Leaves as soft as silk,

 branches stick out in different directions,

 like fingers trying to grab the wind.

Swashing,

The green hair blows in the summer breeze.

Growing,

Lingering,

The course brown sword’s blades,

coat the land with a blanket of shade.

Watching,

Studying,

Like an astrologist from above.

Watching it’s colorful stars flutter down upon us.

Puzzling,

Pondering,

Its rough skin is an extravagant maze to all.

Boom! thunder and lighting strike and water was poring from the sky. ” Why me?”

 I make it to the bus stop and sit under the shelter. The bus finally pulls up and I pay my fair and sit in the first seat I see.

Soon as I sit down a white man comes over to me and says “MOVE Negroe”!

“No”, I said back in a strong voice  “and I not a Negroe, I’m a person”.  ” well what ever you are, just move!’, the man yelled

 Then the bus driver looks backed and says” you Negroes better move or your black behinds will end up in jail”,

everyone moved – but me 

“Move!”, he yelled louder than ever

 I paid my fair just like this white man, why can’t I sit here?…  plus my legs hurt, I’d said now yelling.

 The bus driver slowed to a stop and two policemen got on,  they came over to me and took my purse and grab me and cuffed me, as they lead me off the bus I asked … Why do you always push us around?

 No answered came back 

They just put me in the car, started the sirens and drove off. But before we left I looked back and I saw the grin on to bus drivers face and the rage in the blacks eyes.

 ****

10 years Later

As I look back to the horrible day ,

I remember that ugly bus driver who yelled at me.

I remember the white man who told me to move.

I remember the rage in the black peoples eyes.

And the thing I remember the most is fear, the fear I saw in the black peoples’ eyes that day.

Authors notes

 Rosa Parks was born in Tuskegge Alabama on February 4,1913. She was the oldest in the family, and only had one brother. She enter school in 1918 and drop out in high school (1929) to take care of her grandma. In 1932 she was marries Raymond Parks and a year later went back to school. In 1943 Rosa was kicked of a bus for the first time, but not arrested.(it was the same bus driver who  had her arrested years later.)  On December 5,1955 she was arrested for not giving up her seat. Four days later found guilty in court. She died October 24, 2005 from old age.

  When I was researching Dr. Martin Luther King, I came across two stories that truly intrigued me. I thought that they had feelings people could relate to, so I combined them into this story. Hopefully you will feel what I believe MLK felt that day. 

    I was a small boy, but I understood the world in the South.

    The bells jingled loudly when we stepped inside. The room smelled like rubber. I needed shoes for church, so my father and I sat near the dress shoes. “Which ones should I get?” I questioned.

     ” How about those snazzy brown ones.” my father chuckled. A few minutes passed before a clerk came over to us. She was white. Her bright blonde hair curled at the bottom, and bounced when she spoke. In her most cheerful voice, she calmly asked us to move to the chairs on the other side of the room. I knew why.

    A year earlier, I had a friend I used to play baseball with. A couple months before school started, they weren’t at the field. They never missed a game. I went to their house to see if they were okay.

    Their mom answered the door. ” Can Billy and John come out to play?” I asked. Mrs. Doe knelt down and smiled, ” Billy and John can’t play today.” I asked if they were okay. She told me they were fine. Mrs. Doe always spoke to me with a tint of disgust. Then she said, quite bluntly actually, ” They can’t play with you because you’re black.” They were white also. Mrs. Doe stood there, looking impatient. Billy and John were in the kitchen behind her. Billy waved and smiled. John snarled and slapped his hand. He murmured something in Billy’s ear and pulled him out of the kitchen.

    I said goodbye and trudged off. I cried the way home.  My brain was racing. I didn’t understand what she meant. I was brown, not black. My driveway was black, my dog was black, but not me. I was dark brown, like chocolate. I told my mom. She explained things to me.

       So as you can see, I knew why. My father shook his head. He didn’t want to move. In a blunt voice, he said ,” There is nothing wrong with these seats. I do not have to move.” The clerk’s voice crackled as she said, “Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to leave if you don’t move to those seats.”

    ” Then I’ll leave.”

    We walked out heads high, wills as strong as ever, but in my heart, I sighed. I understood the world in the South.

     When I march, I still see that Mother’s  face, impatient and disgusted. And I see the clerk’s face, scared and confused. And I fight to prevent this from happening to any innocent black person, or any innocent white person.

