This page is dedicated to the words of the "new writers." It represents the dreams, visions, and the powerful voices of young new writers. Our premier writer is Alan Karpinsky. Look to this section for new writers, and their works. New pages and new authors are listed following Alan's work. Each week, this page will be up-dated, with a new "cover page" and new writers, included with the current. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Flood © 2/2/99 Alan Karpinksky As I look out the window into the infinite rain, my soul is filled with boredom and pain. The sun hasn't shimmered in several of years. It's been buried beneath an ocean of tears. untitled I don't believe in suffering, I don't believe in sorrow. I don't believe in yesterday, I don't believe in tommorrow. Take it easy, children, take it as it comes. Don't worry about the moon just enjoy the sun. Winter mother earth is frozen a thin blanket of frost covers her body the trees are naked with no leaves to protect them the sun fights to shine through the wintry clouds the sky seems infinite the earth is at peace nature is so pure i just want to be pure Alan ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Windows ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ © Alan Karpinsky -- 3/1/99 Windows It was a silent, wintry day. The only noise was the howling, nippy wind that whirled light, fluffy snowflakes around the sky. As he looked out the hospital window, the wintery vista reminded Thomas Wendell of his wife. He reminisced a few years back, when he and his beautiful wife decided to go sledding. They laughed and played together, acting like kids again. He remembered when his wife fell off the sled and landed on her arm the wrong way. She wasn't badly injured, and he kissed her on the hand and made it better. The uniform beeping of the heart monitor was the only noise that filled the otherwise silent hospital room which Thomas Wendell occupied. That incessant beep was the sound that Thomas fell asleep to every night, and the sound that he woke up to every morning. Sitting in a chair next to his wife's hospital bed, Thomas embraced her soft, weak hand, and he knew kissing her on the hand wouldn't make it better this time. With tears swelling up in his eyes, he gently and lovingly squeezed her frail hand, praying that she would squeeze back. Thomas had occupied the same chair for over a week now. He had been by his wife's side every minute of every hour, since the day she was committed to the hospital. Night and day, from sunrise to sunset he was there holding and caressing her delicate hand, refusing to let go. He couldn't let go. His wife was his best friend. He cared about her more than anything in the world. Since the day Thomas had met her, she filled his life with comfort and joy. Without her, there would be an empty void in his heart. He couldn't let her go. Doctors and nurses, friends and in-laws, had all told him to go home and get some rest, that it'd be alright. It wouldn't be alright though. The woman he loved was lost somewhere on the border of life and death, that's not alright. Thomas Wendell had always been a big, strong, athletic type. Some people were intimidated by his size. He had never been scared in his life, but for the first time, he was. He was scared of losing his wife, he was scared of being alone. He was scared that if he let go his wife's precious hand, that death would take her. As Thomas was sitting in the room by his wife's side, he continued to gaze out the window. The earth was frozen. A thin blanket of snow covered her body. The trees were naked. The sky was silent. Everything seemed dead. Everything appeared that way lately. Thomas was tired of everything being so dreary. He just wanted his wife back, he wanted things to be good again. "Beautiful isn't it?" Remarked a nurse who had just entered the room while Thomas was looking outside. He cocked his head to the side and gave her a disgusted look. "Beautiful?" He questioned in a pessimistic tone. "Everything looks morose and lifeless." "You've go to be kidding me," the nurse answered with a smile. "What window are you looking out of? It's absolutely divine out there. The entire landscape is immaculate. In winter, everything looks so serene and tranquil. The snow kind of preserves the peacefulness, you know. Look how snow and ice reflect the suns' light everywhere. It's just beautiful. Shame on you for saying it looks 'morose and lifeless'. It's not dead out there, it's just at peace." After sharing her thoughts with Thomas she wished him a good afternoon and left the room. Her statement lingered in Thomas's head though. 'What window are you looking out of?' Holding his wife's hand and looking out the window, he drifted into a world of thought. He thought about windows, and came to a profound realization. Life is all about perspective. What window you look out of. You can see the glass half empty or half full, as the old saying goes. You can view winter as a cold, gloomy season. Or you can view it as beautiful and peaceful. Days went by, and one immaculate winter night, the perpetual beeping of Mrs. Thomas Wendell's heart monitor flatlined. At the funeral, tears rolled down Thomas's cheeks. The tears weren't tears of pain or sorrow, but tears of pacification. He was looking out of a different window now. He realized he can either mourn over his wife's death and grieve about how much he misses her. Or he can cherish the memories he shared with her and celebrate her life. He knew that his wife wasn't dead, she was just living somewhere else now. Somewhere better. Somewhere, where the snow preserves the peace, forever. Alan Karpinksy ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Untitled © Alan Karpinsky -- 3/8/99 Where are my dreamers tonight? Where are my rebels? Where are the mad men who think on different levels? They have all been caged, starved, beaten, and tamed. Our world is safer, when everyone thinks the same. You can incarcerate their bodies until the end of time, but you will never imprison their minds. They are free spirits with pregnant words. The world has a disease, and they have the cure. So open your ears, your eyes and your mind. let them better the world for all of mankind. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~