The Phoenix's Quil

Hands of friendship can be so rare,

But once joined in harmony,

Forever they will stay,

To continually support us forever.

Minds of companionship will mould together,

Having their own identity but

Still finishing each others sentences,

And although they change they’ll still be connected.

Once hearts of friendship bind,

They beat together in a musical rhythm,

No one can break it,

It will forever beat on tirelessly.

Friendship is a valuable asset,

More so than stocks and shares,

If you find a friend worth keeping,

Then their friendship will be compelled toward you.

Like magnets we find our true friends,

No matter of geography, age, race,

Gender or crede,

And forever the twines that hold us together will strengthen.

The ropes that guide us as friends,

Will take us on many adventures,

Even when there’s space and time between us,

A strong friendship will overcome anything.

Before you count the friends you have,

Remember all of these things,

How many hands, minds, hearts,

Hold you with strong rope,

Never to let you go.

A friend will stand beside you,

A friend will hold your hand,

A friend will hug you tightly,

Or give you the berating you deserve.

A friend will wipe your tears,

And tell you where you went wrong,

A friend will also hold you,

When all else seems to have gone wrong.

A friend will stay until you’re better,

Only leaving when they know you are strong,

A friend will hold your hair in a hangover,

And then tell you how you screwed up.

A friend is there without being asked,

They come at their own will,

They instantly have all the answers,

Even if its just wait a little.

A friend tells you you look fat,

She tells you when you look thin,

She’ll throw the ugly dress you bought out,

And appraise you on the shoes.

A friend will laugh at your mess-ups,

Only when she knows its right,

She never needs to be told what’s wrong,

Her heart is telling her why.

So if you are lucky like I see I am,

And hold ropes of friendships tight,

Then tell your friend how much you love her,

And never say goodbye.

Thank her for the sisterhood,

Thank her for her truth,

Thank her for her loyalty,

And in return she’ll most definitely thank you.

The Cali sun beating down,

The cries of friends having fun,

The beats from the loud music playing out,

The boys playing b-ball yell and shout!

The ice cream trucks jangling their tunes,

The girl in the grocery store being rude,

The shopping trips to the mall at weekends,

The blasting of clubbing sounds.

All these things make me smile,

And yet make me frown.

To miss a place so,

To know what it holds,

To be kept at bay,

And not knowing which day

Will take me home again,

Make me hear the din,

Feel my arms hot and free,

Drinking jamba juice or iced tea.

Walking down the paths filled with scents,

Of Trees, cologne and no sense,

Of feeling the chill never reaching my arms,

Because the night air remains relatively warm.

To ride in cars with the music full blast,

To know the girls friendships will always last,

To walk in dewy fields hot from the sun,

And remain fragrance filled when the sun has gone.

To hear the hustle and bustle of the streets outside,

And sitting in the restaurant where you had to hide,

From the California beams beating on your head,

All of the energy refusing to let you go to bed.

The calm acceptance and the warm reception,

Lets you know you receive nothing but acceptance,

Talking to people from different backgrounds and styles,

And knowing yet still, all the while,

You must go back to a prison you see,

Where you’re treated like a fugitive that’s free,

No more happy days spent with those you love,

Back to reality and boy is it rough.

The rain pelting down defines your mood,

The hopes of living again are nothing but rude

Reminders of what almost could be,

A life of everything you want but above all acceptance of me.

So the ice cream trucks still jingle their tune,

The girl in the grocery store remains to be rude,

But the shimmer of happiness and fairy tales must fade,

For your life has gone up in smoke like a phantom parade.

Deep in the forest,

A dim house lurks.

The leaves whisper “danger”

A wolf howls

An owl hoots a horror.

Underfoot twigs crunch like bones of the dead,

The moon paints a shimmery light of a figure,

The ghostly presence of the trees haunts the minds of the living.

The deadly landscape stands firm,

The trees circle an ice white lake like soldiers on guard,

The grass, pale green reminds you of feeling sick

And the pit in your stomach is visible far away.

For a second, the moon closes its light,

The clouds cover it

Sending a screaming shiver of fear down your spine.

Noises appear like words from a book in your mind,

Painted there and will not disappear.

Behind every tree lurks a ghoul,

Full of mischief on this cold night.

