Writer's Block in the Computer Age

Cursor, Cursor, blinking Cursor
Shade of iridescent green
Cursor in the "Home" position
On my new computer screen

Cursor at the starting gate
Chomping at the bit and byte
Pawing at the screen, impatient
Nagging me to start to write

Cursor poised for the race
In position One, Line One
Waiting for a brilliant word
To set off the starting gun

Untill now a plain old scribbler
Was the only thing I'd use
On it I would draw and doodle
While i waited for the Muse

Now I have winking cursor
Mocking me in brilliant green
Have you ever tried to doodle
On a blank computer screen?

Nagging cursor, cursor cursor
Blinking on without a sound
Go away until I'm ready
I'll never write with you around.

By Peggy Smaith Krachun


This poem is about how computers have taken over the way of writing. Eeven now, instead of writing and handing in our work, were typing it out and posting it on a internet blog. For some people they need to be able to draw or scribble on a paper and be able to write with a pen/pencil and paper. It can be hard to start off writing staring at a blank white computer screen, and i know a ot of times i need to write on paper to start off. The author uses respitition a lot in this poem, repeating cursor, cursor because that is what she is starring at, the blinking cursor on the blank computer screen. The picture is a screen that you too often stare at not knowing where to begin.

Poetry Journal

Jump-Start

can't turn over
battery's dead

need jumper cables
in
my
head

clamp them on
start me up

pour some coffee
in my cup
dark strong coffee

start me up

By Janet S. Wong

I like this poem because i can really relate to it, some days you feel really dead tired, and you need coffee or something to "jump start" you. The author is comparing a person that is tired and needs coffee to be woken up and needs to start thinking again, to a car with a dead battery that needs to be jump started . Although the poem does not follow a rhym scheme, there is one that follows the sentences, just not the lines. This is a really simple poem, but that is one of the reason I like it, I can relate to it, as it happenes to most people all the time. The picture is a guy who is tired and needs something to "jump start" him, this is what some pople are like without their coffee, or other things.

"Lord of the Flies"

For my novel I chose the classic book, "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding. Lord of the Flies is about a group of boys who survives a plane crash and are stranded, without adults, on a remote island. Soon after the crash, one boy, Ralph, takes immediate leadership by summoning the rest of the survivors to him with a Conch, with he aid of Piggy. There is a power struggle when another leader, Jack, comes to Ralph while still commanding his choir, there is a vote, and Ralph is elected chief, over Jack and the others, of these young boys. Jack and his Choir are in charge of keeping the fire going, and Jack has also volunteers his troop to be the hunters. After a few weeks a ship is seen, but does not see the buys as the signal fire had gone out, as all the choir were helping Jack to hunt and catch a pig, which was eventually caught, but at the cost of possible rescue.

I really like this book because the author really shows how boys are, they make fun of the fatter, less capable one as others often do, the bigger boy is the most dominant and elected leader, the younger children are frightened by stories of a mysterious monster in the jungle.

I can relate to this novel because I grew up in BC, Canada. Luckily we live in a part of the world surrounded by forest and wilderness, where as a child, me and my friends would go out and build forts and run around in the forest. I also had a cabin at Horne Lake growing up as well, where me and my brother or friends would go out trying to hunt, or biking, and pretty much spending 90% of out time outside in the wilderness by ourselves without the need of adults.


I really like this book, it is a classic and I am looking forward to finishing it soon.

"The Lottery"

"The Lottery," by Shirley Jackson, is a short story about a old, outdated, and brutal tradition that is still being carried out within this small village every June. the story begins on a clear and sunny day on June 27th. The village was beginning to gather in the square on the early in the day, and there are foreshadowing events of what is going to happen as the boys of the village search and gather the smoothest, roundest and best stones they can find. After the Village has arrived, Mr Summers; who has always had the time and energy to lead this ritual due to his successful coal business, could be seen and the leader of this small community of 300. He carries out with him, on his way to the village square, a black box, and sets it one a stool in the center of the square, as the people keep their distance. The night before the "Lottery" Mr Summers and Mr Graves had prepared pieces of paper that were waiting in the box. The Lottery then begins as Mr Summers begins to alphabetically call out to head of each house to pull one slip of paper from the black box. After some time, everyone who was required to pick had done so, even Mr Summers. The head of each house, who has their paper tightly folded in their hand, then looks at their slip to check to the dot. Bill Hutchinson, has drawn the slip of paper with this dot on it, and Bill, his wife Tessie, and three kids are forced to draw out of the box one of the five pieces of paper, to see who once again has the black dot. Tessie drew the paper this time, and as the entire village moves in on Tessie, begging for her life, she is stoned to death by them all, even her own family.

I think that the story shows that some of these everlasting tradition that were once a long time ago acceptable, now are not. We do not need to follow these traditions as times have changed and new traditions are being made, replacing these old fashioned ones that are now seen as strange and out of the ordinary.

