The Carpenter - REALM

| The Carpenter | 2023

Spring 2023 The Carpenter Mount Saint Joseph High School Spring 2023 Volume 34 | Editors | Robert Linthicum ‘24 Thomas Evans ‘25 | Cover Illustration | Vincent Tyson II ‘23 | Back Cover Illustration | Michael Boin ‘23 | Faculty Advisor | Mr. Doug Lambdin The Carpenter | 2

Spring 2023 | From the Editor Dear Reader, Anyone can see a cat and write, “I see a cat.” It’s a grammatical phrase toddlers love to recite: There’s a subject, a verb, and a furry friend. Though for any reader, it’s a simple sensory statement that leaves mouths bland and - in the spirit of honesty - undermines the astounding companionship cats bring into a word with two consonants and a vowel. But don’t fret about the companionship of cats being undermined - creativity exists. It’s the ability to turn “I see a cat” into “I see a speckled village cat weeping alongside the rotting carcass of what was once its companion.” Creativity forces the mind to transform a simple reality and create color, a quiet village, and a cat who has experienced human’s saddest condition. It’s no secret that in a world of self-criticism and judgment, the grueling exercise of creativity is left to those whose “mother passed it on'' or who are just “lucky” to have it. This feeds a growing stigma surrounding creativity, one that marginalizes those who paint themselves as “ordinary” from the “gifted” who can make a cat sprout with hundreds of heads. To encourage the growth of this rhetoric, ChatGPT arrived in November of this year in a somewhat godly, life-saving manner to boost creativity in those who call themselves ordinary. All lyrical language aside - it’s scary to think about how authentic human creativity can be replaced by endless lines of code. When this happens, it will be appropriate to say that creativity is gone for good. Until then, creativity is alive - from the gifted to the ordinary. After multiple conversations with this year’s contributors, I was taken aback by how almost all painted themselves as ordinary, sleepless, and restless boys. From The Carpenter | 3

Spring 2023 the electric grounds of Woodstock at the height of bloody Vietnam to the mind’s deepest voids, their fiction, poems, and paintings present boys with a mind of incredible depth and imagination. I present a journal not just full of letters and brushstrokes, but of evidence that everyone can harness creativity. And these revolutionary artists, who transcended the treacherous obstacles of harnessing creativity, walk by you everyday. I encourage you to stop them in the hallway. Inquire about their journey and their methods to ignite their creativity. Because it’s waiting for you - and you only - to find it. On behalf of all the editors, I present to you this year’s edition of The Carpenter. |Thomas Evans The Carpenter | 4

Spring 2023 Table of Contents The Shooting Hour Thomas Evans | 7 Ghost of Tsushima Zach McNeil | 10 Watercolor Liam Scott | 16 Push On Andrew Schoene | 17 Blank Hans Raven | 19 Monsoon Ronan Crowley | 23 Escape from Auschwitz Aiden Brown | 24 The Broken Glass Manav Chawla | 27 Portrait Thomas Sharbach | 30 War is no Place for a Child Donchez Graham | 31 Airpods Rocco Parise | 34 The Showing of Mercy Ryan Currie | 35 Photography Niccolo Gurri | 39 The Vessel Hans Raven | 40 Mountain Michael Wallace | 42 The Real Story of Wild Bill Hickok Carson Byers | 43 Photography Rocco Paris | 48 The Rise and Fall of Henry Ever Derek Krizman | 49 Watercolor Thomas Evans | 52 I Believe in Practice Trevor Mentz | 53 Photography Owen Cooper | 55 On Recalcitrant Grace John Vance | 56 Watercolor Shane Anderson | 58 A New Chapter Alec Sexton | 59 Null and Void Hans Raven | 61 My Key to Happiness Jace Taranto | 65 The Carpenter | 5

Spring 2023 Watercolor Julian Caravagio | 67 The Battle of Caporetto Aiden Herbst | 68 Photography Manav Chawla | 72 By the Water Hans Raven | 73 Munich Massacre Beckett Flury | 78 Photography Tyler Wisniewski | 81 A Shadowless Promenade Robert Linthicum | 82 Intel Ronan Crowley | 87 You Can Never Truly Hit Rock Bottom Joshua Anderson | 88 Painting Connor Hartka | 90 What Happened to Woodstock? Hayden Robinson | 92 Painting John Lauer | 95 Santa Brings Presents to All Those Who are Good Ory Docal | 96 My Chats with the Departed Rob Linthicum | 97 Penance Robert Linthicum | 99 Tomorrow Morning Victor Hugo, Translated by John Lauer | 102 The Carpenter | 6

