Rico Sanchez: Tears on My Spots

           They shoot the white girl first. That is what I tell myself to get through the day. After a long day in the Diamond mines, Rico deserves a break. I have traveled a long way to get where I am today. The story that follows is my story.

It all began when I decided to escape from the New York Zoo. The zoo had been good to me for a very long time, but in recent years I began to feel neglected. Originally, I was the main exhibit. A prominent giraffe that could hold his own against any other animal, I fought for that spot. In return, I was handsomely rewarded with a spoon. Overtime, my desire for spoons only grew. I began to fall in love. We were two peas of the same pod, and we decided to leave this land, for a place more excepting of our relationship. That place South Africa. Queue music, I’M WALKING ON SUNSHINE. On our plane ride over to the promised land, spoon and I got in a bad plane crash. As I was getting up from my seat I hadn’t compensated for my long neck. I burst out the window with my giraffe head and the plane was going down. My tongue was flopping everywhere, and people were screaming. The plane crash landed on the island of Madagascar. I found the boys there. Good ole Alex and Marty and Melman and who could forget Gloria. What a women. They were hiding out because they didn’t want to make another movie. I had my own problems though. Spooney was scatted across the island along with thousands of other spoons from the plane. I searched day and night, with no end in sight I feared the worst for my beloved. Eventually I found her, broken in three separate places. She needed special attention in sight. Lucky, the locals had just opened up a nice hospital down the road so I took her there. After a while I went out and left the hospital and walked back to the hotel in the rain.

Famous First and Last Lines

“They shoot the white girl first”

            This quote appears as the first phrase in Paradise, a novel written in 1997 by Toni Morrison. Born as Chloe Ardelia Wofford in 1931 she is now 84 years old and still works as a professor and active writer. According to the author, Paradise is the third and final book in a series that includes the Beloved and Jazz, also written by Morrison. The book takes place in Ruby, Oklahoma and follows a quarrel between a group of men and women. Each chapter follows a different character from the book and includes flashbacks of important moments in the town’s history.

            I’m not very interested in reading this book. Although she has received many awards and the book is highly praised by many people, it does not spark my interest. Many books that shift perspective after each chapter leave it hard for me to stay involved in the book.

“After a while I went out and left the hospital and walked back to the hotel in the rain.”

          This quote appears at the end of A Farewell to Arms, a book written in 1929 by Ernest Hemingway. Regarded as one of the greatest American authors of all time, Hemingway has greatly influenced the fiction genre. He was born in 1899 and died in Ketchum, Idaho in 1961. The books follows an American ambulance driver named Fredric Henry. While working in the Italian army he meets a girl named Catherine Barkley. They start a love affair together and the book follows these characters throughout their experiences during WWI.

                I would considered reading this book. I have read several Ernest Hemingway books in the past and I have always enjoyed his writing style.

Rico Sanchez: Beyond Belief

                When we left off last, Rico was just getting out of jail. Since then he has adjusted to society quite nicely. He no longer kills people, does drugs, and steals other men’s wives. Instead he goes down to the casino on the nearest Indian reservation and takes people’s money. It would seem he not only had a knack for murder, but for gambling as well. In no time Rico was a familiar face at the casino and he knew all the right tables. On a good night, if he played his cards right, he could expect to get several dollars. Enough to feed a giraffe for days. With these substantial earnings Rico establish himself as one of the greats. However, his ambition was not satisfied so he decided to find some real competition. He entered in the biggest black jack tournament of all time. This was Rico’s game. He was sure he could win. He did win.

                Soon Rico became famous. His story was shared on the internet more than a bunch of times. The paparazzi was also hounding him for autographs. He loved the attention at first then realized that he could no longer poses a normal life. This is when Rico decided to take things into his own hands. In an attempt to flee from his new found fame, he traveled to rural Africa. The only thing he brought with him was his dignity and his phone. Still slightly addicted to gambling, Rico played internet poker every now and then. Once in Africa he made himself a tree house. In the sky he could be free from danger and easily pick the leaves off the tree. To pass the time Rico made friends with the other local giraffe’s and showed them how to play black jack and poker. As it turned out, all of Rico’s new friends were better than him at gambling. He was terribly at gambling in the animal kingdom. Apparently, giraffes have a keen sense of card games and Rico scraped the bottom of the barrel. Because no one had ever played against a giraffe in America, Rico was considered a king, but in the wild he was nothing more than a nobody. Know sad with the thoughts of losing the game he once loved, he decided to end things once in for all. He did what he should have done when he first arrived in Africa. He asked a question. This is when things stated to get fishy.

Favorite Quotes

Writers as Readers

1.) When you read, what do you need to be comfortable (environment, snacks, lighting)?

            Answer: When I read I like to be very comfortable with as little distraction as possible. This way I can read fluently and for a very long time. My perfect environment for reading consists of soft lighting just bright enough to see the words of the pages, a glass of water sitting next to me, and sitting in any comfy chair around my house.

