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Description Pairs
Looking out My Window in January by Kim Groninga • As I look out my window, I see a welcome sun beginning to melt December’s accumulated snow. Patches of green grass peek through—a sure sign that the world is still alive beneath the cold. The melting snow forms tiny gentle rivers that meander over the grass and plants as if to awaken them for Spring. • As I look out my window, I see a blinding sun beginning to destroy the magical world of December snow. Patches of brownish grass peek through like a scraggly shave job. The melting snow forms tiny rivers that carry mud and dead leaves straight to my front door.
Meat-Lovers Pizza by Ashley Evans, Wartburg, Spring 2007 • My heart fluttered when I heard the gentle tapping at the door. Megan answered it, and immediately the warm scent of a delicious treat immersed the room and wafted to my nose. She paid the angelic creature who blessed her with such a delightful delivery and gently nestled herself on the floor. She opened her box slowly, tentatively, like a woman opening a jewelry box, hoping it’s a ring. I watched as she gracefully lifted a slice of her meat lover’s pizza to her lips, a bit of cheese oozing out, releasing endorphins and a satisfying sensation with a single taste. • My heart raced when I heard the unwelcome pounding at the door. Megan answered it, and immediately the nasty scent of obesity in a box surged in the room, leaving a smell that was sure to last longer than a bag of burnt popcorn. She paid the creep who brought her her 500 calorie-a-slice dinner. She plopped on the floor and thrust the box open, like a 7-year-old receiving Pokemon cards at Christmas. I watched as she shoved a slice of her pizza, with three different types of dead animal on it, to her chops, a bit of grease oozing out, granting fatty tissue and jammed arteries with a single taste.
In the Wind by Jennifer Zavala, UNI, Spring 2010 • The wind here is like music. At the base of the hill, it is a gentle breeze, and it whispers to me. It quietly lifts bits of my bangs and tosses them into the sunshine. As I begin to climb, it intensifies, it steadily climbs with me, and I can feel it growing. The wind caresses me warmly about my wrists and knees, and I'm sure that it wants me to raise my arms and dance. Once I reach the top of the hill, it envelops me in it's strength, and tugs me toward the sky. In its climax, it is roaring in my ears. The full power blazes through my hair, holding it before my face. It feels like laughter. • The wind here is like a stalker. On approaching the mountain, already I can feel the freezing breeze skulking towards me. It dislodges my bangs and throws them up into the blinding sun. As I begin to climb, I can feel it nearing me, it follows me. I feel the ice snatch at my wrists, and slap against my knees, and I'm sure it wants to tackle me down. Once I reach the top, it clobbers me in it's strength, and tries to carry me away. At the peak of it's energy, it traps me in its arms and screeches in my ears. It rips its claws through my hair, and blinds me in the confusion. It feels like fear.
An Evening at the Wellness Center by Miranda Burroughs, UNI, Fall 2009 • I look to my left and spy bulging biceps curling much beyond my weight. To my right I find raging quadriceps squatting a quarter of a ton. Filling 360° of my vision field are astonishingly toned and attractive men. Their masculine bodies glisten with perspiration. Mmm…the smell of hard work mixed with chlorine takes me back to those hot summer days of refreshing at the pool. Without the constant humming of countless cardio machines and the upbeat jams throughout this haven, my soul wouldn’t be at ease. A brisk walk over to this building I idol served as the perfect warm-up for my invigorating workout ahead. My muscles contract and relax, contract and relax as I reach new levels of strength, endurance, and confidence. • I look to my left and
scowl at the protein-aholics. To my right are more of them who don’t have the
time of day for anyone but their “bros” and their skanks. Filling the entire
360° of my vision are veiny and disgustingly unattractive flea-bags. Their
Neanderthal bodies could fill endless buckets of sweat if it were possible to
ring them out. Their secreted body odors mixed with chlorine, or something like
Cl2 in the world of chemistry, takes me back to those horrendous chemistry
lectures. The buzzing of the muscle-deteriorating and joint-rupturing machines
of death and the horrible compilations that never made the top 40 make me wish
it wasn’t so weird to workout sporting earplugs. The long walk over to the
building I despise most on campus wore me out before I can even start my
torturous routine. My muscles contract… contract as I reach new levels of
pain, suffering, and humiliation.
