ALVIN ASHBY JR
Literature
A small collection of my best literary stories to date.
The Black Umbrella is my first published novel. The story, in simple terms, is about dealing with failure and the inevitable challenges we often face in life.
Here is the official book overview :
In the weeks leading up to college graduation, the world of Leo Adams takes a mystifying plunge into darkness. When he receives a rejection letter from graduate school Leo faces a great deal of uncertainty and unrest. As graduation continues to draw near, Leo struggles to deal with unfamiliar feelings of self-doubt, fear, and disappointment. In a twist of fate, Leo is shot multiple times after he is forced to help with a mysterious government agent's undercover investigation. As he recovers from his wounds Leo is constantly plagued by nightmares that are so vivid he can't tell if they are real. After sessions with a psychologist yield more questions than answers, Leo battles with reality as he tries to regain control of his life.
Just Words is a poem I wrote for the 2015 Georgia Tech Art Crawl. The poem describes the power that words have. I was fortunate to be able to perform the poem at the event, the video is featured to the left. Below is the prose:
More damaging than gales, plagues, or deceit
Yet constructive and ripe
At times, so simply derived but misused
Often absent when we need them most, abundant when we don’t
-Cunning little devils!
Ah, but we use them in line with Angles and Gods
Sticks and stones are in awe at their power,
Lifeless in an envious cesspool, they shall never compare
Nothing else can tear brother from brother,
Mother from son, or believer from creator
Alone they are dismissive
Explicit
Ambiguous
Together, they can undermine anything, dangerous
However, be slow to curse them,
Abandon any endeavor to fight them
Impossible, a senseless and futile effort
Instead, plant their seeds properly, feed it, and then harvest
Work with them, learn from them, own them
Understand, they are so much more than just words
Technologic is a short series of poems I wrote in 2010 for a college literature class. The poems attempt to convey the influence, dependence, and detriment technology can have on our lives. The series of poems are below:
Message from the Encyclopedia
________________________________________________________________________________
Curse you; your hands have held me enough
My old body sits, and slowly turns to dust
Since you found the other lover…I am now but a mere thought
Maybe my friends from older times may come, still now I am fraught
Curse you; your endless and all-knowing amount of knowledge
I used to be the most prized resource back in the 80’s college
Whenever they seek something they find you
But I will have the last laugh, for what they find may be untrue!
Curse you; your abilities, fluidity, and portability
Ah! But alas I shall never be used for stupidity
Though, at times, I may be under the short leg of the table
I still serve a valuable purpose…are you able?
Curse you; your skill to display multimedia
I have pictures, tables, and graphs…who needs Wikipedia?!
You have ease of access just a click away, heck you’re practically free
But guess what Mr. Triple W, you copied me!
Society’s Great Hymn to technology
I
When you first arrived to claim your place in history
Who knew that you would have such vital importance?
Was it time, nature, God what bargains did you make to become so glorious?
Your importance on our lives is unprecedented
The pope has deemed you bounds to be trialed and excommunicated
Thou shalt not worship any other gods, but how can we resist thee!
You have given us comfortable air for all seasons of the year
We once would be lost…but now we are found, GPS is so great.
II
Some argue that you cause harm to the environment
But they don’t see how you help it
The environment helps you and you in return help it
Great cures have been found because of your work in the forests
Those with fatal injuries can be touched by you, and then healed
Those once without mobility now they can run!!
You can walk on water, could you done the gift to us?
I guess for now the skies and space are enough
III
Others have said your name in vain, oh what a shame
They can live without you, such infidelity
Expeditions that once took days now only take hours…even minutes
Be praised oh great and marvelous vehicle.
The Idiot’s Box
The day starts with its usual splendor
I awake to the lovely melody of my favorite artist
The great race has begun; surely I will win this time, I can endure
I make the mad dash to the bathroom…a futile effort at best
There he is my arch nemesis, my greatest foe
The look on his face is utterly repulsive, ah such woe!
He glances in my direction, eyes red with evil
Mouth foaming, and hair wild he manages to grimace, such a weasel
Once again he has one the fight
I must figure this out, my awful plight
How does he do it…how can he possibly win?
I am the oldest, he is merely ten
With great malice he waltzes out the door
I refuse to acknowledge him; I’d rather look at the floor
Like a moth to the flame he has fallen into my scheme
This is it, the moment of victory, my happiest dream!
I wait a few seconds then trail him to his lair
Now I shall even the playing field, make things fair
Oh no! The little buzzard isn’t there…has he tricked me?
I race down the rungs, the sight, this cannot be!
Once again he sits so innocently in front of the box
Observing that which he wants to watch
He glares at me and lets out an awful laugh
No matter, for tomorrow I shall set something in his path!
Technologic Apathy
Why should I worry? Why should I worry?
I know what the weather will be like
I will know before I step outside if the temperature is just right
I will know what to wear, how to dress
That way I can go outside looking my best
Why should I worry? Why should I worry?
So what if it is snowing or freezing outside
I have the advantage of a roof and heat inside
If it becomes too hot
I can simply push a switch and it will change on the spot
Why should I worry? Why Should I worry?
If I get lost, in the woods, or in the city
With a few motions on a GPS I will be nice and thrifty
Oh you say what if I don’t have a GPS?
I’ll simply pull out my phone…it is up for the test
If I become sick with the exception of a few
A simple trip to the doctor and I am done with the flu
If I need a document in a hurry from a thousand miles away
I know a type of mail that is delivered in the same day
When a dilemma is presented, something else is invented
So why should I worry?