...Field of Tears (2011) ID c237 by Declan J. Connaughton NOTE 1 Rita stiffened as the nurse at the reception desk looked up at her. 2 It was just after mid day, and, for a moment, she was positive the nurse would come out and tell her, with officious satisfaction, that Rita's day out with her grandfather was cancelled. 3 “He's ready for you, in the day room”, was all she said. 4 The nurse made as if to escort Rita, but she knew the way by now. 5 “It's fine, you don't have to accompany me”. 6 Walking away from the nurse's station, she felt a cold hard stare marking her progress, like a laser level with its precise red dot. Rita was disturbed by the way she let the nurse intimidate her. Something in her manner had always bothered her, and now it seemed to have evolved into something almost approaching a phobia. 7 God! She wished her grandfather didn't have to stay in this place, but at ninety eight it was impossible to keep him at home anymore; such had been the case since he started losing his balance three years ago, and her own parents being the age they were. Still, he didn't mind the nursing home and his care had been top notch. Rita couldn't fault anyone on that score. He had integrated well, but the camaraderie didn't last very long as residents just kept passing away. That was the thing that most bothered Rita and got her down frequently – the sure and certain knowledge that it was going to happen someday, which brought...
Words: 2126 - Pages: 9
...Lowe, D.J Lord Alfred Tennyson’s “Tears, Idle Tears,” On the Edge Lord Alfred Tennyson’s “Tears, Idle Tears,” conveys the complex emotions of one whose life is steadily reaching its end and death is looming over him. He has come to that point in his life where he truly realizes his position. Death is no longer surreal as it once was; however, the speaker is still at peace because he has lived his life. His friends have all gone on and now his own time has arrived. This poem is a lamentation of that person as they are reminded of their past and “of the days that are no more”. The poem’s message is reinforced through Tennyson’s diction and similes, which create many parodies within the poem. However, theses parodies are the keys to the readers’ noticing and understanding the intricate thoughts of one so near to that final breathe. The poem begins with the speaker describing his tears as “idle” and being groundless. Tennyson is not saying that the tears are unmoving or that they are without cause. The speaker may not necessarily be able to admit to the exact reasoning behind the tears, but he knows what causes them to surface, “some divine despair”. Yet despair is not divine; divine means heavenly or celestial. Tennyson means that the focus is on something from above. However, the irony can truly be seen in the physical cause of the tears, “In looking on the happy-autumn fields.” The word autumn implies harvest, almost winter, which signifies an end to something light...
Words: 779 - Pages: 4
...jumping back with each rotation. With a room that had a scent of musk and stale perfume. In the cold white hospital room, the two lovers held hands for what may be the last time. June laid in the pearl white bed with Sydney on the green stool holding her hand waiting for her to wake one last time. The sweet young nurse entered the room in her bright pink scrubs, with a tear in her eye to set the record back to the beginning, Sydney started to sing along with his rusty voice that stood out amongst the beeping machines and the defining silent halls. Softly if only for his beautiful wife he sung. His face carried a gentle smile that helped hide his mournful eyes. As June’s eyes opened...
Words: 760 - Pages: 4
...the skull. The adult human eye has a diameter of approximately 2.5 cm. Each eyeball has six ocular muscles attached to it. These muscles move the eye. The eyelids are like moveable curtains in front of the eye and consist of three layers; the skin, the muscles that open and close the lids, and the cunjunctiva which is a membrane that lines the eyelids and covers part of the eyeball. The eyelids serve as protection from injury, as well as, regulate the amount of light that enters the eyes. Blinking also wipes the surface of the eyes clean, and keeps a layer of a slightly salty fluid over the front of the eyes. This fluid, tears, is produced in lacrimal glands, or tear glands, which are located under the outer part of the upper eyelid and is collected and drained through tiny canals within the upper and lower lids near the nose. The tears eventually flow into the nasal passages and are swallowed. The eyelashes act as a protective screen that keeps particles out of the eye. The eyebrows and protruding edges of the facial bones form a protective wall around the eye. The surface of the eyeball consists of three basic layers; the sclera, the middle layer, and the retina. The sclera is the outer layer of the eyeball. At the front of the eye, the sclera becomes the clear and transparent cornea, through which light enters. The middle layer has three parts; the choroids, the ciliary muscle, and the iris. The choroids contain most of the blood vessels that...