Fired! by Raina de Wit, UNI, Spring 2009 • Just
as I am about to punch out for the day, my boss calls me into his office. The
look in his eye instantly informs me that I was going to hear something that I
did not want to. I want to run away. Instead, I nod my head, follow him and take
a seat on the plaid green chair across from him. “The recession is taking its
toll on our company”, I hear him say and the rest comes out in a hazy blur. I
couldn’t be laid off. How am I supposed to pay rent? I trudge out of his door
with worry lines creased upon my face. I should have stayed in bed today.
Swinging
by Brooke Woody, UNI, Fall 2008
Roller-Coaster
by Chris Sandy, Wartburg, Spring 2007 • As I nervously seat myself in the front of the car, the most dangerous seat, I wrap the hazardous looking belt around my waist. All of a sudden the terrible car horrifyingly clickety-clacks up the treacherous rail. The wait to the top is unbearable, and all I can do is pain-stakeingly grip my sweaty palms around the black bar in front of me. When the car reaches the point of no return, there is a torment of silence that is followed by hell’s car diving into space. The sickening tingle all over my body makes me want to throw up. My face is contorted with a nightmarish look. SHIT!
A Hug by Kim Cassidy, Wartburg, Spring 2007 • I close my eyes as I feel the warm, comforting embrace of my friend. Breathing a sigh of relief, the weight of my pain is lifted as she takes on my burden. The rate of my breathing slows, and I finally feel like I’m not alone. • I close my eyes as I unwillingly submit to the well-intended embrace of someone who cares. Hoping in vain that she might take the hint, I leave my arms hanging limply at my sides. My frustration builds because I just want to be left alone.
At the Ocean by Jake Flamming, UNI, Fall 2006 • I run through the gentle, soft carpet of sand and, with every step I take, I feel it push through my toes. The gentle sky is blue as a blueberry; the clouds have taken a vacation for the day. The sun casts rays of warmth onto my almost-naked body as I see my destination ahead. My toes touch water, smooth and gentle, cleaning the sand from my feet. The clear wave lifts me to its top, and I dive into the clear, refreshing water where there is no one but me and the beautiful fish. • I run through the course sand; it sticks to me like peanut butter on bread. The sun beating down on me, my skin burns red. There is sweat all over my body; the clouds aren’t there to shade me. A wave of water smashes into me—it felt like a car. I regain my balance, soon to be thrown under the salty water where there is no one but me and the slimy fish.
Race Response by Amanda Kuiken, Wartburg, Spring 2007 • As he walked up, he appeared annoyed and agitated. By the look in his eyes I could tell he had some harsh words he wanted to say. Immediately, he spoke in a thunderous voice that pounded in my ears. Words I didn’t expect came out such as: disappointment, true freshman and what was that. I stared at the ground, and then looked up to say, “I’m sorry, I can do better.” • As he walked up, I could tell he had something important on his mind. His eyes were focused and determined and said things that could not be expressed in words. When he reached me, he began talking loudly, with strong determination. The words he spoke included: I’m sure you are disappointed, you are only a freshman and I am confused as to why that race went the way it did. I looked down, and then back into his eyes. With confidence I say, “I’m sorry, I will do better.”
My Friend and My Dog by Jennifer Kuiken, Wartburg, Fall 2006 • The light carpet cushioned Amanda’s seat as she touched the soft fur of the dog. Toby looked up at her with his gentle eyes, waiting for a biscuit. His dark fur glimmered in the morning sunlight as he patiently awaited his tasty reward. His smooth, wet nose absorbed the delectable scent of the biscuit. Toby took the treat and silently thanked her with a swipe of his soft pink tongue. • The fur-covered carpet shocked Amanda as she sat next to the dog. Toby, with his concentrated eyes, stared at the dangling treat in her hand. The dirt in his coarse fur clung to her fingernails as she scratched his arched back. She held the sticky, beef-flavored biscuit as Toby anxiously awaited his reward. A large drop of drool escaped his slobbery lips as Amanda smelled the stench of the old, ripe dog biscuit. Then Toby snatched the treat and proceeded to spread his smelly slobber on her face with a lick of his dirty tongue.
