Beyond the nutmeg colored residence from which I live, lies a swampy, yet peaceful pond. Brightly colored ducks skim the rippling water as they swoop in for an easy landing. The air is toasty but catches a chill as the sudden wind blows, coming out of nowhere. The wind composes a soft, lonely song as it carries loose particles that cling to the water like a magnetic adhesive. The trees crowd around the crystal water like cold children to their teachers out at recess. The trees stand staunch and sturdy but seem to almost dance as they sway in the wind. The sun looks like it is dusted with gold, as it peeks over the barrier trees, making the pond streaked with iridescent beams. The atmosphere is crested with the music of croaking toads and pouncing frogs. Then, the yellow sphere that once harbored the sky slowly slips into the distant, glistening plains.
More Stories Written By Jessica
Click on the links below to read more of Jessica's interesting writings.
An Adventure In Space
Jessica wrote this story in 6th grade. It was 3 pages long, but her teacher made her cut it down.
The Tiger Story
This is the last story Jessica wrote and it is about tigers.
St. Petersberg
A train ride on the Trans-Siberian Railroad.
I have the best of both worlds. I live in town and in the country.
About nine years ago my parents and my family moved into this nook from Lincoln, Nebraska. This house is located in Garretson, South Dakota, a small town with about 1165 people. Our house, however, is in a desolate location. We live on a gravel road off of Third Street. This private driveway is called Rose Avenue. As you travel down the driveway you notice tons of colorful lilac bushes to your left. You finally reach two lights with brick foundations and wood fences attached. At this point the gravel road turns into blacktop gravel sealed driveway. Also to the left of you, you will see tall maple, pine, box elder, and coniferous trees. The taller trees are about sixty-five feet tall, which makes them look as if they are scraping the sky. A little to the right of the trees is our Morton Building, also known as "the shed." Along the shed are some smaller trees including a crab apple tree. Attached to the end of the shed are our deserted green house and my mother's art studio. The studio is filled with memorabilia, art supplies, clay, and tons more. The greenhouse is over taken by killer plants trying to take over the world!!! O. K., maybe not but it looks this way. Behind the greenhouse are a red water pump and the silver dog pen. Oh, and lots of presents the dogs have given us. The two dogs Fargo and her son Gage basically live in this pen. It contains two doghouses, good, water dishes, and bones. No, not HUMAN bones!! DOG bones!! When the weather gets colder the dogs stay in the house. Beyond he dog pen is an old, smelly, beat to heck red shed filled with horse supplies, tires, chicken wire, and a dead opossum. The roof of the red shed caving in at two places. Why this is I have no idea. All I can say is that it looks like the neighbors have fired cannons at us. The shed has two glass windows that have been screamed at one to many times and the glass has shattered. Behind the shed are pussy willows, coca burs, sticker plants, thistles, and free floating land. The free-floating land leads into more free-floating land by the side of the highway. Something else that borders the land on one side is the Linneweber's house. They are my "kitty- corner" neighbors. You've probably heard of them or at least their twins Cody and Becca. On the other side of the land is that big grove I talked about earlier with the tall trees. Beyond the thistles and pussy willows is a small, mossy pond surrounded by trees and ducks. In the wintertime this pond turns into an ice skating rink for my friends and I. In front of the pond is our orchard, which is made up of many different kinds of apple, plum, and one peach tree. The peach tree was taken over by the rabbits and is now recovering from the painful makeover the little fellas gave it. Behind and in front of the trees are our gardens. We usually plant veggies or other produce in the one behind the orchard. The one in front of the orchard is mostly filled with raspberries, daffodils, baby's breath, spearmint, honey suckle, and chives. The garden looks like a rainbow of colors when it's entirely in bloom. On the side of the flower garden is a willow tree. I used to call it Grandmother Willow because it looks almost identical to the willow tree on Pocahontas. My friends and I used to swing on its long unstable branches and sit in the middle of the tree that is basically a tree house. Next to the willow tree is a clothesline that I learned very quickly not to pull on. Beside the clothesline is a trampoline. The trampoline has been spilled on, tanned on, bounced on, fell on, laughed on, cried on, and obviously jumped on. Even more lilac bushes surround the back yard where the trampoline and clothesline are. There are about 5000 around the whole house. Next to the back yard and willow tree are some tall evergreens. In the winter they look like a painting done by Bob Ross because they look like they are laced with white satin. The snow makes them so beautiful. The trees are in front of the entrance to my house. My house is an old rusted brown color that almost looks like it blends in with the trees surrounding it. So, what do you think? DO I live in town or in the country?
Candles in the Night
Candles flame in darkness,
flicker, steadily glow,
bringing light from shadows
and help to soothe us so.
Our daughter, like the candles,
gave our lives true light.
We use the candle's beacon
to connect us in the night.
As we light the candles,
our wish and our request
is that she'll see our signal
and know our love's expressed.
As her light joins our light
our worlds touch and flame
As we put the candles out
we softly say her name...
copyright Genesse Bourdeau Gentry
from her collection of poetry, Stars in the Deepest Night After the Death of a Child
Music: "Tears On A Rose" from the Mystic Waters CD
copyright Elan Michaels
Used With Permission Click the above logo to visit Elan's site.
Personal Content copyright Keith & Jeralyn Haffer
Graphics copyright Enchantingly Beautiful Graphics
Created Exclusively For The Hafffer's
All Rights Reserved
No copying or redistribution without expressed written permission.
