Happy New Year everyone! ^_^

A couple random haikus

Why are you so sad?
I look deep into your eyes
Another tear falls.

Time to celebrate
Awaiting the coming year
The clock strikes midnight

The sun shines brightly
I wish that I could fly up
And follow its light

Hard to say goodbye
I wish there was a way that
We could start again
~*~*~

If you're reading them together and trying to make sence of them, don't worry, I'm not going crazy. They're not related in any way, shape, or form... I just felt like writing some random haikus. ^_^

Can you see me? Can you hear me? Can you feel my pain?
Why is it that when I want to cry out, I'm left alone again?
I want someone to stay by me, someone to hold me tight,
Will you shun me, turn me  away, and tell me it's not right?
Or would you, could you hold me close, and whisper in my ear,
That when I need you by my side, you will always be near?
Don't go away and leave me here along like others have,
Please, show me how to live again, how to love and laugh.
All I really ask is for you not to turn away,
Without you I'm not sure if I can live another day.

~*~

I don't have a title for this poem. It was mostly written a month ago, though the first few lines date back a couple weeks beforehand. A friend of mine suggested randomly spacing out the last few words, but I'm not sure whether it would look better like that or not.

I hope you all liked it.

Life's road is always full of many twists and bends,
When we come to the end of it all, will we still be friends?
Our paths may split apart one day, never to be mended,
Will we still be glad to know that once we had befriended?
Or will our friendship never cease, and last beyond the grave?
The only way to tell is to walk down the paths we've paved.
But I will promise you one thing right now, whether you be far or near,
Somewhere, deep within my heart, I'll always hold you dear.

This question was asked at a camp I was at while we were in our small groups--which consisted of 4 or 5 campers and 2 councellors. Matt, a counselor who had spent the last 2 months in Malawi, brought it up again during the closing ceremonies. He recaped the answers given in his group (which was the one I was in coincidentially). It went something like this: "'camp,' 'camp,' 'camp,' 'watching an elephant stampede,' 'camp,'... but I'd like to change my answer. The coolest thing I did this summer was come to camp."

It's true. Camp really does mean that much to me, and others at the ones I go to annually. I honestly can't imagine what my life would be like if I hadn't had the opportunity to go to these camps. I consider myself quite lucky to have it, because I know many don't, and others, like a friend of mine, probably will never get the same out of it as I have and do, because they've had a bad experience that made them never want to go to another one.

Last week I came home after being at 2 camps in a row: the first Reunion (for the whole family) and the second Sr High camp, both run by my church in the same spot. I also went to Jr High there this year. It was honestly a great time. There are so many memories embedded in those two weeks, and I hope to stay in contact with all the friends I both met, and saw again. We all shared happy and serious moments together, and I never want to forget them.

Summer vacation is now coming to a close, with only one week left. I wish it didn't have to end, but at the same time, now that I'm home, I just want it to come and go by quickly. After all... there's only 50 more weeks 'till I go to camp again. :)

I just got home from Jr High camp. It's run by my church in a beautiful campground. This is my last year attending (as a camper at least) and so it had special meaning to me, not to mention that it was the first year for most of the people. Unfortunately, all good things have to come to an end. We know that they must, but no one expected it to happen this soon.
The camp had to be closed after only 2 full days (and 2 partial, so around 3 in all) out of the week it was supposed to last.
The reason... someone contaminated the boys' water.
You see... we had to use bottled water because of a small imperfection in the tap water that was being fixed at the time. Water bottles were available in the dining hall and washrooms. Someone thought it would be fun to put the product used to clean the counters into the water in the lower men's washroom. It was descovered and the water was replaced. The next day, the water was contaminated again in the same place, this time by windex. Both times at least one person drank it, but luckily no one had to be rushed to the hospital. The director had no choice but to close the camp, fearing for our safety, especially saying that although the police have a few suspects, we don't know who did it yet.

Fortunately, the time that was spent at camp was great. It may very well have been the best time I've spent there, except for... well... that thing I just talked about.
There was a lot of fun to be had in the themed meals, spontanious random improv games, and simply hanging about to name a few.
Also, there were a lot of hugs given out. It seems that a hug can heal almost anyone's sadness.
Either that, or the squeaky mallot of joy. This mallot is a blow up one that I brought along with me for no apparent reason, though it did serve a purpose on the day that it was announced that camp was to meet a premature end. It seemed that everyone was sad. (In fact, one of the counselors that was more of a brother to a lot of us than anything else was in tears. That was the first time I had ever seen him cry.) We were all gathered in the dining hall on the side that is used for recreation and other random things to watch a movie, and I brought my mallot along. I first cheered someone up by saying that if it didn't hurt when I hit myself with it, (which it never does...) it still could be a dream, like we all wished it was. From there, random people in my group (and a few that weren't really) were taking the mallot and hitting each other with it (not in a harmful way, but in a more comic manner). Soon, we were all laughing, and thus, it earned the title of the squeaky mallot of joy.
Another fun moment is when the guys came over and started singing (loudly and off-key for a good portion of them) to wake up any sleeping girls. I was up, and so were a few others in my dorm, but a lot weren't. We pelted pillows at them, and sang to drown them out. At breakfast, we made our comeback by sending them around the dining hall. They came in through the back door, grabbed hymnals, and sang the song that the guys at our camp seem to be famous for. On our camp's will (a sheet posted on the wall where we can write down things we want to give people in our camp, some of which will be put down in the camp log) they were given a case of permanent laryngitus, pillows being thrown at them, and hymnals that attack off-key singers. :P
There were a lot of other random moments that I hope to remember, such as playing whack-a-random-nearby-camp-member (part of the SMJ thing), playing get-the-squeaky-mallot (and whack your opponent over the head) with a friend, and as I said before, the hugs. I honestly think that hugs are underrated. They really can help out in so many situations, and can mean so many different things.
I've probably written enough for now. I hope that next year is better for the people who go, but this year had some great, unforgettable memories for those of us who won't.