Suddenly, I’m running,

Arms flaring, larynx working overtime,

A hand on my neck, pushing,

Smash, crack, the bones break,

Not of the dead but mine alone,

I’m alone and no one can hear me scream.

Fairy, fairy burning bright,

In the darkest of the nights,

Shining where the moon can’t land,

Holding the world inside your hands.

Fairy, fairy can you see,

The people who need your serenity?

Keep then safe from all that may harm,

By pulling them tight into your magical arms.

Fairy, Fairy, listen to my cries,

As your little wings take you across the skies,

Love and keep all children safe,

Until the very, break of day.

Some of us route for the underdog while others continue to hate on them. But it seems as though in the current state of society’s mindset that all we want to do is see the up and coming “underdog” fail or forced to be punished and put back into its comfortable status before they have a chance to make it anywhere in our competitive society.

I can think of plenty of examples where this is happening or has happened in recent memory.

The British are renowned for doing this exact behaviour where sports are regarded. England plays in the world cup this year but as a nation we already expect for them to fail. In the past, it’s been traditional to vouch for the underdog, to spur them on to do well but nowadays it seems unless you are already one of the “big boys” you better forget climbing that socially acceptable ladder to bigger and better things.

The current general election has proven this without the final ballot papers being counted. The liberal democrats have been dismissed by the two major parties as pretty much a joke than a serious contester to the leadership challenge. However, when Nick Cleg gained a relatively popular reaction from the general public after the first leaders’ debate, the others turned to attack him and his party more vehemently than they had chosen to display prior to the televised debate.

Only time will tell how the “underdog” in this particular situation will pan out.

Across the other side of the Atlantic, things do not seem much better as Apple are now being investigated by the FCC for their argument with Adobe. It seems no one cared about Apple’s dealings while they did not pose a threat to the overall technology market but now Apple are creating waves it seems no one in higher powers wants to see the company increase their share hold on the technology market.

The underdogs is a concept we are all familiar with but will they continue to remain as the underdog or will they succeed to bigger and better things?

Education is the foundation for any child’s learning but for a child with a disability their education may stray from the course of their peers. But how much specialised education that may blur into preferential treatment is OK and where should the lines be drawn?

Everyone’s experience is individual and no one is saying that any situation is the norm but there is no specific rules in some places and then in others too many. Where the balance lies and should lie differs tremendously.

Some individuals are babied in some systems and others are given the extra support with no such differences to their classmates. There are those again who lie in the middle of this spectrum and sadly the camps are divided purely on attitudes.

The attitudes of society and the attitudes of individuals parents are huge influences to how the school and the people assisting the children cater to the child’s needs.

Each case must be assessed on individual assessment but certain factors must be adhered too. In the UK, we have a national curriculum that every child within the Uk system has to adhere to and certain classes are mandatory, no matter how much your disability, certain classes and all exams must be undertaken. There are no excuses in regards to disability for exemption, extra time and assistance for all disabled students are granted but exemption from exams or mandatory classes and attendance are compulsory.

However, some school teams and education authorities find that giving disabled students certain privileges in fear of repercussions from organisations or indeed parents is vital. The communication between parents and the schools is usually intensive within the mainstream system as the child’s progress and the support is continuously monitored.

During a child’s early days, extra classes such as braille, typing or mobility have to be addressed and this does indeed cut into the child’s curriculum. As necessary as these extra, usually one on one sessions are, they cannot interfere with a child’s regular classwork. In high school, where diagrams and more complicated topics should arise, such as the braille maths code, again one on one with a learning support assistant is crucial but still cannot interfere with a child’s curriculum.

Being in mainstream can often prove to be vital for a child’s social development and their general attitude toward the outside world. Often, institutions can create a “bubble effect” and cause unrealistic attitudes to form. But again, if a child is given preferential treatment whilst in mainstream education, whereas they are not encouraged to socialise, integrate with their peers and take part in challenging experiences, their social attitudes may be stunted as a result.

No system is perfect but allowing children with a disability to have a very different experience to their able bodied friends continues to feed the attitude that disabled people are less capable and not their equal. Allowing a child to miss an exam because of their visual impairment or allow them to leave school at a less equal rate to their abled bodied peers continues to feed this horrific view of disabled people of being not as capable as everyone else.