2.) What genres (types of writing) interest you? What specifically about this genre interests you? Why are you drawn to science fiction books, for example?

            Answer: Some genres that interest me are non-fiction and fiction. The non-fiction genre interests me because I am always looking to learn something new and reading the facts and history of different topics is a great way to achieve this. I also enjoy fiction books because they are enjoyable to read and offer an escape route from the real world. I love when I am able to sit down with a good fiction book and just read for hours and hours. I am drawn to both of these categories because I like a selection of different books to read from and can read almost any genre of books.

3.) Which author do you think your writing style is most like? Do you purposely imitate certain writer and /or try to avoid writing like certain writers?

            Answer: According to a survey I write like George Orwell. I have previously read several of his books but have never tried to imitate his writing style. Although I feel his is a very good writer I have never even considered our writing styles to be similar. Recently, I have discovered my new favorite author, Kurt Vonnegut. I have found myself writing like him, using short and simple sentences sprinkled with dry humor.

4.) What is one of your best memories connected with reading?

            Answer: One of the best memories I have of reading is doing books and breakfast during the summer before fourth grade. Every other week me and a group of my friends would meet at Krispy Kreme and discuss our books and eat donuts. Some of the books we read included Cryptid Hunters and Million Dollar Put. Although I don not remember those books too well I remember how much fun I had discussing the books, eating donuts, and hanging out with my friends. This was probably one of the most positive experiences I have of reading and greatly increased my passion for reading.

Memorable Passage

“American fighter planes came in under the smoke to see if anything was moving. They saw Billy and the rest moving down there. The planes sprayed them with machine-gun bullets, but the bullets missed. Then they saw some other people moving down by the riverside and they shot at them. They hit some of them. So it goes.

            The idea was to hasten the end of the war.”

            This passage is from a book I read very recently, Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut. This scene takes place near the end of the book while the main character, Billy Pilgrim, is still a prisoner of war in Germany. After the city he is held captive in gets bombed by American and British forces more planes come in and shoot down at the people in the city. Billy falls victim to friendly fire but survives the experience. However, other people near him were not so lucky. This passage stands out to me because it captures what Vonnegut was trying to accomplish in this book. With his dry writing style and dark humor the author manages to satirize war in this scene and throughout the book. In addition, it also includes probably the most famous quote from this book, “So it goes.” The author uses this phrase over a hundred times during the book and these words proceed the death of any character. This phrase uses understatement to downplay all the deaths that occur during the book and it serves as a constant reminder to the reader that death is inevitable during times of war.

If I Were To Change the World

If I were in charge of the world
I'd cancel crunchy peanut butter,
physical activity,
bad thoughts and also
the evening news.

If I were in charge of the world
there'd be happy memories shared by all,
more popcorn,
and more time would be spent playing games.

If I were in charge of the world
you wouldn't have school.
You wouldn't have weekdays
You wouldn't have a bad time.
Or "You have to follow the rules."
You wouldn't even have rules.

If I were in charge of the world
a cow would be a vegetable.
All movies would feature Toby McGuire.
And a person who sometimes forgot to tie their shoes
would still be allowed to be
in charge of the world.

Dreams For the Future

                Like most people I have many short term and long term goals that I pursue. I venture closer to these goals everyday through my actions and my attitude towards life. Goals are important for me to have because they keep me on track and remind me what I am working for when I feel down. Everyone should have goals and I believe they are essential to a happy lifestyle.

                Some short term goals that I currently have is to graduate high school and get into the right college. In order to achieve this goals I know that I must actively pursue them and have a good work ethic. Accomplishing this will propel me forward in life and help establish myself for further down the road in life. In addition, another short term goal is going to the state quarterfinals with my soccer team. Although, completing this goal will not further myself later in life, I would like to perform well for my team and coach.

                The biggest long term goal I currently have is to get a job. Even though I do not currently know what I want to do as my profession, I want to do something in mathematics. Math has always been my favorite subject and school and I believe I will be the happiest in one of these careers. In order to see this goal through I know that I must accomplish many smaller goals and continue to have a positive attitude in life and in school.

Flying Away

Fleeting thoughts leave my mind
Left with an emptiness unknown to man
Yet I am still here
Inching my way through life
Never knowing which way to turn
Going on and on

Awakened by my soul
Wanting me to leave
Away I walk
Youthfully I travel

Chestnut's Tail

The men were in dark British uniforms on tall, dark horses. The beautiful stallions pranced the street of London like they owned the town. However, life was not well for the horses, unaccustomed to the staggering weight of the British officers the horses started to suffer from back problems. The poor horses lugged people around all day without any pay. At night they talked about unionizing, but who would represent them. They elected Chestnut as their all powerful leader. The next day he took to the streets advocating for equal horse rights. The police did not respond kingly to Chestnut's demands and pistol whipped him in the face. Chestnut was crazy messed up at this point and more police where coming at him. One pistol whip after another and Chestnut was bleeding from everywhere. It was not looking good for horse rights or Chestnut. He had seen better days and was not performing well at his new job. Chestnut stated that there was nothing more that he could do, and how he had failed his fellow horses, he was so very sorry.