Words: 639 - Pages: 3
...believe we can. I happen to figure that out on a softball field, and have been able to apply it to every other situation in my life, and has succeed since then It is something that everyone and anyone can do, the problem most will have is changing their ways. Once thinking and doing something your whole life it becomes very hard to change the way you live. But once making this decision, your whole life will change. My coach told me one more run, and we will win the game! We can move onto finals! And that all I had to do was hit the ball, that I could do it. I believed him. I heard the crowd cheering me on, I’ve never heard so much cheering before. I took a breath, slow and deep, and took in the moment. It was the middle of summer, I was out of breath, the air was dry, and the sun beaming down on us. As I looked around, I could see the exhaustion in both teams faces. The sweat dripping down our faces; while both teams wanted to win, the look in our faces also said I can’t wait for this to be over. Both coaches chanted to their teams, pushing us through the last few minutes of the game. While you could see the exhaustion in our faces, the inspiring words our coaches were yelling to us, gave us all hope. You could see the coaches words being processed in our faces, and the second gust of energy came in. The other team took their “ready” position on the field, while our runners got into place. A calm came over the field, and the stands of fans grew quiet as everyone took one last...
Words: 1213 - Pages: 5
...McKenzie Nettie Farris W130 September 8, 2014 Fort Jackson “Miss Kenzie...” Corey’s mom Kelly spoke gently as she glided through the bedroom doorway letting the light from the hall creep in. “Wake up, it’s that time.” Wondering how I even managed to kill off the eager thoughts racing through my head long enough fall asleep, I stumble out of bed and into the bathroom. I dressed myself the night before, knowing all I had to do was get in the car and go. Halfway dragging myself down the hall, I am welcomed by the slobbery faces of 2 boxers’ pouncing and falling everywhere fighting for a chance to say good morning. I massage my fingers through their course hair and kiss them goodbye on the forehead. Just like that we are on the road. Squeezing 2 full size adults as well as myself in a small ford focus is no simple ask. Might I add that 2 of those are females… we pack heavily. The car is cool and the radio is buzzing out country songs preparing us for this haul from Kentucky to South Carolina. Fort Jackson South Carolina to be specific. I wasn’t sure how long we were going to be in the car, nor did I ask. The only thing on my mind was what it was going to be like seeing my boyfriend after what felt like the longest 3 months of my life. He would be graduating from Basic Training in just 2 short days. What should I wear? Did I remember my make up? What if it rains? These thoughts consumed my mind as I blankly stared out the window filled with miles of road. Somehow my gaze...
Words: 1063 - Pages: 5
...and the other team was starting to get nervous. Their goalie punted the ball down the middle of the field and a girl from the other team ran onto it. I was playing defense so I went to get the ball from her, I missed and our legs collided. She was knocked to the ground. As I was turning around to prepare for the free kick they had received,...
Words: 592 - Pages: 3
...Katy sat in her room staring hopelessly at a old, silk photo album. As she shed a single tear, she closed the book, trying to escape the painful memory that was her father. Katy had a hard time accepting the fact that he had left her alone that night… He so easily abandoned her, just left her in a field to die. She was only eight… What if she was murdered much like any ounce of love she ever had felt for him. That didn’t matter to him. It never did and it never would. Wiping the tear away from the pinkish scar on her cheek. She sighed acknowledging the horrible fact that to this day, ten years later, her and her father are still the only ones who know the terrors she had faced that night. It all began in the summer of 2011. She had only turned...
Words: 624 - Pages: 3
...Innocent. Every time I see, hear, or think about the word, I feel the events of the day I first learned its definition like an ache in an old scar. Physically, I am not injured, but mentally, the trauma can still present itself, even if only as a faint throb. I was three when, upon my inquisition, my grandmother recited, through tears, a basic definition, “It means they didn’t do anything wrong.” Then, I, with my tears already dried, looked back to the television only to see something that would put fresh tears on my face. Moment. This one was unique; never had so many people wanted to just live peacefully while also wanting to do exceptionally more than that. Personally, I only wanted my two favorite buildings back. The two towers made the infamous skyline so recognizable that even I, at the tender age of two, had it memorized. In my young mind, the skyline represented the distant home that in actuality was just a string of smaller towns located near Poughkeepsie, NY. On the other hand, in the extremely small town of Andalusia Al, my grandmother’s house, covered in pictures of our...
