no idea if they are any good. I really need a writing group. I would love if anyone would make comments and suggestions. Here are a few that I am working on. Please let me know what you think.

The Wall

Is a wall strong when it is solitary?
Standing with brick upon brick
No decay completely intact
Not swaying in the wind, rain, sleet, snow.
A wall.

Yet, no other wall stands beside it.
Is it strong then?
Or stubborn?
Or alone?

Waiting for something to come along side to build along side to be alongside but
Nothing
Years pass as trees grow at a distance from a sapling to full grown
Years pass and bushes and grass and every other living breathing creation grows, move
With something someone whether it is the wind, rain, sleet or snow, whether it is with another blade of grass that grows along side in hopes to overtake the next blade

The wall is still solitary
Is it strong?
What makes the grass seem so deep, green, thick is that a blade stands next to a blade
What makes the trees into an intimidating beautiful forest when the answer can only be another tree and another and another standing and growing next to each other

Here is the wall, solitary.
It is only as strong as it can be while the wind blows, rain falls, sleet comes, snow builds. It is not a fortress to withstand eternity or even only years because it is just a wall solitary as strong as the brick that was laid as strong as the foundation that was laid because eventually the bricks will wear down and lose strength after all the wind, rain, sleet, and snow and all the beatings of the sun after all the attacks of grass, weeds, saplings eventually a brick will crumple and will be the demise of the wall and there will be no other walls standing next to it to hold it up to strengthen it no other walls to keep it together because

There the wall is solitary