Afterword:

     As we all know, Martin Luther King grew up to be a famous civil rights leader,who was tragically assassinated on April ,4, 1968, not even making it to his 40th birthday.  This is just one story of prejudice, that may have shaped the character of Martin Luther King. Segregation and discrimination were common in the South in the time period the story is set in. And unfortunately, the children who grew up in that time knew nothing better, so John and Billy , and many more unsuspecting white children, probably kept the hate alive, thus pushing back hope for the black people. And their children probably, even in this society, feel the racial tension formed hundreds of years ago. And if we stop it now, we can save our next generation of leaders, presidents, and most of all, parents.

      ”Did anyone bring handcuffs for I, the great Houdini to escape?” The audience looked around. I looked around. My assistants in the pitch black audience who had extra cuffs looked around. ”I do!”  said Sargent Waldron from the Chicago police department who was sitting in the middle of the eighth row.   Waldron hopped up the hollow wood stairs and was on the stage in a flash. ”Click, Snap”. He hooked his handcuffs on my wrists.   “Houdini, these are impossible to open”. “Let’s find out”.  

Boom! Went the lid of my special box that I got in to escape handcuffs in.  Tick… Tock… Tick… Tock… It seemed like time was passing so slowly. Two minutes seemed like two hours. As I struggled more I began to think: What if I can’t escape? How did Waldron make these? What will people think of me if I fail? Should I give up or quit? I really shouldn’t quit but I’ll… ”Houdini, give up?!!!” said Waldron.

“I guess so” I guiltily shrugged climbing exhausted out of the box.

 ”Since you just gave up, I’ll confess, I put a piece of lead in the keyhole to jam the lock”.  It was an unfair trick! As a bunch of people helped saw off the cuffs I thought about the newspaper headlines, ” Sargt. Waldron Police Officer or Mastermind?” “Houdini tricked at his own show” which would it be? One day I hope my tricks will make history of the greatest ones in the world, one day.

    As I remember doing this trick I remember how sad I was when Waldron confessed he cheated. I also learned every one has their own special talent, (kind of like how I am good at magic and Waldron is good at making handcuffs).

Authors Note

    Harry Houdini was a world famous magician who did tricks that were beyond anyone ability. Harry was born Ehrich (Eh- Rik) Weiss before he changed his name to Harry Houdini (after the great Houdin, another magician). When Harry was twelve he ran away to a circus and performed tricks. When he quit he had a new job at a factory.

     When he quit that job he married Bess Wilhelmia, a girl he met while  they were both performing an act at Coney Island. Houdini and Bess starred in many circuses and did many tricks together.  After a few years he did handcuff tricks and failed only once because of Waldron.  After many years he exposed spiritualists as frauds after finding proof.

      A year later he died of a ruptured appendix. Harry was very athletic so he let a student punch him in the stomach.  As he got out of his chair the boy punched him three times before he tightened his stomach muscles. Ten days later he died at the age fifty two. His funeral procession traveled down Broadway in New York and was buried next to his mother in the year nineteen twenty- six. 

 Anyway I already know what to wear. I’m going to wear a long warm coat, gloves, boots, and a pilot hat. The reason I’m dressing so warm is because it’s cold in the air trust me. I think I should go I need some sleep for the big day.  

 Last night I dreamt of when I was a little girl. And the first time I saw a airplane. I was eleven years old. My family and I had gone to a fair. At the fair my family and I saw a plane above our heads flying and doing tricks. It was an amazing sight because back when I was a little girl seeing a plane was very rare for most people it was an once in a live time opportunity.  

 I can remember that day like it was yesterday. And guess what today I Amelia Earhart and my Friend Fred Noonan will fly around the world. In a plane of course! I should go I think I hear my husband George is calling me. 

 From Amelia

Author’s Note

The story you just read is about Amelia Earhart if you didn’t notice. Amelia was born on July 24Th 1897 in Atchison Kansas. In Amelia’s time girls were not supposed play sports or get dirty. In fact all girls were supposed to do was to wear dresses, sit neat, and act like perfect little laddies. Even if they didn’t want to usually there parents would force them too. But Amelia’s parents Amy and Edwin Earhart believed in the exact opposite they belived that girls and boy should be treated equally and they were right. Ameila and her youger sister Muriel spent most of there time playing sports. On Ameila’s eleventh birthday Amelia and her family celebrated by going to a fair. And at that fair they saw a plane doing tricks above there heads. Amelia was amazed because it was the first time she saw a plane. Also seeing a plane was a rare sight back then. 

