pyroicefire

     I stand upon a mountain top with seven others like me. I'm crouched ready to jump into the placid yet soon to be roiling water beneath me. Suddenly there's a flash of lightning and a clap of thunder and we fall, disturbing the once peaceful and tranquil water beneath us.     This is my life, swimming, but it's much more than that. I have a fascination with The Water that ironically began with a near death drowning accident. But instead of being pushed away and repulsed, I was mysteriously drawn to it.     To me, the repetitious laps that are the life of a swimmer are not about exercise. Those laps, those repetitions are about the co

I am a soldier, or so everyone thinks, in actuality, I am a member of the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets.  The corps is my life and it rules my life.  Without the structure and organization of the cadet corps, I literally would fall apart and not know what to do with my time.   While yes, the Corps is difficult and time consuming, I love it and all it is doing for me. I am a cadet, I arrive to school a week ahead of the rest of the student population.  This is boot camp! Up every morning at 0500, I PT.  I do pushups, I run. I learn to march. Left, left, left, right, left.  I learn what it means to be in the Corps of Cadets. I learn the histor

"Were you there when it happened? Did you know anyone? How is the community holding up?" These are the questions that I hear every time I tell someone I go to Virginia Tech.  Still other times, I get a quick "Oh!" and then a sudden change in conversation or an awkward silence.  It seems that this one chilly day in April is destined to define my entire college career and maybe even my life after. To top it off, I wasn't even here. Names and numbers have been engraved on my brain.  Cho.   West A.J.  Post Office.  Norris.  17.  32.  9:26.  Room 204, 206, 211.  1800 words.  April 16th 2007. 21 gun salute.   Matthew  LaPorte, Liviu Librescu, Ryan

 I watch them from a distance as they laugh and flirt together knowing that he’ll run to me as soon as she hurts him again. And she will, she always does. He’ll come over crying and sobbing, and I’ll lean him on my shoulder and rub his back and tell him “everything will be ok.” When the tears stop he’ll give me a hug and a smile and tell me what a wonderful friend I am. He can’t know that I long for the attention that he gives her. He can’t know that his smile makes me soar. He can’t know how much it hurts to see him walking away. Why is he so blind? He’s moving away, possibly for good. He s

Can you give me one more chance? To come into your heart and make you dance. Can you forgive me this one last time? Even though I should be treated like slime. Will you let me be your man? I promise I will be your number one fan. Will you please take me back? I won't ever again drop you like a sack. I'm sorry for the hurt and the pain. But now I am here all for your gain.

Why is it that the person you love the most        always hurts you? Why is it that the person who brings you the greatest joy,        also brings you the greatest pain? Why is it that I always give her,        just one more chance? Why is it that she lies to me, and I always        believe her? Why is it that, after everything she has done,        I still trust her? Why is it that the person I give everything to…        my heart, my soul, my body, my mind? Why is it that this person takes me whole,        and rips me apart? Why is it that I made the horrible mistake of        getting engaged at the tender age of 17?