Words: 475 - Pages: 2
...always be here to listen and talk to you.” “I know and that’s why I love having you around.” Genesis looks down and knows that he can tell something is wrong. For a couple minutes the phone has an odd silence. She hears a door close outside. She gets up and looks out the window and there is Nate sitting on the hood of his car. Genesis heads down the stairs and runs over to Nate into his arms. Nate looks down and sees the tears in her eyes. “Boo what’s wrong?” Genesis hugs him and whispers “everything!” Nate lifts her face up so he can see her face and softly says, “Nothing is Boo you’re safe and loved and that won’t ever change.” Genesis just smiles and knows that he does love and care about her. Nate and Genesis start talking about things and moments that they had done and saw together. Nate recalls the day they really started talking. “Remember the day that you and I first came started really talking. You were the quiet one over on the couch that stayed quiet. You looked so into Matt’s message. When you walked outside you had tears in your eyes because you knew that he was speaking the...
Words: 1492 - Pages: 6
...One thing that continued throughout history from the Trail of Tears was the attempt at land possession. The Native Americans were very worried that the United States would infringe upon their agreements and takeover their promised lands. According to Perdue and Green, various reasons accounted for Indian complaints, including the states that pushed for the intrusion of Indian lands and the defense against Indian retaliation to protect their homes. Georgia encourages their citizens to invade and inhabit the Native lands. This caused much controversy. These encouragements directly contravened the treaties that promised the rights to the land to the Natives (Perdue 24). One example of Indian-American conflict in Georgia was the infringement...
Words: 1950 - Pages: 8
...• Allergic reactions to medicines [or dyes]. • Damage to other structures or organs. • Seeing small drifting specks in your field of vision (floaters). • Retinal tears or detachment. BEFORE THE PROCEDURE When emergency surgery is not required, you will have time to prepare for the procedure. The following are things you may need to do before the procedure. • Ask your caregiver about changing or stopping your regular medicines. You may need to stop taking blood thinning medicines or aspirin. • If you are given eyedrops, use them as directed to prevent infection and to dilate your pupil. The drops may make your vision blurry and may make your eyes sensitive to light. • You may need to remain in a certain position if you have bleeding in your eye or if you are at risk of a retinal detachment. • Do not eat or drink anything except small amounts of water for 8 to 12 hours before...
Words: 611 - Pages: 3
...Life as a Native American teenager was rough. We faced many dangers and feared for our lives all the while we lived. We were forced out of our home brutality and hurriedly. The American soldiers, or brutes as we called them, treated us poor, beat us, pushed us, and some were even responsible for the deaths of our family members. Many of the dangers we faced killed off our tribe and scattered our people. Disease, famine, disloyalty, racism, favoritism, and harsh treatment were only a few of the hardships we faced along the trail of tears. The bodies of our fallen family members were left on the side of the trail like roadkill. We couldn't do anything about it but keep our heads down, push forward, and silently mourn for our fallen family members....
Words: 288 - Pages: 2
...They stood there as they watched the final agricultural field in Canada be torn to pieces. Jared felt a warm tear roll down his cheek and quickly whipped it away, before his son Ryan noticed. Ryan who was twelve years old stood there struggling to understand the significance of the devastation that was taking place. Ryan was born in the city, just like every other kid in his generation. They had never seen, smelt, or heard the sensations of a farm. Ever since the year 2034 the growing of all crops were grown in greenhouses. This space was dominated by a company called GreenCorp.This is also where Jared worked as a biologist. These greenhouses were storeys tall, with thousands of plants. As Jared watched the destruction that his company could do to his only remaining childhood memory he felt confused, frustrated, and infureated. He watched the machines remove...
Words: 1055 - Pages: 5
...The band called it “the good-luck pee”, so I had to hold it for the next ten minute (By the Grace of God, I survived). As we marched on the field, I said a soft prayer to control my nervousness and not using the bathroom on myself. The first task was marching down the field in 32 steps, then two counter-marches to make a big “X”. The whole march was eight minutes long plus we had to perform the twirlers and flaggers music for the judges and audience. My bladder was about to explode, and the whole time, the seniors enjoyed the moment for the very last time. The audience cheered and clapped for us. A classmate looked with tears, and we both smiled with our heads to the sky. Steele and Whatley patted people on the back, but Steele whispered, “I am proud of you, Maya!” I quietly shed a tear. We marched off the field and head to the buses to get aback comfortable until the results at five. My sister, Destinee, walked over and hugged me. My best friend Alyssa and I took a nap on the bus because my health problem started to mess up from the hype and the lack of water. We set an alarm and got the permission, of course, we of the boys stayed in the buses to “protect us”, but we went sleep with us. Our shining knights or more...
Words: 1207 - Pages: 5