“Yes, I’ll try my best.” I proclaimed.

I collected almost 200 men who want to fight that day, the Minute Men were advised to see any movement of the British at Concord. Sprinting into the barn, I grabbed my best horse, I jumped on my horse and went around warning the colonists”The British are coming, the British are coming!” General Gage was trying to stop the chaotic colonists on the streets. On Tuesday, April 18Th, North square was filled with the equipped men I collected ready for battle against the British. As the equipped men were getting on the boats one by one to go to Lexington to fight Joseph Warren said”go now before it’s too late” and gave a signal to me and William Dawes to head out.

 I rode my horse quickly down the road trying no to bump into the colonists. I could smell the fires on peoples torches as I rode by, some little sparks got on my clothes. I made a tighter grip on the horse reins, faster and faster I went down the road. The wind was rushing in my face. Their were men on the road heading towards the boats. I could hear a gunshot in the distance, I looked at the clock up ahead, It was midnight. When I got to the church, I instructed the young sexton to hang two lanterns on the belfry of the church”go and put these lanterns up at the belfry at the church to warn the colonists that the British are coming and make sure that they are well apart so they can be seen clearly, quickly!”"yes sir” Newman climbed the steps and placed the lanterns on the belfry of North Church. Now we were finally off to Lexington to fight for our freedom, and see what will happen next as we take one step closer to winning the revolution against the British. 

  As I went to war, I remember that if I hadn’t told the colonists that the British solders were coming then the colonists wouldn’t know and them the British would have just marched in and invaded the colony. And now that I am getting older I think back to what I have done for the colonists and making them stay safe and I will continue to do that for as long as I live.

                                                                            Author’s note

 Paul Revere was known as a patriot who cared for the country, the colony, and the colonists. He was always the type of man who did things that had to be done. As a silversmith, he was highly regarded. He was thought of a man filled with generosity and integrity.Paul Revere was born at the end of December in 1734. He died at the age of 83 on May 10, 1818. Today he is remembered for what he did on the Midnight Ride. And on that night, Paul Revere became a big part of America forever.

“We did it! We can finally prove that Radioactivity exists!”

I was overwhelmed with happiness. It was on a winters night of 1902, in a small old shed in Paris, that we, Pierre and I, could finally prove after three years of hard work, little sleep, and scarce meals, our greatest discovery, Radium. I had been waiting for this moment for centuries, it seemed, and now we finally did it!

The strong glow of radium lit up the shed. I blew out the candles around us so I could have a better look at “the glow”. The smell of burned candles then filled the air. I couldn’t help but to stare at our radium. We finally had enough radioactivity to prove to the world that it exits but, the amount still disappointed me. We had used tons and tons of uranium to make about one jar full of radium.

I looked around. Everything and Everyone glowed in a luminous blue. People from the busy streets of Paris noticed us. I saw heads looking in through the windows, and I heard a crowd chattering in French. The noise gradually grew louder and louder, stronger and stronger then slowly faded again.

I couldn’t wait for the news to get around, but something bothered me… would this distract our future research? “We did it Marie! We did it!”

My husband and science partner, Pierre, shared my excitement and pulled me out of my thoughts. I was speechless. My mouth was dry and felt glued shut. Glowing warm with excitement my heart felt like the sun in the summer, even though the air around me told me that winter was there. I looked at Pierre. I said in a no joke voice,” I don’t want to accept any money for this. It just doesn’t feel right. I know that we can achieve more as scientists.”

I thought he would understand. But, I quickly added,” Being rich and famous would be big distraction. We brought it this far, we reached our goal, we can’t end it now.”

Pierre looked at me and said in a serious voice,” I know. I feel the same.”

I sat down on a hard wooden chair, Pierre standing behind me. We stared at our luminous blue glow of radioactivity for hours. Silence.

The buzz about our brilliant discovery was around the world in what felt like seconds. In 1903 I enrolled for a doctorate and I became the first women in Europe to be awarded one. With that Pierre Curie, Henri Becquerel (discoverer of the x-ray) and I, Marie Curie, won the Nobel Prize for Physics with our work on Radioactivity. That Nobel Prize proved that science is important and that women could be scientists. But, we kept our word and never accepted any money for our discovery.

