Ocular Athletics

Mythology by Adam

When I think of mythology I usually see dwarfs and minotaurs and large creatures that try to eat people. Of course what daydream is complete without a large, green, scaly dragon blowing fire every which way and generally causing great havoc in its close vicinity? The heroes of mythology, Theseus, Heracles, and Jason, to name a few, championing the cause of Good and slaying her oppressors who carry the standard of their lord, Evil. These heroes were role models for ancient societies and still are today. For everyone knows that old stories never die, even as long as I think about them. They will endure the hard years that we can not and so are still there on the book shelves in the library and in your mind.

Of all the different stories out there that make up mythology, I think I like Greek mythology the best. With all its quarreling gods and fiendish monsters, evil men, pure hearted maidens, and brave heroes, it is a mix for the mind of fiction lovers like me. People who like the repeated stories of good versus evil are at home in the great, golden halls of Greek imagination. If I ever need to think up a story of my own and I need an evil villain all I have to do is look in a book of Greek mythology and there is always the perfect villain in those pages.

If you pick up a piece of good fiction and read it you will most likely find Greek monsters in it, like a mantacore or a hydra or a niemian lion, or maybe a gorgon. But the choices are almost unlimited if you add Norse and Egyptian mythology to the mix. Think of it, every culture has its own stories and all of them are well imagined if some being a little out of the ordinary don't exactly strike our fancy.


Chalk by Ken

Chalk is good for drawing and getting your hands covered in colored dust. Mom read a bit of G.K.Chesterton's book yesterday. It was about a piece of chalk.

Oh, wait! It's supposed to be me writing about chalk, isn't it? Thank you for being patient.

Also yesterday, my brothers and I drew with chalk. I drew a devil, a helmet, a sword, a beach, and several skulls. Oh, yes, and a weird cow.


An Epic Ballad on the Contents of My Pockets by Joe

For times of much strife
I have a large knife
When it's not in my pocket
I've probably lost it
It is always sharp,
And it could ruin a harp
It's got a side clip
So it won't slide around
A knife of this kind
Is not commonly found.

For times of much cold
I have in my pocket
A flame maker bold
This lighter of mine
Is cased in wood, very fine
It has my very long name
Carved deep in the back
I got it at the Benezette store
I call my valiant maker of flame
Left Footed Jack.