Spring 2023 | The Shooting Hour | Thomas Evans ‘25 The night before I leave, Pop’s plastic baggie almost runs empty. He pounds and shakes the bag, jaws clenched and sweat thick. He needs it - the coke mixed with the new stuff - “Fentanyl,” his doctors at the den call it. “Something stronger for that head of yours.” Because the little boy from My Lai is back, plucking the strings of Pop’s veins and inserting his hand into all the cavas of a heart just shy of cardiac arrest. He wants to know why he put a bullet through his head, laughing while the blood of innocence and lost dreams chugged out of his tiny frame. Red, white, and blue stripes were paraded all over Vietnam and Washington that day to applaud strong patriots like Pop. Pop places his head into his hands; the same calloused hands that dragged the boy’s mother into the deep jungle to fulfill an urge justice would never, ever see. One woman per patriot, save two for the general. I turn on the kerosene. “They were orders,” he groans. He shakes more. Tiny granules of white powder dust the table in a snowfall. Through the shattered window, I can hear the sounds of little sluggers hitting home runs, and their future wives cheering in princess costumes, dying. It’s nine o’clock - the shooting hour. Like machines, they rush through the beaten white doors, traversing the molded carpets dotted with sickness, plastic junk, and beer cans. They coddle themselves, unbothered by the routine, under blankets that smell of blood and needles, waiting for their parents to load up and let them hear their future: a combination of piercing, screams, words that kill, vomiting, and sometimes, unintentional death. The Carpenter | 7

Spring 2023 I choose to keep Pop company at the kitchen table every night now that he’s whipping up stronger stuff. Sometimes, he offers me a line or two. Or three when he tries to be a decent father. But I refuse his offers, even with a full baggie. Because beyond the miles of foreboding Appalachian oak where the bodies of unnamed people rock on cadaverous branches, held by rope and hung by self-inflicted desperation, there is a place that doesn’t shoot coke at nine. The coal company executives, in their starched suits and leather briefcases, told us that they lived in houses that could fit three rows of our rowhouses. There's something called education, to ensure all children could live in houses as big, or even bigger. One paraded a portrait of a gorgeous young woman laying in a field of snow. “It’s not snow, it’s Edelweiss,” the man corrected me, “only in E-u-r-o-p-e. Ever heard of it?” I had never seen edelweiss, or heard of somewhere called Europe. I pour more of the viscous kerosene into the lamp, and a different kind of drug is in my bloodstream. Europe. Edelweiss. Europe. Edelweiss. McDowell County and Pop pick a plump, blue vein and push the syringe. The boy is gone, kicking as the coke makes its way through Pop’s veins, decimating the boy. Tomorrow he will come again to ask. He jolts. The high begins in the county. And until it ends, medical bills amount to zero, obesity becomes beauty, the unemployed become employed, the father that left years ago returns, and the demons from America’s wars are squashed. *** “Go,” Pop snorts at me, “or don’t. It don’t matter one bit to me” As I wait for my train, I stand where the coal company executives once promised to return men to the shafts and children to read. That day, floral shops along Main sold yellow daisy boutonnieres to the hundreds of men proposing an The Carpenter | 8

Spring 2023 engagement to the love of their lives. “Families;” “Babies;” “Forever;” Women yelped. Fathers paid fortunes to ride the ferris wheel as many times as their daughters - dressed like princesses - wanted. “Big house;” “School;” “Europe;” Swore fathers. It was the eve of the sweetest dreams ready to be made. Sixteen years, and the executives never looked back. A wind blows, and the fresh smells of sickness and fast food grease on Main make the air thick. The daughters who once dressed like princesses now wear white tanks with the seams nearly below their breasts as they murmur aimlessly across the platform for nine to come quick. Their sleepless children watch syringes drop, one by one, into the sewer. Plop. Plop. My future is as etched clearly as white powder divided into two silver spoons, ready to inject. I will never know how it feels to lay on the snowy plains of Edelweiss in a place called Europe. I will only ever know that nine is the shooting hour. The Carpenter | 9

