Society

It's strange how a society that boasts

of being so modern

is still set back by prejudices 

that we thought belonged to the earlier part of history.

It's perplexing how we are encouraged 

to go against how nature had made us;

how we change little parts of ourselves

just to fit into a place that needs more individuals.

Children's minds are warped

by the society we live in,

living in an adult world

where superficiality rules supreme;

they are taught early that money and glamour 

is the only way to live successfully.

Our minds are tricked

into believing that

beauty is always on the outside

and that money counts more then

the health and peace of our world.

What has the world come to?

Precarious

The snail holds onto

the precarious plant;

at the point where anymore weight

will send it to a shell-shattering 

doom.

Once secured, the snail hides 

in fear of predators

or curious humans;

really, they are the same

to something so small.

The neighbouring snails have gone into a similar slumber

all around on plants and ground;

many lie undisturbed,

but there are carcasses of the victims

of careless humans.

An interesting experience

from one of the most seemingly tedious

creatures.

This photo was taken at the Leslie Street Spit in the fall, a really cool place where there are various types of animals; especially since it was right beside the lake. We saw butterflies, crickets, some weaselly creature, and various types of birds.

Echinacea

The imperfect blossom

reaches out towards the fading sunlight

of twilight.

Heavy head of harmless spikes

and spotted petals;

delicate, bright colours which will 

fade and decompose quickly 

surrounds the hardy, black core.

Time is catching up to

the flower;

time that is most short and precious.

The echinacea slowly closes up its petals

and musters up the strength to open back up

the next day.

Contrast and Abstract

Shadows and light

blur together to create

new shades,

contrast and shapes.

What seems familiar

is changed

until it is no longer an object,

but just strange,

abstract colours.

No one would know

that the image is really;

for it is no longer

what I photographed,

but the interpretation of the beholder.

Christmas

If Christmas is the spirit of 

giving,

generosity,

kindness,

hope,

peace,

joy,

and love,

shouldn't everyday be like Christmas?

Why limit all of those wonderful things to one day?

Everyday should contain

the spirit of those things.

Otherwise, what would happen to our world?

So think about it.

Enjoy today, and spread the Christmas spirit around.

MERRY CHRISTMAS! 

Anticipation

I'm busy trying to keep my brother from
                                                                      b

                                                        o 

                                        u

                                                     n

                                             c

                                                           i

                                       n

                                                                       g

off the                                                    W

A

L

L

S

in pre-Christmas anticipation.

The Deep

Unknown forms of life collect on the ocean floor;

in the murky, dark depths.

Strange forms that barely resemble their

shallow seas cousins;

seemingly deformed and mutilated.

Mortal combat are fought here

between unusual enemies;

teeth against tentacles.

This is a place where trickery and cunning

is rewarded with food;

where a source of light and beauty

easily becomes a trap.

Food is a rarity,

not a scrap must be wasted, 

whether it be a bloated carcass or a kill.

Dangerous vents where

water meets the core of the Earth;

steam and poisonous gases

kill creatures 

while other thrives

on the extreme climate.

A true mystery

that'll never be solved.

Frog

A flash of green appears
from where it was hiding
on the speckled granite.
So small that it was threatened
to be washed away into the
cold lake water.
It waited there,
watching the island closely,
until a sudden motion;
a surprise;
scared the frog and it leaped back to where
it came from.

This was taken in Georgian Bay, at a wonderful island.

Moon Jellyfish

Floating around the tank

at the whim of every current;

too small to fight back.

Such short arms compared

to their long-tentacled cousins,

looking so crumpled and useless.

Coloured and shaped

like it's namesake,

a small, delicate work

of nature.

This was taken at the Vancouver Aquarium, in the same room full of other jellyfish. Another picture of jellyfish can be found in "The Aliens From Our Planet"

The Aftermath

All that is left is 

burnt,

sometimes beyond recognition.

Rubber, glass and metal 

litter the ground below.

The sense of disaster and surprise

hangs over the air like the smoke;

making people avoid it.

A lone policeman searches for the cause

of the unexpected fire,

for any sign or clue.

Eventually, 

the truck is taken away,

leaving most people with

a strange story to tell.

This was a truck across from my house, that spontaneously lit on fire. The funny thing was that my brother's friend was just talking about vehicles spontaneously combusting, so imagine our surprise when we see smoke outside. We have no idea what happened.

Lifeless

Snow crunches underfoot,

frozen brittle stems and leaves caught in the middle of decay.

Almost all form of green life

gone.

The birds have left already,

making the air quiet,

except for the biting cold wind and traffic.

Winter

is lifeless.

The Aliens From Our Planet

Ethereal aliens that

inhabit our oceans,

a bright orange against 

the multi shaded blue. 

Wisps of tentacles float and expand,

seemingly harmless,

yet poisonous to the touch.

Giant bodies propel

it slowly against the currents,

translucent.

They seem like they come

from a different world,

but they are closer to us then we think. 

