1. My Park, My Bench: I chose Kate’s Park to find my bench and write about it. I found a bench that I visit quite often and that I really like sitting on. I chose the park because it is close to my house so I go there a lot and because I find it very serene. My bench is close but not to close to the park and close to the water, which allows me to have a very good sight of the water, it’s on the grass by a path. It faces the water which I really enjoy because I like to sit and watch the waves and boats cross. My bench it a little worn out and it’s an off brown color, it’s been sat on many of times. It is bigger enough to fit three people comfortably and there is a lot of grass under the bench, which I really like because when I take off my shoes it feels nice on my feet. There is an inscription plate that says “in memory of my loving parents, Rose and Nathanael Buskirk 1996”. I think that is a great inscription because it allows other people to see the love there children had for them.
2. What I Feel: When I site on my bench I see a lot of grass, there are flowers starting to grow but are not quit there. I see a park with little children and there parents running around. There is water right in front of me and I see a large ship crossing. In front of me there is also a stone pathway with a few couples walking and joggers running. There are trees and animals all around the bench. To the side of me there is a stone castle type thing (I’m not too sure what it is) with lots of vines around it. When I sit on my bench and see all of this I feel happy, it makes me want to keep coming back to this same spot every day for the rest of my life. I think every one that comes to this park should take a seat in this bench and just look around, watch all the beauty. I want to make this bench an area for me to come and relax when I am feeling down or just not having a good day. This would allow me to walk out me anger and when I got there feel relaxed.
3. Dedication to me: If a bench were dedicated to me I would want it to be in the front yard of my parent’s house. It would be surrounded by beautiful flowers and have a rock pathway leading to it. There would be a willow tree to the side of it and it would have a white wicker archway with lilies wrapped around the arch. You would be able to see it from the kitchen window and from my parent’s bedroom window. This would make it so my parents could look at it every day and when ever close family or friends came over they could see it as well. I would like the inscription on the plat to say “Christina LePage lived a good life and loved all of her family and friends” I would also like it to have a memorable quote that would remind them of me. When people walk by or sat on this bench I would want them to feel happy, relaxed and welcomed. I would want them to think they were in heaven with me; I would want them to feel me sitting there with them.
4. Dedicated a Bench: If I were to dedicate a bench it would be dedicated to my parent’s to show them how much I appreciate all of them. You see I don’t just have a mother and a father; I have a mother, a step mother, a father and a step father. They have all been in my life for so long that I think all of them as mothers and fathers. This bench would be placed in Stanly Park, close to the water and close to a place with lots of activity, so that everyone can see it. The inscription on the plate would say “Thank you to a wonderful group of parents, I love you all”. Then it would have all there names inscribed on it. I chose to say this because of the bench that I found inspired me. It showed the love there children have for them and I want everyone to see the love I have for my parents. If someone walked by the bench that new my parent’s and was what I wrote I would like them to feel a sense of gratitude and respect. I would want someone how never even new my parent to feel this way.
5. Journal: My Trip to the Park: I live just a few blocks away from Kate’s Park, so that’s where I’ve decided to find a bench from. I begin my walk, the first block is short and a group of children and there parents go running by me to the park up the street. They all look every exited and are hopping around in bright colored clothing. There are lots of trees and there is a side walk only on one side of the street, a bus passes me and kind of startles me because I’m listing to my music. It’s a sunny day and when I look up into the sky I see clouds that are moving quite fast, I can make the coolest shapes out of them. In one of the clouds I can see an alligator. I have now reached the third block which has a little mall on the corner. The mall has a little corner store, coffee shop, movie store, fitness area, and a bank. When I look in front of me I can see the water and it looks beautiful. The water is blue and white and there are a few row boats. Across the water is a little island with lots of trees, there is a bold spot of trees that looks like a house might be there. I can also see a factory with smoke coming out of it. I have now reached the park and I’m walking through the grass past the playground. The first bench I see catches my eye and I know it’s the one because of the area it’s in and because I’ve sat in the bench before and I know what is around it.
