OBX

Playa Colorada

By Peg Boyers

It was a beach

like all beaches, only perhaps more beautiful.

And the sand was pink not red.

We would arrive in caravans,

hampers overflowing with food and drink

like Aziz and his party on the way to Malabar.

The colonials and their servants away on an outing.

We would stop under thatch umbrellas,

towels and tablecloths spread out against the sea.

My mother in her skirted swim suit

surrounded by fathers of other children,

her olive skin lit through her straw hat.

They would laugh and drink beer

and leer

while the children did the usual beach things,

boring futile tunnels to China, running

at waves and then away,

daring each other to be swallowed.

I would go out by the forbidden rocks and pick off oysters,

then give them to the men to pry open,

cover with lime juice and suck dry.

Once, I saw my mother sucking

an oyster out of another daddy’s hand.

Her dappled face bobbed and smiled and her tongue

searched the shell for pearls.

Peg Boyers, "Playa Colorada" from Honey with Tobacco. Copyright © 2007 by Peg Boyers. Reprinted by permission of The University of Chicago Press.

OBX

Summer and sand

Salt and the sea

Water as clear as could be

Towels bleached by the sun

Surfboards covered in wax

We all lie out and relax

Tents provide shade from above

Sandwiches and soda enjoyed

Then the boogie-boards are deployed

Skin transitions to a shade of dark

Yellows and oranges and reds

The sun slowly falls behind out heads

And so it ends

Another wonderful day with friends

All in a summer beach day

Gessner Reading Review

On the way to the reading at Foster Auditorium last night, I had no idea what to expect. I had never heard of David Gessner before and had absolutely no idea who he was. All I knew about him was what was included in the short summary on the blog page for class. Apparently he was into ultimate frisbee so I had a feeling he would be a cool dude.

I thought his reading was great. I found his writing to be more relatable than the Tayari Jones reading so I paid closer attention this time. My favorite part about his reading was his comments on hypocrites, and more specifically environmentalists. The way he spoke and wrote about the environment gave the impression that he was very grounded in his personal opinions on the topic. He took a very realistic approach to dealing with the environment, which was a nice change of pace from what one typically hears from all the tree-huggers out there. This isn’t to say I think Gessner is a tree hugger, but I think it still applies. I like how he knew what he stood for and didn’t try to sugar-coat it.

However, I thought his comments about dealing with his editor conflicted with this. When it comes to the world of professional writing I know next to nothing about it. So when he said that the editor is always right, I thought that was somewhat strange. We touched on this topic a little in class today and Ms. Grollmus did provide some information on the subject. But it still doesn’t make sense to me that Gessner can go out on a canoeing adventure and experience all of these wondering moments and thoughts, only to have his publisher tell him what he can or cannot write in reflection.

The actually story of his book were pretty cool too. The way he just went out on a canoeing trip and was able to find so much inspiration in three short days is amazing. All in all I liked this reading a lot. For not knowing what to expect I was pleasantly surprised by David Gessner and his writing.

Today is the Day

Today is the day

Be afraid, bad things are to come

It will cause you great dismay

For there will be no more rum

Simba will not return

Yesterday’s mistakes, you owe a debt

You never seem to learn

When it comes to fate don’t take the bet

The sky will fall upon you

Darkness will rear its head

You will step in poo

By the end of this day you will be dead

Non-fiction Essay Revisions

Whenever it comes up in conversations I cringe. My friends jump on it in a second; almost proud to be the ones who get to recite the story to anyone who will listen. That night haunts me like a monster in the closet haunts a small child. There’s nothing I can do about it though, it’s in the past and I have to live with it. I have to live with it because every time my friends and I drink together they feel compelled to recount the events of the night I almost died, the night my life was torn to shreds, the night that resulted in months of depression. I don’t care that they tell the story; to them it’s something to be proud of. They weren’t even there the night I got my underage, all they know is what I told them. What they don’t know is the misery I went through after. They have no idea how hard it was for me the make it through the summer and how I withdrew into myself. I knew what depression was, but I never knew what it was. While my friends talk I’ll sit idly by and try to fake a half smile. If only they knew how that one night lead to six months of sadness, depression, and despair.

It’s 11:30 pm on a Friday night. As I struggle to make my way across the room the fetch another beer I suddenly hear Chris and Alex call out “Grab me one too bro!” I scoop up three beers, clutching them to my chest. Stumbling back into the living room I toss out the beers. “Nice to see you didn’t drink it all yourself this time.” Shit. I immediately know what’s coming. Before I can even move I feel a wave of sober wash over my body. “I don’t want to drink anymore tonight.” Chris and Alex aren’t listening though, they’ve already busted into the story. I take a seat and brace myself for what’s about to come. “Mother fucker. Why do they always do this to me?” Of course I won’t say anything, I just have to deal with it. It’s been almost a year but as I sit here listening to Alex recounts the time he found my puking in a hallway trash can, I can’t help but feel haunted. Goose bumps run up my spine. Suddenly I feel rushed with emotions. Thoughts of sitting alone in my basement, listening to OneRepublic and wishing away my life comes to mind. I almost feel sick.

Am I Awesome? Or just plain Stupid?

Free falling through the air, like a baby bird first learning to fly. Only I have no wings, no means of flight.

At this I think to myself, am I awesome? Or just plain stupid?

Adrenalin rushes through my veins like white water rapids gushing down a river. Ideas fly through my mind faster than I can fathom. Everything is a blur.

The air rushes past my face at 160 miles per hour as I fall steadily faster towards the rocks and Earth below me. The moisture in the air pelts my face like tiny rocks. A reminder of what is about to come.

Again I wonder to myself, what has lead me to do this? My life has always been about pushing boundaries. Never in my life have I let fear rule my actions. Injury and pain are common consequences of my actions, but they are always hidden behind my addiction to pursuing the extreme.

I fall faster and faster. My body feels like it is being crushed by the nothingness in the air. I have now been in free fall only a few seconds and yet everything seems to be going in slow motion.

I suddenly lose focus of what is going on around me and am once again lost in thought. For some odd reason, one that I cannot explain, all I can think about is what I want to eat. A milkshake. A Five Guys cheeseburger. A chocolate hostess ho-ho. It’s odd how your mind works when the possibility of death is in the near future.

Mountains can be clearly been seen in the distance. The sky is clear and the sun is shining bright. I have no doubt fallen a few thousand feet by now. My heart pounds with the force of a jack-hammer.

I am in a battle between mind and body. Ideas flood my brain faster than they ever have before. My insides feel as though a bomb has been stuffed inside and it is about to explode at any moment. It is only a matter of them before it is all over. In a split second everything that was and is that I have ever known will return as it once was.

Then, like a stampede of elephants it hits me. Crushing every part of my body in an instant. I fly upward even faster.

The parachute was pulled. My mind calmed and as I floated back down gently to the ground. It was over and my body relaxed.

I can’t wait to do it again.