Words From the Heart

Vanessa remained in her family's shadow throughout her sophomore and junior years of high school. She didn't feel like her own person until see became a senior. Vanessa was finally the oldest Pike at school and her younger siblings were in her shadow. She probably enjoyed that more than she should have. Vanessa graduated from SHS in pretty good standing. Good enough to get a partial scholarship to Columbia. With work study and a part time job at a used book store, the cost to her parents was minimal which is how she wanted it. There were still three younger Pikes to worry about.

She had a couple of boyfriends in high school and a couple of flirtations during college, but Vanessa mainly focused on her poetry and studies determined not to waste too much of her time on guys who weren't her Robert Browning. During her last semester at Columbia, Vanessa met him. She met Michael when she started his Modern Poetry class. They made an instant connection. Since Vanessa was his student, they couldn't act on their feelings until after I graduated. It was for her to hard waiting to be with him, but it was the way it had to be. The poetry Vanessa wrote during that period was some of her best work. They married six months ago in a small, but beautiful ceremony filled with love and poetry. They live in a brownstone in New York City.

The poems Vanessa wrote during her last semester of college were recently published in a poetry anthology. She still writes poetry every day. It was her first real love and Vanessa has always enjoyed it. Not all the poems Vanessa submits to various magazines and books gets published, but she's okay with that. When Vanessa isn't working on her poetry, she works as an editor for a literary magazine. She's working on a poetry book of her own.

As the years went by, the more Vanessa appreciated her family. She wouldn't trade being a Pike for anything. Vanessa and Michael come to Stoneybrook as often as they can to spend time with her family especially goddaughter and her other nieces and nephews. Like any self-respecting aunt, she spoils them rotten. Maybe someday Vanessa and Michael will have a child of their own.

Byron is coming home today. I know I should be excited. A part of me is, but another part of me is dreading the reunion of the triplets. As a unit, they can be pretty annoying. Jordan is very annoying on his own. Adam is also annoying, but he can be decent at times. Byron is hardly ever annoying. Granted he has his moments, but for the most part he usually isn't. When he's with his fellow clones (as the equally annoying Mike Hofmeister calls them), all bets are off. I've missed By so much and I don't want him to annoy me yet. It's bad enough that I'm still jealous of him going to Paris for several months. He has gotten to be his own person away from the family while he was there and that's what I've wanted since the reality of going to high school set in almost a year ago. I guess as much as I want Byron to come home, I'm not ready for him to return yet.

I better get offline and work on the 'welcome home, Byron' poem I'm sure everybody is expecting me to come up with.

You have an entrancing kiss~ the kind that leaves your partner bedazzled and maybe even feeling he/she is dreaming. Quite effective; the kiss that never lessens and always blows your partner away like the first time.
What kind of kiss are you?
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I've only been kissed once in my almost 15 years of existence. I'm interested to see if the quiz result is accurate.

THREE NAMES YOU GO BY:
1. Vanessa
2. Nessa
3. The triplet's little sister (I hate that!)

THREE SCREEN NAMES YOU HAVE HAD:
1. vanessathepoet
2. emdickinsonlover
3. poetryismylife

THREE THINGS YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF:
1. I write wonderful poems.
2. I'm a good student.
3. My family.

THREE THINGS YOU DON'T LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF:
1. My lack of identity.
2. My slowness.
3. The size of my family.

THREE PARTS OF YOUR HERITAGE:
1. English
2. Irish
3. Scottish

THREE THINGS THAT SCARE YOU:
1. Losing my ability to write poems.
2. Death.
3. Dodge ball

THREE OF YOUR EVERYDAY ESSENTIALS:
1. Poetry
2. Water
3. Music

THREE THINGS YOU ARE WEARING RIGHT NOW:
1. A black sweater
2. An ankle length red skirt
3. Black boots

THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE BANDS/ARTISTS:
1. Fiona Apple
2. Maroon 5
3. Vanessa Carlton

THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE SONGS AT PRESENT:
1. The First Taste- Fiona Apple
2. Karma- Alicia Keys
3. Shiver- Maroon 5

THREE NEW THINGS YOU WANT TO TRY IN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS:
1. Explore other forms of creative writing more thoroughly.
2. Organize a poetry slam.
3. Find out who I am without my family.

THREE THINGS YOU WANT IN A RELATIONSHIP (BESIDES LOVE):
1. Understanding.
2. Openness.
3. Passion.

TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE: In no particular order...
1. Sometimes I want to be an only child.
2. I hate poetry.
3. I'm jealous of my brother.

THREE PHYSICAL THINGS ABOUT THE OPPOSITE SEX (or same) THAT APPEAL TO YOU:
1. Smile
2. Eyes
3. Arms

THREE THINGS YOU JUST CAN'T DO:
1. Not have poetry in my life.
2. Get excited about gym class.
3. Rush things.

THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE HOBBIES:
1. Writing poetry
2. Reading poetry
3. Photography

THREE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO REALLY BADLY RIGHT NOW:
1. To be the one who's going to Paris.
2. Write more poems.
3. Finish Byron's going away present.

THREE CAREERS YOU'RE CONSIDERING:
1. Poet
2. Secret Shopper
3. Photographer

THREE PLACES YOU WANT TO GO ON VACATION:
1. Paris
2. Venice
3. Madrid

THREE KIDS' NAMES:
1. Emily
2. Elizabeth
3. Robert

THREE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE:
1. Get my poems published.
2. Find my Robert Browning.
3. Explore Emily Dickinson's hometown.

THREE PEOPLE WHO HAVE TO TAKE THIS QUIZ NOW OR DIE PAINFULLY:
1. Haley
2. Mallory
3. Corrie

Sometimes I wish I was an only child. Don't get me wrong. I do love my family, but it's hard to have your own identity when you are one of eight children.