Looking out My Window in October by Marissa Whitney, UNI, Fall 2006 • As I look out upon the front lawn, I see a tree standing beautiful and tall against the lively array of the rising sun. Vibrant-colored leaves of reds, yellows, and oranges litter the ground, creating a portrait of vivid color against the fading shades of grass which remind us that November will soon be here. The dew holding tightly to each blade glistens as light hits it and reflects the image of fall. • As I look out upon the front lawn, I see a tree standing lonely and bare, blending in with its equally dull surroundings. The grass, more brown than green, shows that it no longer cares for the Iowa weather and would rather die than be part of it. Leaves have changed to fiery reds, oranges, and yellows as if threatening to burn everything away, while dew clings to the patchy grass, unable to revive it.
The Empty Page by Marco Trujillo, UNI, Fall 2006 • As I look down at my blank sheet of notebook paper, I see a bastard of an assignment that is hours away from being completed. My pencil acts as a blade that cannot be returned to its sheath until it has spilled blood. The blank page stares at me, sizing me up from head to toe as if I were its major opponent. • As I look down at my blank sheet of notebook paper, I see a splendid opportunity for me to express myself through writing. It’s as if my number-two pencil were a chisel, chipping away at a piece of marble to produce my own "Statue of David." The empty page is an unsown field, waiting for the seedling of my imagination.
Home from College by Sarah Koenigs, Wartburg, Fall 2006 • As I sit alone in my house, I am filled with a sense of contentment. The peacefulness of being alone for the first time in months sets up a very relaxing mood. My family is gone to my brother’s final football game, but I have decided to stay home and refresh myself. I turn the TV on to something innocent—Charlie Brown’s Halloween. Outside, the soft hum of the corn drier makes me feel like this is where I’m supposed to be, just like every Fall. This morning I awoke to notice the leaves on the trees to be an amazing red-orange color. Some had effortlessly fallen off, leaving the ground in an array of Autumn colors. I can’t help but miss this home, especially tonight when I will get to crawl into my bed with crisp, cool sheets and snuggle up in my blankets. • As I sit alone in my house, I can find nothing to do except listen to the silence. The only noise I can hear is the rough, constant sound of the old corn drier outside. I turn the TV on to fill the solemn house with some action, but the only thing on is an old rerun of some kid show—Charlie Brown’s Halloween. I’ve slept all day, so now I feel like getting out of this house and doing something. I would have gone to my brother’s last football game, but I didn’t want to stand outside in the frigid, icy-cold wind for a couple of hours to watch him stand on the sideline. Even though I was half-asleep and groggy, I did notice some leaves on the ground when I got up this morning. They looked misplaced against our dead, brown grass. Now I remember how little there is to do in my hometown. Tonight I’ll go to bed early and try to stay warm in this brisk house.
Family Meal by Samie Douglas, UNI, Fall 2006 • As our family sits on the couch, sharing a meal, we gaze at the box that represents an amazing feat in technology. This box portrays astonishingly realistic pictures and a sound that makes it feel like you’re there. Together as a family, we discuss the news and current events it brings us. We are brought to-the-minute updates of news from around the world that we otherwise would not be able to know. • As our family sits lazily on the couch, eating a delivery pizza that will eventually make us all overweight, we stare mindlessly at the box that is destroying the minds of America. While we could be playing a board game, discussing a book, or enjoying a meal around the table, our minds are filling with celebrity news and gossip that holds no importance to our lives.
