http://kally16.gather.com Recent Articles on Gather by Mikal *A Four Year Smithie* M. en-us Copyright Gather Inc 2009 Mon, 28 Dec 2009 21:20:55 GMT 2009-12-28T21:20:55Z en-us Copyright Gather Inc 2009 http://www.gather.com/images/header/logo_gather.gif http://www.gather.com/ http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977952440 So here's the sitch...I'm here in the good ol' US of A, and as much as I enjoy this country,  my boyfriend lives on the Emerald Island. That's problem number one. Problem number two is I'm a soon-to-be . . . Fri, 18 Dec 2009 04:16:22 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977952440 Mikal *A Four Year Smithie* M. 2009-12-18T04:16:22Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977913270 “Ratigan! When will you learn?”   The young man cringed as he was hit hard by his boss’s cruel billingsgate that seemed especially relentless that day. With his head bent . . . Mon, 23 Nov 2009 05:49:02 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977913270 Mikal *A Four Year Smithie* M. 2009-11-23T05:49:02Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977857243   Her again. Always walking adjacent to her shadow, she kept up a quick pace with a constricted gait. Her long dress is to blame for that. Long hair overflows upon her back and covers her like . . . Sat, 17 Oct 2009 00:38:34 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977857243 Mikal *A Four Year Smithie* M. 2009-10-17T00:38:34Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977856828 Gazing down curiously, the little girl humors herself by distorting her face at the clear puddle of collected rain. Bulging her eyes, puffing her cheeks, and tugging on her ears, she indulges in being . . . Fri, 16 Oct 2009 18:38:14 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977856828 Mikal *A Four Year Smithie* M. 2009-10-16T18:38:14Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977856631   Ch. 2   It was around nine in the evening when Kurtis returned home. His younger sister was asleep on the couch, illuminated by the flashing commercial on the television. Although . . . Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:11:27 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977856631 Mikal *A Four Year Smithie* M. 2009-10-16T16:11:27Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977855747   CH. 1   “Down Doug!”   Stumbling backwards from the fence, the boy fell into the gravel road stricken with terror. The road of myriad pebbles embedded a couple of . . . Fri, 16 Oct 2009 01:33:01 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977855747 Mikal *A Four Year Smithie* M. 2009-10-16T01:33:01Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977855718   Her loving eyes examined me, sizing up the whole five feet and eight inches of my body, but boy were they gorgeous. Big, wide, circles of mocha brown barely blinked as they watched my every move. . . . Fri, 16 Oct 2009 01:01:26 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977855718 Mikal *A Four Year Smithie* M. 2009-10-16T01:01:26Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977694315 Prey of the Green Monster   For the next two weeks the snake accompanied me while I polished up the grand finale of my dance. My mother had become much more despondent except . . . Thu, 28 May 2009 16:04:21 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977694315 Mikal *A Four Year Smithie* M. 2009-05-28T16:04:21Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977693185   I was glared at with a quizzical yet terrified look. Neither of us knew how to handle my demand, both being unaccustomed to its powerful presence. After some minutes, she dropped her arms to . . . Wed, 27 May 2009 16:14:51 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977693185 Mikal *A Four Year Smithie* M. 2009-05-27T16:14:51Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977692199   “All a dog wants is to be happy.” He stroked the rolls back from the Labrador’s eyes. She was laying on the coupled chair next to his with her head draped over the edge. The . . . Tue, 26 May 2009 15:45:06 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977692199 Mikal *A Four Year Smithie* M. 2009-05-26T15:45:06Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977692172   King of Diamonds   I didn’t wake up in the manner you may have imagined. There were no words of disdain or violent shaking; instead, I woke up to a dull and penetrating pain . . . Tue, 26 May 2009 15:16:33 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977692172 Mikal *A Four Year Smithie* M. 2009-05-26T15:16:33Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977690159 I distinctly remember one night my spirits were low after a warning of disownment, and my only resolution was to wander about aimlessly when I eventually found a small pond close to the entrance . . . Sat, 23 May 2009 23:14:29 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977690159 Mikal *A Four Year Smithie* M. 2009-05-23T23:14:29Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977688339   A Vision Perhaps   I remember days where I could barely walk because my toes were so bloody or my feet were too sore. My legs would cramp up at night and my back would ache intolerably. . . . Thu, 21 May 2009 16:16:41 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977688339 Mikal *A Four Year Smithie* M. 2009-05-21T16:16:41Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977687431 It is only through hearsay that I gained this much information, and yet some more. My mother was deemed the most graceful and artistic dancer of our people. It is said that when she spun on her toes, . . . Wed, 20 May 2009 15:52:35 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977687431 Mikal *A Four Year Smithie* M. 2009-05-20T15:52:35Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977687055   My Roots are Rotten   Please don't ask of my name or why I chose not to disclose it