A few years later radium rays (used for x-rays) were used during World War 1. My oldest daughter Irene and I traveled far to cure soldiers and to teach other doctors how to use x-rays. I trained over 150 operators! I can truly say that radioactivity changed the world.

“Who is it” 

      ”It’s us Jackie”. I got the door. they were not alone; they had the prettiest girl I ever saw. They introduced us. I was so amazed because she was so pretty.  A few days later my friends told me they had planed this all out.  

    Rachel always stayed away from “jocks” because she said they were too stuck-up. This will help me because if I’m not stuck-up she will like me more. She already thinks I don’t act like the-big-man-on-campus type but I still worry a bite. She thought even though I was polite and I was nice she even thought I even had a sense of humor. And every time I see her on campus she is looking at me. 

     Many people wanted to meet me because I scored the game winning touchdown or because I scored the crucial basket. I was more interested in a girl more down to earth.  I wanted a girl more serious like I was.  

     Rachel knew even though I am great on the athletic field when it comes to girls I am an amateur. She knew she had to make the first move because I was too shy and I would not. So she made the first move. A few years later got married we had a daughter Sharon. I feel so good when I see Sharon and Rachel in the stands and I hear the crowd cheering and I think back to collage and realize that Rachel helped me not act like the-big-man-on-campus. 

Authors note 

This story is based on Jackie Robinson the first Negro baseball player. He was born on a farm in Ciro, Georgia January 31, 1919. He was amazing at sports and he played for the brook land dodgers. He died October 24, 1972.  

     ”Marie, you have been so sad and depressed since your mother died in 1878. I think it would be best if you went to the countryside for a year to live with your relatives,” my father said in a calm, mellow voice.

     I sadly packed all the belongings I would need.  I didn’t want to leave my friends, even though I hated Poland because of all the Russian soldiers taking over.  Maybe going to the countryside wouldn’t be so bad after all. 

     After spending a few days in the countryside, I began to feel free.  No soldiers told me what to do.  There were no soldiers at all!   

      I happily walked over to the kitchen and sat down to the sweet smell of waffles.  I loved coming downstairs to breakfast and not having to work like I had to back at home.  Again, I saw one of my uncles start to drink a whole jug of milk!  He does it at every meal.  Maybe I can put a little water in the jug - a little more each time and see if he notices.  I’ll start the next day. 

    It has been a few days and he hasn’t noticed yet.  “Ha, ha, ha ,ha!” I burst out laughing. 

    “What’s so funny? Hey, did you put water in this?” he questioned suspiciously. 

    ”Maaaay-be,” I replied.  “Yes,” I admitted laughing. 

     Then he said, “I’ll get you for that!” But I knew he was joking. 

    He also is a neat freak, so I decided to turn his room upside-down.  I’ll hang all his items on his ceiling, I thought.  I eventually did! 

    “What in the world! My room is upside-down!” he said when he walked into his room.  “Marie!” he said again in a playful voice.  I walked over to him, knowing he would laugh. 

     “Yes?” I said. 

     “Did you hang all my stuff?” he asked laughing. 

      “Yes, I did,” I replied, laughing back.

    It felt liberating to take a year off.  I thought of my dad’s special words.  It was relaxing not having to do math or science or anything else but have fun.  I loved riding the horses and feeling the wind blow in my face.  The horse’s neck felt soft and comforting.  Instead of studying science and doing experiments, I had free time to draw in my sketchbook.  I loved being able to read books other than textbooks about physics and chemistry.

    Leaving the countryside, I felt great about the life ahead of me  I knew now that I could discover something.  I felt confident about my scientific future. 

    I look back to this story and remember how different I felt after spending time in the country with my laid-back relatives.  I look back to all the pranks I played, even though they all had a little bit of experimentation in them.  After going to the countryside, I was able to return to Warsaw, Poland refreshed and renewed. 

     AUTHOR’S NOTE

Marie Curie was a famous scientist who studied physics and chemistry.  She was the only person who received two Noble Prizes in two different types of science (physics and chemistry). She was born in Warsaw, Poland as Marya Sklodowska.  In this story, I wanted to get across Marie’s sadness before she went to the countryside, compared to the joy in her after she came back.  Later she went to Paris and met Pierre Curie, a scientist who she eventually married.  Marie and Pierre Curie proved radioactivity exists.   Pierre died in a horse-drawn cart accident in 1906.  Marie died from her own experiments in 1934 at the age of 67.