My Laptop Computer by Amanda Downing, UNI, Fall 2006 • My black Hewlett-Packard laptop is my connection to the gigantic world that is always in constant motion and filled with ceaseless unknowns. Without my electronic device, I would not have a junction to the astonishing events held ’round the world. For a few hours, on occasion, I get to escape reality and dive into whatever certain topic tips my fancy or aids me on a search. "One hundred percents" on many typed papers, helpful with scholarship applications, interesting research, and amazingly fun times chatting with friends have all resulted from my link to infinite knowledge and prosperity. People’s lifetime occupations, enjoyment, and even survival can depend on this necessary instrument. Without this technologically advanced powerhouse of intelligence, many surf-going, hard-working humans would not know what to do with themselves. This invention has shot society into a completely new innovative age. • My horrid hunk of metal is the worst invention since the Furby. It constantly breaks down and has too many colored wires to count. All the different possible ways to get into trouble on this privacy-free black hole make my skin crawl. This money-swallowing, inconvenient form of "new age revolution" is overrated and has taken the personality out of learning. Hard work, knowledge, and skills are no longer needed to succeed in this already-doomed life when all of the answers are right at your fingertips. This repugnant piece of crap will inevitably lead to the decline of mankind.
High School Lunch by Joe Kneip, Wartburg, Fall 2006 • Students at lunch talk happily about the day’s events. Before them sits a lunch fit for a king. Potatoes smothered in gravy lie next to a piece of cake topped with fresh whipped cream on a colorful lunch tray. A beautiful rendition of "Sexy Back," sung by Justin Timberlake, plays over the cafeteria’s sound system and is so up beat it makes everyone want to dance. When the bell rings, signaling the end of lunch, legs seem to bend awkwardly, not wanting to leave the comfort of their lunch table full of smiling friends. • Students at lunch talk over one another about the day’s events, never mindful of the proper etiquettes taught to them by their parents. The voice of one student is drowned out by another, and so on and so on until you can’t hear yourself think. Before them, a plastic tray of instant mashed potatoes with lumpy gravy, along with a bite-sized piece of cake. This is all our school has to offer. The loudspeaker cracks and fizzles as another rerun of Justin Timberlake’s song "Sexy Back" blares. When the bell rings, students’ legs are slow and stiff to rise out of their seats to go back to the laboring toils of the classroom.
Morning by Naresh Pandey, UNI, Fall 2006 • As I look up in the sky in dawn, I see the rays of the sun hastening towards the earth to quench its thirst to kiss her, greeting as good morning and working as a natural alarm. The sun spreads its gold equally among the siblings of the mother earth and provides gentle warm, pleasure, and sight to those who are struggling from cold, boredom, and dark. • As I look up in the sky in dawn, I see a fierce pointed arrow from the sun bursting on the heart of the cloud, forcing a break in the bond between earth and cloud. The sun is signaling us to ready to be a slave, to compete with our brothers and sisters as beasts wetted in jealousy, hatred, and desire.
Colby the Yellow Lab by Jeff Stout, UNI, Fall 2006 • As I walk the formerly abandoned yellow lab to the outside of the animal shelter, I am nearly pulled away by Colby’s freedom. He investigates all natural objects we encounter with great curiosity. Within the outdoor exercise area, I hear each rapidly made step by the underlying moistened leaves as he runs at a dead sprint after the well-used squeaky ball. Each time an object is fetched, he happily accompanies it with a stance of victory and a tail wag of happiness. • As I walk the unwanted yellow lab to the outside of his confinement, I finally escape the noise of the overactive dogs. Colby runs at such a pace that I have to pull him back with all my strength in order to keep him under control. He stubbornly makes a stop at every tree as though he had an endless amount of urine to dispose. Within the outdoor exercise area, I hear the constant slopping of mud as he splashes his way after a lifeless and demolished toy. Each time the toy is fetched, he allows me to have it only after jumping on me, covering my sweatshirt with muddy paw prints. He jumps down, his wagging tail throwing additional mud on me.
Thank you to the students who allowed me to reprint their work here! |