to you. It is too much of a painful matter, and my mouth has become infested with dry spit from retelling . . . Wed, 20 May 2009 03:06:07 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977687055 Mikal *A Four Year Smithie* M. 2009-05-20T03:06:07Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977413623 *Rough Draft    Eighty years had he but vitality he had not. Early mornings were troublesome and melancholy. It became laborious each morning to heave his decomposing body from the . . . Mon, 04 Aug 2008 19:56:22 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977413623 Mikal *A Four Year Smithie* M. 2008-08-04T19:56:22Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977333428 The morning sun masked my eyes with a creeping ray that crawled across my lids. I felt the warmth of the new day and welcomed the brisk wind into the room. When I pulled the heavy window up, I looked . . . Sun, 27 Apr 2008 22:22:33 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977333428 Mikal *A Four Year Smithie* M. 2008-04-27T22:22:33Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977319261 (A project I'm starting. Hopefully I can sell these stories at a small price and raise money to fix the parks in my town. Tell me what you or your young ones think of these stories! Thanks!) . . . Mon, 14 Apr 2008 20:25:43 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977319261 Mikal *A Four Year Smithie* M. 2008-04-14T20:25:43Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977289567 Nature is best experienced in the quiet meditating state; when all the colors are examined and each noise is heard. Windy days are most agreeable as the breeze sweeps through your body, reminding you . . . Thu, 20 Mar 2008 19:47:06 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977289567 Mikal *A Four Year Smithie* M. 2008-03-20T19:47:06Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977283498 It's the little things, you know? The first abundance of them are treated with a turn of te cheek, but they add up and overwhelm. I try to believe people are considerate and I want to put my trust . . . Thu, 13 Mar 2008 15:35:06 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977283498 Mikal *A Four Year Smithie* M. 2008-03-13T15:35:06Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977279431 Raining raining raining Listen to the birds Shake the drops of rain From their fluffed up feathers They twitter and chatter While the cool bath sprays them With a mist of Spring drizzle . . . Sun, 09 Mar 2008 01:21:41 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977279431 Mikal *A Four Year Smithie* M. 2008-03-09T01:21:41Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977270187 It was approaching one in the morning as I sat with burning eyes which struggled to stay open. The vibrations of the rocking subway lulled my friend to sleep, causing her head to rest upon my shoulder. . . . Wed, 27 Feb 2008 23:51:06 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977270187 Mikal *A Four Year Smithie* M. 2008-02-27T23:51:06Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977260678 July 2, 1987               I don't know if there are any words to describe my discovery. I am dumbfounded with the surrealism of . . . Sun, 17 Feb 2008 20:46:30 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977260678 Mikal *A Four Year Smithie* M. 2008-02-17T20:46:30Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977260564 July 1, 1987        The more I walked down the worn path, the more abundant the willows became. They are scattered all about me now, all of them whispering secrets to . . . Sun, 17 Feb 2008 18:06:02 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977260564 Mikal *A Four Year Smithie* M. 2008-02-17T18:06:02Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977259394 June 30, 1987                         I've decided to continue with my search . . . Fri, 15 Feb 2008 23:07:37 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977259394 Mikal *A Four Year Smithie* M. 2008-02-15T23:07:37Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977259301 June 29, 1987               Last night was unbearable. I stumbled over a root protruding from the ground and fell helplessly. Even the . . . Fri, 15 Feb 2008 20:35:33 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977259301 Mikal *A Four Year Smithie* M. 2008-02-15T20:35:33Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977259284 June 28, 1987        Fortunately I have discovered this booklet of papers in my knapsack. I have decided to use it as a diary seeing as to how I have managed to lose myself . . . Fri, 15 Feb 2008 20:11:38 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977259284 Mikal *A Four Year Smithie* M. 2008-02-15T20:11:38Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977233822 Today my dad and I left home and began our five hour journey to my uncle's. The trip there is rather boring...seeing as there are only winter devoured cornfields and naked trees. But nature, to me, . . . Sat, 19 Jan 2008 04:44:44 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977233822 Mikal *A Four Year Smithie* M. 2008-01-19T04:44:44Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977230096 "Years ago my mother used to say to me, she'd say, "In this world, Elwood, you must be" - she always called me Elwood - 'In this world, Elwood, you must be oh so smart or oh so . . . Tue, 15 Jan 2008 05:53:04 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977230096 Mikal *A Four Year Smithie* M. 2008-01-15T05:53:04Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977215964 On my plane trip home...I was having a pretty lousy time. I had been in the airport for almost a whole day, starting with a much too early arrival at the airport around 2, then a wait for the boarding . . . Sun, 30 Dec 2007 23:46:05 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977215964 Mikal *A Four Year Smithie* M. 2007-12-30T23:46:05Z