Spring 2023 | Ghost of Tsushima | Zach McNeill Chapter 1 Arrows flying. Swords slashing. Screeching. Soldiers and warriors screaming in agony and pain as they watch in an instant, their fellow soldiers and warriors falling to the ground. The year is 1274, the first of the many Mongol Invasions is taking place. The sky is dark and at rest. Soldiers filled with blood lying on the floor dead. “My lord, Jinsun, we need to Retreat!” said the So Clan soldiers. “There’s too many of them.” Jinsun Sakai responds to them with a demanding tone “No, we will finish this fight today. We have gotten too far, we shall not back down now.” Jinsun makes his way to the castle with his father right beside him, slicing through enemies left and right. Running as if death was chasing them. “You stay put, Jinsun, I’ll go retrieve Genghis,” says Jindao. Jindao continues to run up to the castle, while Jinsun stays put. As Jinsun helps get rid of the rest of the enemies, he hears a raging scream coming from the top of the castle. “JINSUUUN!” “Dad,” Jinsun says fearfully. Jinsun stops what he’s doing and immediately rushes towards the castle. Slicing through enemies with no remorse. Dodging every sword and arrow there is. Chapter 2 The Carpenter | 10

Spring 2023 Running like the wind, as fast as he can, Jinsun makes it to the bridge. He stops. In the distance, he notices something, a man looking at him. “Come out of hiding,” Jinsun says angrily. “Show yourself, you coward”. He steps closer to get a better look. The person comes out. Jinsun can’t tell who it is so he steps closer. He sees the person. It’s…Genghis Khan. He’s huge, bigger than he is. He seems about 5 '8. He looks about 190 pounds. Yet, he seems big to the point where he doesn’t seem human. Without hesitation, Jinsun sprints towards him and strikes him with his sword. Genghis attempts to strike back but Jinsun blocks it. They continue to go back and forth with the attacks until eventually Jinsun hits him with a spinning attack and pins him to the ground. Jinsun yells at him forcefully, “Where’s my father! Tell me where he is or I’ll kill you! One of Genghis’ soldiers comes out of nowhere and knocks out Jinsun. They drag him to a cell and lock him in there. Moments later, Jinsun wakes up and sees his father on his knees in front of him. Drenched in blood with a sword next to him. “Have all your men stand down, or he dies,” yells Genghis. “All of your samurai, who are outside, are all dead. You will not win this battle. Surrender now and he lives to fight another day.” “Don’t do it,” says Jindao “We will not succumb to this man's wants. If we die today we will die with honor, not cowardness,” “You think you're so righteous when you're the one on your knees.” “I shall not beg you for mercy. You’re no leader. Your warriors have no respect or loyalty for you. They just fear you.” “QUIET!” “I will give you one last chance, Jinsun Sakai! You either call you soldiers off right now, or your father gets put in the ground.” “Three… Two…” “Noooo, don't do it, Jinsuun.” The Carpenter | 11

Spring 2023 “One.” Slash. He does it, he kills Jindao. Jinsun is in shock. He falls to the floor, his eyes barely processing what they just saw. He has no idea what to do. His own father, the person who taught him everything he knows, is dead, right in front of him. “Pick him up,” says Genghis. “Yes, my lord. Where do I take him?” “I don’t care where you take him, just get him out of my way.” They drag him out of the castle. Throw him in a sack of hay, and off he goes in a horse carriage, with no idea of where he’s even going. Chapter 3 (3 years later) Jinsun wakes up. He looks around. “What… Where am I?” He’s in some random place that he's never seen before. As he continues looking around, he hears footsteps approaching the door. He quickly hides under the bed. Someone opens the door. He slowly looks up. There's a lady with towels and blankets in her hands. “Jinsun?” the lady says, confused about where he went. Jinsun peaks out of hiding. “Who are you?” asks Jinsun. “‘I'm Tachi, I was asked to be your room service while you stayed here.” “What’s here? Where am I?” “You’re in a shared tavern, in Tokyo.” “How did I get here?” “I'm confused, Jinsun. Do you not remember what happened? Your father dropped you off, he said you weren't doing well, and he asked us to take care of you” “What are you talking about, my father is dead, he was killed” The Carpenter | 12

