Interesting day today. Just finished watching the saddest Russian movie ever. Well, all three of our favorite Russian movies are tragic. I love "The Cranes are Flying" the most, but I absolutely ADORE Alyosha in "Ballad of a Soldier". This one is called, "A Cruel Romance", and it has the most haunting, poignant, ethereal songs EVER. It's about this beautiful girl, Larissa (another one of my favorite names.. Wow I'm having a theme for girl names that start w/ "L") who lives on the Volga, and the four men that court her (play with her). There's Yuli, an idiotic postman who absolutely adores her, but is the most VULGAR, INSUFFERABLE person EVER! Then there's Vassya, who I liked until the END, who was her childhood friend, and now a rich merchant. Then there's Moty, the rich, old, FAT REALLY rich merchant who cares about nothing but eating and money. (HEY I JUST CARE ALOT ABOUT THE EATING ALRIGHT?! I'm not that bad!) Then there's Sergey, the kind of daredevil, playboy guy that she truly loves. He loves her, in his own unfeeling way, but has sold himself to a rich old woman for her fortune.
All four of them love her in their own way. They are all bewitched by her beauty at least. All four of them have something in store for her; some gain from courting her. All four of them see her as an object. All four of them are big @$$holes, and I'm not exaggerating. You should have seen my dad, "IF I MET SOMEONE THAT BEAUTIFUL, DO YOU KNOW WHAT I WOULD DO?!?!" then came the chinese equivalent to four letter words.
It's basically about the tragedy of woman, as she must sit there and look pretty and hope someone rich proposes. Then there's the hope that they might actually love each other. And how men play with women until they get what they want, and then leave them with nothing, or sometimes a child. It's so sad what happens to her, and her voice is soooo ethereal, and the songs so symbolic and poignant. Going to go look for Russian songs in a sec.

ANYWAY, today in English, we had to write a "list poem", where you just take a look at your surroundings and list them, and somehow it turns out poetic. My friends were like, "The desk, the chair, the backpacks..." And every poem had the line, "The clock ticks slower every second.. WHY WON'T IT END?!" It was horrific I tell you.

I didn't really follow the directions as much, but I love mine much more. O yea, Brent gave me a red rose today, so that explains that. I'm amazed. It's one of the first not as Tolkienish poem I've written in a while. O yes, try to think classroom environment while reading.

Silence is all that is allowed
Nothing but the tapping of pens
As the metallic points brush the parchment
Each reclusive in his thoughts

The fair rose smells so sweet
Yet the fumes of ancient leaves
Fading and dusty
Permeate such a sweeter smell

Backpacks line the aisles
Each one reflecting the owner
How many homes have you journeyed?
How many more will you meet?

Words inscribed ahead
A white mass reflecting the light
Tarry not, for soon you fade
Like the evening stars to light


I like it... So I couldn't resist the "evening star" reference in the very end! I can't help it! It's one of my non-Tolkienish poems. I mean, there's ACTUALLY MODERN REFERENCES! AMAZING
Can someone PLEASE tell me what they think the "leaves" that I refer to are? SOMEONE PLEASE GET IT RIGHT!!