As I understand it, in the US, some school districts allow students to miss mandatory exams because of their disability or not ad heed to the same rules as their able bodied peers because of a visual impairment, how is this fair to their peers, the hard working school systems and in the long run those students? They are not being taught how hard the real world is by giving them certain privileges. When they’re in the work place, how will it be fair if they go home because they feel like it while their able bodied colleagues pick up the slack. We all know this shouldn’t and doesn’t often happen in the work place so why the hell is it happening in some educational districts?

We should be teaching all of our children that they are equal, not just to get the positives but when going through the negatives of their school life. If they don’t do their homework, they should be reprimanded as everyone else is. If they are misbehaving then they should be punished the difference is to benefit the child and give them the same opportunities as their classmates, special treatment should never occur. It is mainstream for a reason and it will, if done properly produce well rounded, socially capable, functional individuals, regardless of ability.

A city so rich,
A city so poor,
No one truly knows you,
No one wants to know.
A diverse history,
Filled with bloodshed and tears,
Oil and gold, and so much fear.
You started as a village,
Under different rule,
And now you’re the city so big,
No longer the small fish in the giant pool.
Three countries have ruled you,
And the one right now so great,
Your founders knew growth would occur,
But did they foresee how great?
Landmarks fill your skyline,
Trademarks we all know and see,
Lights flash all day long,
And you’re often associated with prosperity.
To the outside world,
You appear so great,
But to your residents they know more than love,
Often they only know hate!
Infamous for the movies,
Well known for your Hollywood stars,
Distinguished for your exports and goods,
second city to Detroit for producing cars,
Home to the movie set,
Holding residents of wealth,
But your industrial progression hasn’t always meant good,
It’s destroyed the city’s health.
The river still flows through,
But the water has been forced to change course,

And with natural disasters always occurring,
And humanity often being the source,
Has hindered the humanity,
Has damaged the impression,
But Los Angeles is still loved by all,
Even through a humanly recession.
Violence has always existed,
No matter how much they try to hide it,
But the beauty of the landscape,
We all want to deny it.
Appearances can be deceiving,
And the weather is often steamy,
But it is safe to say for sure,
LA is nothing but dreamy.
The land of the dreamers,
The home to the fancy cars,
The place to love California,
And maybe to become a star!
With such diverse history,
And much more to love and see,
Los Angeles is the place everyone knows,
And most importantly the place I want to be.

I was warned not to listen to it
but I had to know the truth,
you’ve ventured down the wrong path,
I can no longer find you!

Sure if I look on my iTunes,
And listen to the old you,
I hear what musical talent you once were,
But on the net we’re through.

A loyal fan I was,
From the start until last year,
You broke the code of music,
And made it so I no longer hear,
The words that escape your mouth,
because all that they are are fake,
And when you no longer have the hunger in you,
You start to make mistakes.

Raw talent we all proclaimed you,
A dazzling light of the west,
It’s true we held you on a pedestal,
Granted that you were the best.
Hope for a musical ability,
To strive through all the crap,
It’s no exaggeration in truth,
You were the king of rap.

Your lyrics were outstanding,
Your persona real and true,
But since LAX has been and gone,
No one can seemingly find you.

Search results on google,
Will show up latest stuff,
But the voice I hear sounds like you,
The same sexy voice with a bit of rough,
But the words that form in the lines,
Are based on simplistic shit,
None of us loyal fans ever thought we’d see the day,
You’d ride doctor dre’s dick.

You did great without him,
Held your credit on the streets,
But now you’re repping aftermath again,
All you seem to me is weak.

What happened to the gangsta?
To the rapper so real,
To someone I respected deeply,
Someone who was honest on how he feels?
What happened to the talent?
The content that made you so good?
What happened to the real talk about
Real shit in the hood?

All we hear is bla, bla bla,
The same shit to a different beat,
Everyone kissing your ass and
Definitely licking your feet.

I miss the game I heard back then,
In a life so exciting and true,
But I guess to want the rap artist from then,
From way back in 2002
Would to want something that isn’t here,
That seemingly went away,
A talent you sure once was,
But you’re not that great rapper today.

