I always get the impression when I answer, “Poetry,” to the question, “What do you write?” that poetry is a sissy pastime – that despite my beaming masculinity, my maleness is docked a few points on account of deeper callings.
Well, it ain’t true. Poetry’s probably the manliest pastime/vocation in the books, and this week we’ve got two dudes brave enough to ward off the biting shame that comes with admitting, “We, too, write poetry.”
These valiant two, Ben Orsak and Alex Smith, write for loves, and for peace. Pretty noble guys if you ask me. Pretty gallant, noble, thoughtful, sissy guys. Hiyooo!

Alex Smith
Senior
“Humanly Universal”

Precede your need, fair onward         please,              
only peace can hold pieces for a         need.              

You happy, with for truth is seen,               
alone has shown as contra            dictory.               

Can peace be made a fit puzzle,                   
is love humanly universal?                   

It will, as it wills, as it feels, forever.           

As long as it is, all will hold
together,                    
skip through time as a mine goes         deep.              

Spiraling on, grown up in a cave to         think,           
until light shines a way,             away.                  

Reflection to see all that was, is and will be,           
a key to adore, only a purpose in life.               

We will, as we will, while we feel, alive.           

Ben Orsak
Senior  

“Severed Reach, I love Your Restrictions” 

I sit, rocking the curved wood,
Lungs blackened, still inhaling my single brown leaf-
The dissection of a world,
Discarding loose countries,
And surrounding states sink bit by bit.
For her, only Austin. She just found out about San Antonio,
Central Texas moreso, but really, only Texas.
She’s designed to survive simple,
Confined, though purely mental….
butterfly needles for her phlebotomy;
To spread wings draws blood,
A new career; the success she’s gained
But even before, she wanted  to stay.
Few that have flown higher for her than I
Say when their happiness dies,
“My stubbornness, though barbarically bold,
Could not control my jealously- so now that I’m older
One brightly sees no mystery
So easy, flexed her waves,”
She and I more than lovers, far from rich tonight,
Though approaching new heights.
 

WEB EXCLUSIVE

Sean Scheiler

Undergradute student
                       "Reality?"

    “The Lakers are down by forty at half time, and it seems highly unlikely that they can come back from this kind of a deficit,” says Al Michaels. Seeing your favorite sports team loose is never good, but this was just the end to the 'perfect' day. Earlier, I was dumped by my girlfriend of two years. She said that it was not me. She just needed to “move on.” Truth be told, she had been cheating on me with my childhood friend. As if that were not bad enough, I got my English essay back today. I got a D because it was not 'structured properly.' Since when does English need structure? I thought it was all subjective. And now, the Lakers lose the championship to Boston.  Life is not so good when you are a college freshman who still lives at home. I think I will take a nap. Reality is just too much to handle.
    One hour later, I decided to turn on the TV. “An amazing comeback by LA! I do not believe this! I do not believe this! The Lakers are going to win! The Los Angeles Lakers are going to win,” the commentator exclaimed. Wow. Maybe this could be a good night. Knowing that the Lakers came back from such a big deficit made me feel great. My English essay grade still made me feel dismal, but for some reason, I decided to check it again. Logging on Blackboard was actually easy this time. I quickly went to find my grade and was pleasantly surprised. Due to everyone else having a sub-par essay, there was a curve and my grade got changed to a B. If the ‘Lake show’ could come back from forty and my grade got changed, surely I could do something amazing. What could I do, though? Then, it hit me. Svetlana Smith.
    Svetlana is the prettiest girl I know. To say that she is my dream girl would be an understatement. She is the girl I think about all the time, even when I am not thinking. She is the kind of girl whose name alone gives me strength.  She goes to the same college I go to, and she lives within ten minutes from my house. The only problem is, she has a boyfriend. I am a nerd without the intelligence. What kind of shot do I realistically have? But, the Lakers’ win motivated me to try something bold.  I always compared my life to sports. Perhaps this Lakers’ victory was a sign from God to follow my dreams and never give up. Svetlana has been my dream for three years, and I am not going to give up. 
I drove up to her house. I was nervous. I still was not sure what I was going to say. Should I try to be ‘smooth?’ Or, should I try to just be myself? Being myself did not seem to get me very far. I was a depressed flunky being myself. Maybe it is time to stop being myself. Maybe it was time to start a new reality. Either way, time was wasting. I needed to do something.
As I was thinking what to say, she busted out of her house. I could see that she was crying. She must be upset, I thought. I got out of my car and went to see what was wrong. This is one of those bitter-sweet moments. I like Svetlana a lot and would never want to see her hurt. But on the other hand, I wanted to be a 'hero' for her.
“My boyfriend has been cheating on me,” she told me, while crying.
    “He told me that he loved me, but he was just interested in sex.”
“I know the feeling,” I replied.  
    I told her about the situation with my girlfriend. It was ironic, really. What seemed to be one of the most devastating moments of my young life turned out to help me score with the prettiest girl I had ever met. I took Svetlana out that night. We had a really good time, and I eventually ended up having sex with her. I never thought that losing my virginity would be so easy. What turned out to be a nightmare turned into one of the best nights of my life.
“Do you want anything to eat, brother? Are you awake,” Brendan asks me.
I was startled. What had happened? I immediately looked at my cell phone. I had been asleep for three hours. I turned on the TV and saw that the Lakers ended up losing by sixty points. Their season was done. My English grade was still a D. I never went out with Svetlana. All these great things that happened to me never actually took place. My dream had ended, so I went back to sleep and never woke up again. For reality is subjective, and ignorance is bliss, right?