Author: Brooke

Checkpoint – How Is 2020 Going?

BrookeLeave a comment

Hello everyone!

The amount of things that have happened in 2020 so far is disturbing, astounding, and insane all at once. I’ll list the major events here real fast in case you might be forgetting any of the main points (not necessarily in chronological order):

  • Fires in Australia
  • COVID-19 pandemic which led to quarantines all over the world and economic downturn
  • Impeachment trials for President Trump
  • Death of Kobe Bryant along with his daughter and other passengers
  • Murder hornets
  • The horrible killing of George Floyd and many peaceful protests advocating for the Black Lives Matter movement as well as some violent riots
  • Ebola outbreak in the Congo
  • Stock market plunge and unemployment rates rivaling those of the Great Depression (I’m not an expert on the economy and I believe the state of both the stock market and the unemployment rate have already improved though)
  • Overall poor leadership from President Trump (my opinion) as most recently seen through him hiding in his bunker and building a wall in front of the White House

So, yeah. 2020 isn’t going too great for the world, as most of you probably know/think if you’ve been keeping up with the news. But what can we do now?

The first thing is definitely to VOTE in November– if you are eligible to vote, please make sure you are registered and are going to do so. We will not see change unless we vote for leaders that are going to take action and advocate for our rights/have the people’s interests at heart. Sadly I am not eligible to vote and I will not be for a couple more years, but I will be able to pre-register to vote in August when I turn 16. I think the laws about when you can pre-register might be different depending on what state you’re in, but if you are a teenager wanting to pre-register, please do that when you are eligible!

The second thing is to keep in touch with your friends and family and check in on them. Some people are reacting differently to the events happening in the world than others, so some people may need a lot more support from you. It’s especially important to have some interaction considering how long everyone’s been in quarantine.

Please try to keep in mind that we cannot lose hope in the world/the future just because of these unfortunate and tragic events that have happened lately. If anything, we need to keep our heads up and fight even harder for the issues we believe in. I know some of the things that have happened this year such as fires and the initial spread of COVID-19 were uncontrollable, but for the political issues it is so important to be an advocate and use your voice in some way. Things will get better and change will have to happen in some capacity if we keep fighting for it.

This is probably the hardest thing to do (MUCH easier said than done), but try to maintain a positive outlook and find the silver linings in recent events. It’s been difficult for me too and I’m definitely not perfect as far as being the most positive person, but I’m trying my best. Whether it’s appreciating your daily walks or the fact that you have some free time to catch up on reading or the FaceTime calls you have with your friends, find that thing that brings some joy and normalcy to your day.

I’m always here to chat with you guys if you want to leave a comment or contact me through the Contact page on this blog. I know it’s been a tough past few months, but we can do this. If our world can make it through everything that’s happened in 2020 so far, we can make it through anything. Please stay safe and healthy out there.

Brooke

In The Distance – Poem by Me

BrookeLeave a comment 
speeding down the freeway in California
it's a hot summer day but there's no traffic
around you; most people are coming in
but you're going out and leaving this place.

they say hindsight vision is 20/20, but
the mountains and blue skies blur behind
you. you only have eyes for what lies 
ahead. you could keep driving forever, 

stretching your existence across the country
like a rubber band and scattering the pieces
as you go, but you're going to stop when you 
get that feeling that it's time.

somewhere in the distance, that place awaits you.

I hope you enjoyed this piece! It’s also a short one, but it just felt dreamy. I wish I could go on a road trip and leave the state right now. I’m a few months away from getting my license (actually who knows how long since the DMVs aren’t taking new appointments) and I dream of the days I can drive by myself and/or go on road trips. Please let me know what you thought of this piece and if you have any requests/writing challenges for me to use in the future. Stay safe and healthy.

Brooke

A Power Within – Poem by Me

BrookeLeave a comment 
to know without doing
to feel without seeing
i sense something brewing
inside of me

a ball of energy
warms my being and 
i feel it flowing, trying
to escape and perspire

out on the surface. 
it must come naturally
but it doesn't feel 
natural. stuck on an 

endless loop, i try to 
extract it. the power
within me is about to
be harnessed.