An inspiration you were,
Even back in 2009,
And for those things I thank you forever,
But now you’ve crossed the line.
What you do with your life is a choice,
Only you can make,
But now you’ve lost what you were,
Then my fanship I shall take,
Away and stay the way I am,
True and as real can be,
And if I want to listen to you,
Then I’ll look up Game in my iTunes library.

Forever your once talent,
Will stay alive with me,
Because I’ll never forget the awesome rapper
From the pre-2009 music industry.

I’ll say goodbye and wish you luck,
And hope that one day you can see,
That you took the wrong path and made a bad choice,
And failed to save yourself lyrically.

I do not profess to be a political writer in any sense of the word but the recent and current ongoings of the British political system have got my writing bugs buzzing.

I, like many other interested voters of the UK have been tuned into the historical debates between the three major party leaders. The increasing poles that are circulating suggest that the debates have indeed enlightened the British public to the existence of the Liberal democrats, which, David Cameron up until this week, along with the rest of his party have seemingly ignored. However, with the success of Nick Cleg’s performance on last week’s ITV’s debate, the slime balls have been at the ready.

It would seem if Mr Cleg had ever picked his nose in his year 3 maths class, David cameron’s morons would have known about it and displayed that particular information in the daily newspapers. along with any potential flaw that Mr Cleg has. Maybe if his wife had complained dear old Nick had left the toilet seat up on one or two occasions, you can be assured the Cameron Camp would have let every single media outlet of the good old British press know within the next few weeks.

Accusing Brown of “frightening people” with his leaflet campaign and smearing dirt of Mr Cleg’s all over the media, do we the British public really want someone who is more obsessed with pulling the other partys down for personal affects rather than their policies? What kind of a country do we live in now where the so called non-bias media is allowed to spurt this utter nonsense?

Politics is a dirty game, I completely accept that fact but pulling information on Nick Cleg, someone you didn’t even acknowledge was in the race until the past week makes the conservatives look completely desperate.

The policies have been set out clearly and I for one can see the defining line between them all. If Mr Cameron is elected, we shall be on our way to de-europeanising ourselves, while cutting ourselves off from Europe’s trades and all of the advantages that go with it; bombarding Iraq and places with the renewed trident policy; cutting public spending and increasing the working age and God only knows what else. These are old policies that simply cannot work.

Brown, although is a more viable option would have us paying more taxes, granted while keeping policing at the same high level but what about other issues such as social services that are in a dire straights right now? They would continue to do a lot of the same but invest more into war and nuclear power is not necessarily a great way to spend the tax payer’s pound.

And Mr Cleg? Well, he would continue to invest into public services, reduce tax for the first £10000 individuals earned while cutting inheritance tax completely and striving forward with the move to Europe, a cleaner Britain without the possibility of nuclear waste or nuclear warfare.

It’s clearly up to the individual voter who they vote for. I am just one person willing to place my vote on May 6TH, but think about your future before you blot the ballot paper.

A stede so mighty,
strengthA beast so strong,
Fatality could attack any time
You’re around.
You choose to be gentle,
You choose to obey,
Occasionally whinnying or
Giving a little nay.

Your fur so soft,
As I brush it through,
A mane and tale of hair so thick,
But those powerful feet could damage me so
And break me like a stick.
But you choose to stand,
Let me fuss you,
Stroke your mane and
Let me ride you.

Trotting along and being so free,
It amazes me your sheer strength and beauty,
And despite all the danger and the threat you pose,
I still go on riding you knowing all I know.
Your patience impeccable,
Your willingness unfailing,
And riding the country roads we go,
Never seeming to mind my flailing,
As a new rider,
As a new friend,
You coach me well while
Taking me around a new bend,
That promises to be so much fun,
To teach me that little bit more,
And when we’re done learning together,
I’ll say goodnight and close the stable door.
A magnificent creature you are to me,
A beautiful force of nature,
And the bond between horse and rider,
Well, there’s not much greater.
In sync like a pair of dancers,
In tune like a fine tuned band,
And if I shall ever fall from you,
I’ll never raise my hand.
You are beauty in its finest,
You are strength by defining words,
And now, its true, I’ve found in you,
A whole new, accessible world.