6.A Poem that Suits my Bench:
A View From The Park Bench
Upon this old familiar bench
From which I've spent a time or two
Just gazing at the fluid sky
And watching chestnut trees,
Which change throughout the seasons
Now their copper leaves do fall
And gather on this stony path
Then tossed upon the breeze.
For scattered far across the field
And through the air with random flee
From every bough it seems to pluck
Until each one is bare,
Now soon the winter shall be here
With icy chills the frosts and snow
When I'll not stop but carry on
And find no comfort there.
Upon this bench so old and worn
That's scrawled and etched on every slat
And smeared with food from yesterday
Yet still to me so kind,
For here within my solitude
Away from all the toil and spite
I'll take my time to look around
When others seem so blind.
Within this park the children play
Upon the swings the slide and frame
And run around upon the grass
Just like I used to do,
But now so many years have passed
And older but no wiser I
And wish I had my youth again
Reliving times I knew.
Upon this bench I sit and wait
And as the people pass me by
Some of them do speak to me
Some look the other way,
Yet here the grass shall always grow
Beneath my tired and aching feet
A friendly place I call my own
Where often I do stay.
I long for daffodils of spring
To watch them all come into flower
Then wave upon the gentle breeze
Such beauty there to see,
Then listen to the birds that sing
Their sweet refrains as if for I
And I alone shall hear them all
Each golden melody.
I leave the bench behind me now
And walk along the stony path
That's still adorned by copper leaves
To where the breeze has blown,
But know that soon I shall return
To look upon this view again
And watch the seasons changing
In this place I call my own.
ANDREW BLAKEMORE
The poem that I chose is “a view from The Park bench”. The poem relates to my bench because the park is close to my house and I have been there before and sat on the bench many of times. “Upon this and familiar bench from which I’ve spent a time or two”. Both my and the poet have a bench we like to come to and sit on. Just like the bench in the poem, my bench has chestnut trees that surround it; it also has a stony path way that runs in front of it. “And watching chestnut trees … And gather on this stony path’. My bench is not new, is has also been sat on many of times. It’s in a very peaceful/calm area which I really enjoy. “Away form all the toil and spite”. Just a close distance away form my bench is a playground which has swings and slides and is used quire often. “Within this park the children play upon swings the slide and frame”. My bench is also by the water so it’s very breezy, there is grass growing under is and there are tons of animals every where (birds). “Yet here the grass shall always grow…Then wave upon the gentle breeze…then listen to the birds that sing”. The bench in the poem and my bench have a lot in common.
7. My Personal Philosophy of Life: My personal philosophy of life is to have fun, life your life while you can and to always have a relaxing area to go to when you’re stressed out. My poem connects to my philosophy because in the poem the poet is saying that having a place to go (a bench) to relax and put you in a better mood can mean everything. “But know that soon I shall return to look upon this view again and watch the seasons changing in this place I call my own.” The one part in my philosophy says to always have a relaxing area to go to when you’re stressed out, just as in the poem. The poem puts it in a different way but they are the same thing.
8. The Purpose of a Park: A park has many different purposes some parks, such as Nature Park, are used for reserving nature and natural habitat. Others such as play grounds and picnic parks are used for gathering of people. They are used for eating and socializing with a big group of people. Children come there to play and run around. Adults come there to watch there children and socialize with other parents. Parks allow you to do outside activities and have BBQ’s. I think parks are a great idea, they allow you to get out of the house and get fresh air. You can meet your friends there, eat, or just hang out. I think it’s also great that we don’t just have one type of park but lost of different ones. This gives you a wide range of choices.
9. My poem:
What a Beautiful Day!
The clouds are glowing,
The sun is shinning
Today is a great day.
I go for a walk down to
The beach, while I walk
There I see birds, a cat,
People walking there dogs,
And a group of children.
The water looks so beautiful,
It’s sparkling with happiness
And there tons of boats in the
Water. People are smiling, faces
Glowing with burnt checks.
Oh what a beautiful day. I find a
Bench that takes my breath away.
It is brown and old, with grass under
It I sit on it oh what a great sight. This
Bench is perfect!