We do not know how this tradition started, maybe in some way they felt that if the people are allowed to take out all their human rage and natural instinct, in a relatively safe way, it will keep them from causing problems and taking this out on other members of the village, throughout the rest of the year. Many people need to take out this rage and anger today, so they Box, Play sports, exercise and partake in other activities that they have total control over.

The contrast of this story is that in many ways Tradition is good, every year for probably the past hundreds of years, this village, and many others alike take part of this brutal happening. they come together as family, neighbors, friends, co-workers, and as a whole partake in this event. "Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon," is said by old man Warner, the longest lasting citizen at 77 of this village, is probably one of the strongest believers of this tradition, and maybe he sees some value that we do not, and maybe even as strong minded as he is, when his time comes, he will think differently about this. The contrast is between something pleasant, the gathering of a village for the annual lottery, and something mentally and physically gruesome, a ritual killing.

The Black Box, a symbol of death; much like the black dot that sentences someone to death each year, has been talked about having replaced, but never has, as it is just as big of a piece of the tradition, as the event itself.

I can't really relate to this story as it is not on my time nor have I taken part, or heard of such a thing happening. Overall I do think that this is a good short story to read, as it is a very powerful story and really makes you think about these types of things.

"The Prospector's Trail"

The short story "The Prospector's Trail" is about a young couple newly out of training at a college where they got their tourism certificates, and cant find a steady job. After Norman had lost many jobs and grew a reputation throughout the city, and Jeniffer could not make enough to support them both they decide to move to Yellowknife, and follow Norman's remaining dream of opening an interpretive center. They leave with their van, old furniture, little belongings, and no more than a few hundred dollars. They stay at what seems to be a campsite with another couple, Roy and Elsie, they meet that are staying in a new camper (opposed to the old, ragged, moldy tent Norman and Jeniffer are staying in) while they try to set up their plans for the center. Jeniffer treats Norman badly and threatens to leave Norman if he doesn't pull his life together, or if she ever catches him wearing a plaid jacket. After some convincing Roy(the husband of the other couple), takes Norman out prospecting order to give him the true northern experiance, Roy tries to fool Norman and not tell him his secret prospecting spot, however, Roy takes pity on Norman after Norman tells Roy how Jennifer will leave him if he doesn't make money soon and takes hi to the real place. To Normans surprise Roy leads him to the dump, Norman then realizes that the way Roy made his living by cleaning up, and selling items from the dump. Roy find a small tarp that is perfect for Norman's and Jeniffer's"s tent to cover the holy and Norman then tries looking through the piles of garbage, and finds a plaid jacket, just like Roy's, and just like the kind Jeniffer would leave him over. Norman knew that by taking, cleaning and wearing this jacket, he is ending his marriage, but he doesn't seem to mind because he is unhappy and this is the only way he can move on in his life.

I connected to this story in one way because last summer my grandparents came form Alberta to go camping with us on the island, they brought their new motor home, we brought our old tents. My grandma rarely left the motor home(much like Elsie), as she cooked, had showers and lived in it as if she was at home, I, however, got stuck with the bad tent with the wrong poles and ended up sleeping with the top of the tent resting on me. It wasen' t very fun sleeping but we all still had fun, and it was good to see them, as i usually only do maybe once a year. I really like the ending of this story because it really changed Normans life, for the better, and he had to make such a hard, but in the end, right, decision.

"Here Comes The Future!"

This short story is set in the not too distant future in where old age is frowned upon and Douglas Bent, Jr. is growing weary of his land, youth, and heritage fleeting before his eyes. Douglas lives in Nova Scotia in 2049 and has no remaining friends or family. Due to the sever lack of land resources and space, when you are born you are issued a birth certificate, that expires when you turn 50 years old, and you can be "euthanized" .

It is Douglas Bent, Jr's Birthday and during the story Douglas cannot remember his age, searching for it in the Bent Family chest he finds many of his childhood items and family heirlooms as well as his birth certificate. After seeing his birth certificate and thinking he is 50(although the numbers add up to 60), he tries to recall what this numbers significance is, he reads the bottom line and finds out it expires today, his birthday, and that he is, after all, getting a birthday present. I can relate to this part of the story because it seems like every few years I will be looking for something and come across an old yearbook or scrapbook or something, and looking through it recalling all the stuff and changes that happened that year, and remembering how different it was.

Douglas also thinks back often to when his family owned hundreds of acres of forest and land, with streams, animals and farms. His former land has now been paved over into highways, mined and industrialized with "Brick apartment hives", no one else in the valley has even seen a live cow, pig or goat before.

A few of the connections in this story are:

-Douglas vs Solar powered stove
The stove takes too long to heat up for Douglas and unlike the wood stove which he was forced to replace because of the impossibility of finding wood to burn, the electric stove does not heat up the house.
Man vs Technology.

-Maple tree vs Nature
All his life, Douglas has made his wintergreen tea from fresh maple sap. But when he ventures out to his last remaining maple tree he finds it dead. the tree could not survive in the modern civilization where all other wildlife has expired.
Nature vs Nature

-Douglas vs. Self
Douglas has a severe memory problem, and can no longer remember how old he is, where he has places items such as the key to his chest in the attic.
Man vs Self