I hope you enjoyed this piece! I know it was kind of a short and sappy one, but I was inspired to write it since I’m currently reading a self-help book (The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer if you’re curious). Please let me know if you have any feedback on this piece or writing challenges you’d like to me to try out in the near future. Stay safe and healthy.

Brooke

June Days – Poem by Me

BrookeLeave a comment 
these are the days. June is spent out in the
budding sunshine next to the budding flowers

we bud like flowers in the sunshine. 

June is spent underwater, splashing in the 
pool and skin getting a few shades darker

our skin darkens while we splash underwater.

but we can't really splash underwater. our limbs
cut through the water and continue to be 

surrounded by more water. we are water,
we are sunshine, we are flowers.

we are growing and changing in June with the seasons.

I hope you enjoyed this piece! It was definitely a fun, feel-good one to write. Please let me know if you have any feedback on this piece or any writing challenges you’d like me to try my hand at in the near future. Stay safe and healthy out there– I can’t believe it’s already June.

Brooke

Education Proclamation – Prose

BrookeLeave a comment

I want to know why our country doesn’t value education. I want to know why schools are underfunded, why children aren’t even educated on the workings of this country, and why younger generations are constantly cut down and called lazy and stupid when most of these kids aren’t given a chance to learn and grow. It’s a broken system.

I want to know why my governor (California– Gavin Newsom) proposed to cut funding for schools by 10% when our state ranks towards the bottom half of all rankings I’ve seen for public schools/education in the country. Schools are already so strapped for money, even in mainly well-off areas like where I live. He’s probably never attended a public school in his life.

I want to know why our government doesn’t prioritize the next generation when they are this country’s future.

I want to know why wealthy people, some of whom have never stepped foot in a public school, have control over the public school system. Not only do they have control, but they don’t even prioritize it or work towards making it better. Budget cuts increases every year, the schools suffer, and the students suffer. It’s a cycle.

It frustrates me that in such a wealthy, technologically advanced country, our education systems are lacking. Our education system is so inadequate compared to European countries and such.

I am lucky enough to go to school in a highly-ranked school district in my state since I commute to school, and I recognize that my school exceeds the state/country standards in many ways. However, I still get fired up about this topic because my education has been such an integral part of my life so far and I want other kids to have the same opportunities nationwide.

If you are eligible to vote, please do when it’s the time to do so. Vote for candidates that understand how important education and our public schools are to communities and to securing a better future for America’s youth. Vote for candidates that plan to serve everyone as best as they can, especially the next generation that is growing up during these scary times.

I hope you enjoyed this piece. It’s definitely more political, but it’s something I’ve been dying to say and needed to formulate into words and throw out into the universe. Stay safe and healthy.

Brooke

Why Don’t You Care? – Poem by Me

Brooke1 Comment 
i've lost count of how many nights i've laid here
            without hearing from you, wondering when i would
now i don't wonder when, i just wonder if
            write it off as foolish young love-- not even love,

infatuation. first, i schemed to get your attention. of course you
            already know that failed, but at the time i couldn't
believe it. the next step in my plan was having an honest 
            conversation with you. i should've realized that's impossible.

you're anything but honest. i would give up completely,
            but that would end this game of wondering who's going
to give up first. i guess i can't let go of you just yet
             half of me still believes you care. the other half

remains asking why you don't.

I hope you enjoyed this piece! It’s definitely a lighter one than the last few I’ve posted. Please let me know if you have any feedback on this post or any writing challenges you’d like me to try out in the future. Stay safe and healthy.

Brooke

Time Is Running Out – Poem by Me

BrookeLeave a comment 
the clock is ticking; the alarm's about to go
off. it's up to you whether you want to turn

it off, ignore it before the ringing blares
throughout your ears or roll out of bed and

face the world. you choose to face the world
today. a smear of red lipstick and a tousling of

two-day old hair will suffice-- who knows
what's hiding around the corner from you 

today. you don't waste a moment. not on getting
ready, not checking up on current events, not 

on early morning coffee. it's your day, and you're
not letting it escape your clutches.