• taken at the Vancouver aquarium, at a huge tank full of these jellyfish

Holiday

Excitement builds

work almost done,

a holiday break full of

friends,

 family

 and fun.

Laughing and talking

in the biting cold air,

everything's jolly,

everyone can feel the cheer.

(not my personal best, but it describes everything pretty accurately)

Writer's Block

 A 

SOLID W A L L

of

unwanted thoughts

blocks the flow of

creativity and imagination.

Can't think of anything perfect to write

or say that

expresses my emotions properly.

What do I do now?

Red-Winged Blackbird

Sitting in the tree,

the famous red and yellow bars barely visible 

on the silhouette. 

Protecting the territory

from unwanted trespassers,

checking in all 

d

i  r

e   c      t  i

o    n s 

before moving on.

Bare branches,

blue sky,

a splash of shrieking 

colours.

Black shines in stripes where

the sun touches the feathers.

A perfect moment of balance 

and 

beauty,

it suddenly takes off,

that mysterious silhouette blackbird.

The Small Part Of a Bee's Life

The small bumblebee lands lightly on the blossom,

camouflaging with the colours.

Pollen sticks to its fur while it explores

the small world it had alighted;

adding onto the collection it unknowingly made.

Once it's done, the bumblebee flies off, 

back to the safety of its queen, colony and colleagues,

and stays there until the colony demands it to go back into 

the wild world outside.

One Step and...

I take a step and I
t
r
i
p    down the  s
                              ta
                                    i
                                       rs

Everyone stares or starts to laugh while I pull myself up

I hurry on to my next class.

My body is not as hurt as my pride.

Poppy Haiku

Poppies ready to

 burst into brilliant flames;

true blazing blossoms.

• taken at the Mount Pleasant Cemetery, in the fall

Tree Network

Sunlight filtered through the canopy,

the twisted roots exposed to

the sudden light.

A glimpse of 

an underground world many

 will never see.

 The foundation of 

a tree brought into

one pathway.

this was taken in Lynn Canyon in Vancouver, B.C in the summertime

Paradox

I am here, and I am not.

You can see me when you are not looking for me, 

hear me when you're not listening.

I am made of matter and anti-matter,

chaos and order.

I am what you think I am not.

What am I?

Icicles frozen in
                          m
                             o
                               t
                                 i
                                   o
                                     n

                                          transparent columns of ice.

Disappearing with time,

    building itself again until the

            thin winter sun comes and

                  the icicles must 

                      melt.

Waterlily and bud

The waterlilies

rise out of the humble mud,

exposing their petals to the

light.

Black water and

green leaves 

contrast in a swirl of shades.

And yet, the blooms will not

last forever,

and all that is beautiful

must eventually return 

to their origins.

• another picture from the Brickworks taken in the summer

Moods today

Exhilarated
                                                                    E x h a u s t e d

  Happy

                                 Relieved 

         Frustrated

                        Annoyed

AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN 

Painted Sky

Sunset falling

night time nears

light is petering out.

Clouds are glowing

multi-cloured

peace and quiet 

begins.

Perfect

and 

imperfect,

a painted sky.

Dragonfly Memories

I sit in the warm fall sun

 and watch the

dragonflies.

Their lives ending in 

a flash of 

red and blue;

a spectacular finale.

Lighting upon the rocks

 around me,

I wait for the perfect moment

to get closer with

my camera;

to get the perfect shot.

One lightly lands,

and its delicacy amazes me.

I lean in and quietly 

capture that moment.

I blink,

and the dragonfly flies off,

leaving me with a picture

and a memory.

• this photo was taken at the Brickworks, an amazing nature preserve
• it was in October, and all the dragonflies made an awesome sight 

The Person On the Street

Insanity is

slowly taking

over

your

m

     i

          n

               d

Spinning out of control,

lost in a

frenzy of

thoughts and voices.

How can I

help?

It makes me feel hopeless 

just to watch you here

slowly leaving this world.

What can 

I 

do?

Drop you

a coin in the

ragged coffee cup,

and hope for your 

health and safety.

Winter

Snow and ice reminds

us of the upcoming times 

of joy, 

the cold 

and pureness of the 

new season.

Holidays,

celebration

and snow,

just a blink of the eye 

in eternity. 

Small Thoughts

I was thinking about
the way my life works.
Big things and small thoughts,
small things and big thoughts. 
Exploration of the greatest kind.

People and Technology

No matter where you                                                Staring intently,

walk these s t r e e t s,                                                      texting,
you'll see                                                                 surfing the web,
person                                              talking loudly in a one sided conversation,
after                                                                          social networking,
person                                                                       and emailing;
have their cellphones                                         so involved with the small, 
or                                                                technological world they know
laptops out.                                                         that they forget about the 
                                                                                         wonders 
                                                                                             and 
                                                                                           people 
                                                                                          outside
                                                                                    of the box that

                                                                           technology has made.