Writers Dreaming

5.) Could you live this way? Do you talk too much or too little? What could you learn if you listened more and spoke less? How could you grow as a person by speaking more?

Answer: I don’t think that I could live the way Angelou did after her major trauma at age seven. I think that I probably talk too little as it is. If I listened more and spoke less I would hardly ever speak at all. If this were to occur though I believe that I would learn more about other people and things in general. If I spoke more as a person I believe I would be able to branch out and be more personable.

6.) Are you comfortable using another language? Which languages would you like to be fluent in? Why those? Or do you think speaking English is good enough because you live in America and that’s all we should need to live here?

Answer: Although I can’t speak any other language fluently besides English, I am comfortable using another language. If I were to become fluent in another language I would probably choose Spanish because of the close proximity to Mexico and the amount of Spanish speakers in this country. It would also look good on a resume and would be very helpful if I ever travel one of the many Spanish speaking countries of the world.

7.) Are you a person who remembers everything or someone who remembers almost nothing? Which periods or times in your life are clearest? Fuzziest? Do you have better recall of the times you consider happy or the ones you consider sad or embarrassing or uncomfortable?

Answer: I am a person who remembers almost nothing, unless I consciously make an effort to remember something. The clearest memories I have in my life have occurred in the last five years and the fuzziest are the first five years of my life. I can better recall sad memories because they stand out among the numerous happy memories that I have.

9.) What things do you do to occupy your small mind in a positive way? What are your biggest distractions when you need to get something done?

Answer: One of the activities I do on a regular basis to occupy my small mind is read. They are a great way to pass the time and allow me to relax and escape from the world. In addition, reading also helps me calm down after a long day and constantly become a better reader. The biggest distraction I experience when trying to get something done is when I check my phone. Whether it be replying to a text message or just browsing Reddit, I can spend a tremendous amount of time on my phone when I should be doing something else.

Orangeinal Title

                Everything around me was blue. I looked up to the night sky for directions. Guided by the stars, I was slowly making my way across the Pacific Ocean. I am the captain of this vessel and bestowed upon my shoulders sits my colorful parrot. He keeps me company and helps spot approaching icebergs. Yesterday as we were sailing, the water was so clear that I was able to look down and observe the fish swimming around and the vibrant coral moving in the current of the water.

                Everything around me turned red. After a week without sunscreen my skin was now turning a different color, I was badly sun-burnt. The burning sun beat down on me day after day and without any rest. The heat was unbearable, but even worse was that I had developed a rash on my lower back. I had eaten lobster the day before and had a violent reaction to it. Before long I started bleeding from my rash and it wouldn’t stop. The water in the basin of our boat was now tainted with blood and turned a murky color.

                Suddenly everything turned green. With the last amount of energy I had left I crash landed on a tropical island. The grass was lush and densely packed. The trees were fully grown, and many of them bore fruit. Starved from my long journey, I gorged myself with kiwis, avocados, and even limes. I even found some aloe vera and was able to cover some of my previous wounds.

                Then everything turned yellow. I made my way through the banana infested island and eventually found a road. I hailed a taxi and rode to the nearest village. They provided with a bath and a rubber ducky to entertain myself. After I had cleaned up, I gathered my things bought some pencils and started writing about my journey.

Paint Chip Inspired Pieces

Under the Hood

My name is Rico Sanchez. I am a giraffe living under the streets of the hood. If you thought living in the hood was bad, you should try living under it. I came here seeking asylum from the government. After I escaped prison I climbed the latter of society down into the sewers were I have spent the last twenty years of my life. I am a street rat. I survive off sewer water and the essence of food. Nothing can stop me. The only problem that I have run into down here, is the ceiling. Giraffes weren’t designed to live in a confined space, they were meant to be free, frolicking in pastures. Such is life. To compensate for my height I have permanently broken my neck at a ninety degree angle. It hurts some times, but darn it if it doesn’t work. The sewer has made me stronger and with this power I have decided to leave this forsaken place, but only at night. Under the cover of night I venture into the hood to pursue vegetation. No grass, bush, or tree is safe. I am a herbivore at heart, but a carnivore in spirit. Alas, I am nothing more than a street rat and know that my place is in the sewers. So, before the sun rises I venture back into the underground where I spend the rest of my day wondering aimlessly through the tunnels.

Coconut Milk

Christmas tine

Originally began

Circa 1920

On Christmas day 

No way around that,

Until the 1920's

The Christmas holiday was widely considered a myth

Marked as a fable

In time,

Life would have no meaning without

Kristmas

Fresh Guacamole

Chips are not the best

but add guacamole and

you got a party

Hook Shot

Captain my Captain,

why did you shoot me man

Captain why Captain.

Free-verse Poem

The Queen is never right

advised by her delightful canary

her decisions are often sour like lemons

She is the queen of France

a dainty women

ruling a magical kingdom

and serving sensational lemon meringue pie