I hope you enjoyed this piece! I feel like it expresses how a lot of young people feel– the world is a scary and overwhelming place, and some young people stay away from the media and informing themselves. However, it is so important to educate yourself, no matter how hard the information is to stomach sometimes! We are all in this together. Stay safe and healthy.

Brooke

Why America Has To Change

Brooke3 Comments

Hello everyone!

Normally I try to stay away from being too political in my posts since my blog isn’t focused on politics or similar issues, but today I’m going to get into it a little more. If you haven’t seen my last two posts (poems about the George Floyd protests and situation), you should check those out too if you want to get a sense of my beliefs.

Frankly, our country is in shambles right now. The coronavirus has rocked the world, but even that has to take a backseat when describing the injustices and institutionalized racism that thrive in our country everyday. I do not condone the violence that occurred/is occurring in protests and understand that some of these people are acting out without actually protesting for the cause, but something has to be done. It’s foolish to think that protests will always be peaceful, and with a huge injustice like this, it does make sense why things got out of hand. For people wanting to protest, I suggest you participate and use your voice peacefully and watch out for the people who are committing acts of violence, but I understand people need to do what they need to do.

I am disgusted by President Trump’s failure to address the situation in a humane way and respond, but I’m not surprised. During his presidency, racism and hate has been encouraged and exacerbated in our country, and it will continue to be unless he is gone. I can’t believe we have a president who tweets out garbage like “when the looting starts, the shooting starts.”

Our country was built on the principles of freedom and equality, but it’s clear from our history up until now that those principles are not applied to minorities as they should be. It’s time to break the system and the attitudes of people and shape our country into what it’s supposed to be but never really has been.

It’s also important for me to acknowledge that I am not a POC. That being said, I am an ally and I am here to stand up for POC and others accountable to treat everyone as they should be– equally.

For those of you who can vote (I wish I could), PLEASE show up to the polls when the time comes. Vote for candidates who are going to bring change, who want to make the United States of America a better and safer country for ALL people, regardless of race or gender or any other factor. Please don’t let Trump win– with another term for him, that brings our country closer to an authoritarian regime and a one-party system (but that’s an issue for a different post).

Please take action. Sign petitions, speak up, peacefully protest if you are able. Enough is enough, and we need change. Do it for George Floyd, and do it for the countless other lives that have been lost unjustly. No lives matter until black lives matter. Please stay safe and healthy out there.

Brooke

Black Lives Matter – Poem by Me

BrookeLeave a comment 
black lives matter because they are lives
and if they don't matter then no lives 
matter because this is america and we're
supposed to be the land of equality, freedom,
and opportunity but that's the farthest thing
from the truth when these injustices happen
all too often and racists who have shown
the utmost cruelty get to walk free or 
walk with their reputation preserved.
an arrest is a start but it's not enough. 
until we make this place a safe place for 
all regardless of the color of your skin we 
can't go on. be an ally, use your voice, stand
up, and let it be known.
black lives matter.

I hope this piece resonated with some of you guys. I still can’t completely formulate my thoughts and fully express the strong emotions I have towards the horrible events that have recently occurred. If you are white like me, please acknowledge your white privilege and please use your voice to be an ally and stand up for these minorities. We need to change the attitude in this country, and you can help. Sign petitions, donate to reputable organizations, and look up other ways to help. We’re all in this together, or at least, we should be. Stay safe and healthy.

Brooke

Stand Together – Poem by Me

BrookeLeave a comment 
self-serving doesn't really serve you
when our world is falling apart

stand up for what's right, stand together
with your friends, neighbors, community

and be an ally. stand tall, proud,
and use your voice to speak for those

who can't, out of fear or inability or 
anything else. the world is in shambles

but you're not. you're powerful, brave, 
and can help change the world if you're

willing to try to move mountains. to
push yourself up against walls that

have never really been broken through,
only fortified. keep pushing.

if we're not together, we don't stand a 
chance. if we stand as one, we can make it

all happen.

I hope you enjoyed this piece. It’s one of a few I’ll be writing to address the events that occurred last week. I pre-write and schedule my posts a week in advance so that’s why this is coming late, but don’t mistake me as someone who was avoiding speaking out on the situation! Please let me know if you have any feedback on this piece, and make sure to stay safe and healthy.

Brooke