Slaying the Beast

At U of T we are squished side by side like sardines

We feed off of textbooks and concentrated caffeine

We each have our ambitions and hunger for success

We all panic a lot more than we would like to confess

What makes this group special is that we survive U of T

And come back during break to help others succeed

Sadly, many people these days are stingy and cold

But I look around the room and see hearts made of gold

Life is a stray beast that is unpredictable and cruel

Life can lift you up, life can make you feel like a fool

Life can take you up in its jaws and swallow you whole

Life can also teach you things because life has a goal

The goal is to help others slay the beasts they possess

‘Cause we all have dark monsters that we like to suppress

All we need is a person to listen and understand

Someone to protect us and lend a warm hand

But how will you ever find a savior for your troubles

If you’re too afraid to save someone else from the rubble

Life is not linear; life is a cycle, a sphere

We are complete when we banish our fear

We’ve slayed other people’s beasts these past few days

We may have even aided them in some ways

I’m proud that there are people who care about others enough

To help those in need though the conditions are tough

In a world consumed by bitterness and vanity

You guys are a blessing; you give me faith in humanity

Comments

We Pretend

We pretend that we'll live forever That tomorrow will bring something better We pretend we're not made of stars As we roam the streets and bars We pretend we'll never die That our kids won't ever cry Over the loss that is our end Every student, teacher, friend Everyone we've ever known Has a constellation they call home When the moon comes out at night I look to them to see the light To all those who did pretend That their story would never end But on some nights, breezy and clear I see the stars and they feel near I can grasp one and hold it in my hand As it takes me to another land We pretend this earth is all there is to see Yet the stars and crickets have spoken to me We pretend we'll never die Because we truly won't To someone's eye

Miles Away

I refuse to sell my heart, not for twenty-five cents The auction is closed, ladies and gents I’ve already sold my eyes, when they caught sight of the streets So now everyone can see the beauty of my Italian retreat I sold my tongue for gelato, feeling so young Letting the wild berries dance around on my tongue I sold my feet when I traveled to see our Holy Mother in gold Like a saint on a mission, I’ll walk until I get old I sold my ears when I heard beautiful Aida open her lips Echoing through the theatre in which the ancients used to sit But I won’t sell my heart, it is still free For my heart belongs to God and not really to me My heart aches for home, too many miles away Yet for now I am here and I will live for today Yes, I sold my eyes to Italy; it’s all I can see How I wish you were here seeing these treasures with me I’ll try to buy back my sight, taste, and ears too So that I’ll be able to share these memories with you

Why I Think Iron Man is a Jerk

I'm not usually intrigued by superhero action movies, but since I work at the cinema, I can't resist seeing some blockbuster action flicks from time to time, the newest one being Iron Man 3. Although the movies are based on comic books, I still like to do a literary overanalysis of the characters, their flaws, and the hidden messages that they're portraying about our society. Popular media defines society as it is in the moment. For example, back in the post-war days, literature was depressing and scrutinized the advance of the Industrial Revolution and lack of individualism (take into account Virginia Woolf or Sylvia Plath). Now, our society seems to hail the cynical hero- the one who makes snippy remarks, has low moral standards, and consumes himself with one-night stands- the jerk. The greatest example of the cynical jerk superhero is Iron Man. The newest Iron Man movie had a simple, predictable plot line (nerd wants revenge, things get blown up, pretty girl, nerd b...

Olga's Poetry & Thoughts

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