Spring 2023 Tachi looks at him confused. She doesn't know what he's talking about. As if he's playing some sort of prank on her. “You must be tired,” said Tachi. “I'll go so I can let you get some rest.” “Wait! Before you go, what year is it,” asks Jinsun. “Do you seriously not know what's going on? It's 1277.” Turning around to face the door, Tachi begins to leave. But then she suddenly hears a knocking coming from the door. A deep voice comes from behind the door. “Is Jinsun Sakai there, we're here to talk to him about his father”. “Do you know who that is?” says Tachi. “No. Like I said before, I don't know what is going on.” “Then who is that at the door?” “I don’t know, but we need to leave just in case” Suddenly a blade strikes through the door. Tachi and Jinsun both run to the window and jump out of it. They end up landing on bags of trash swarmed with flies. They start to run in a random direction and soon end up in a village town not far away from the Tavern they were just in. Jinsun looks around, confused about what's happening, and sees soldiers. “They’re looking for us. We need to find somewhere to hide. Now!” “What’s happening right now? Who were those people?” “I don't know. But we need to find somewhere to stay. Do you know any places that we could stay at?” “Yeah up this way. My grandma used to stay there. She left it for me just in case I needed it.” “Okay, come on, let's go!” They venture off. The Carpenter | 13

Spring 2023 Chapter 4 After a long walk, they end up at a monastery. They walk inside, close the door, and they finally get a chance to relax from the chaos. “Why did those guys have on samurai armor? Were they samurai?” “Yes, I think they were working for Genghis khan.” “Genghis Khan? He's alive. Where is he? I need to know. Tell me now!” “Why? Trust me, you don’t want to face Genghis Khan.” “Yes, I do! He killed my father during the war of the So Clan and the Mongols.” “Wait. You’re Lord Shimura’s son?” “Yes. And I need to get revenge for my father.” “Can you help take me to Genghis? After that you can leave.” “Yes but you'll need armor and weapons. And a lot of soldiers. But I know where you can get some. This way, Jin.” They leave the monastery and head south. They travel for a while and end up at an abandoned tool shop. They walk in and see everything they need on the wall, from armor, to weapons, and even masks. They grab everything off the wall. Afterwards, they walk out of the store and go to a farm where Tachi works. On the way there, they spot soldiers patrolling the area. “We need to sneak past them somehow. There's too many of them.” “How if they’re blocking the road.” “I don’t know but we'll find a way.” They manage to barely sneak past them. But then, Tachi trips, and they get spotted. “Watashi ni chokumen suru tame ni anata no saikō no senshi o okutte kudasai,” Jinsun yelled at them. One of their warriors steps up to face him. They both get in a striking stance. Jinsun lunges at him… and slices his sword through his throat. “Kōgeki” the rest of the warriors yell at him and attack. Jinsun The Carpenter | 14

Spring 2023 gets cornered. But tachi comes out of nowhere and throws a kunai at them one by one. They all fall to the ground… dead… gushing blood. “I thought you were a caretaker. How did you know how to do that?” “I'm a part time caretaker. I work at a farm that I grew up on. And my parents taught me how to fight there.” They continue on with their journey to the farm. After a couple minutes of walking, they see a horse stable. They go up to it, and take two horses. One for each. With the horses making the journey faster, they get there in a few minutes. Chapter 5 They arrive at the farm. Jinsun walks up to the front gates with Tachi, not knowing what to expect. The gates open, he looks inside, and sees groups of men and women, covered in dirty and beat down clothes. He’s stunned by what he has seen. He doesn’t say anything about it to Tachi. He just keeps his thoughts to himself. They walked to the center of the farm, where all the people were. “These are the people that will help you with your battle ahead.” Tachi explains. “I don’t mean to be deceiving, but these don’t appear to be much of soldiers. Are you sure they will be able to help me in battle?” “Yes. I know they don’t look like much. But trust me, Jinsun, they will help.” They all gear up with weapons and armor. Jinsun has a lot of second thoughts and hesitation, but he must keep the promise he made to himself. They go to their stables, get horses, and off they go, to fight the big man himself–Genghis Khan. The Carpenter | 15

Spring 2023 The Carpenter | 16

Spring 2023 ocean: 1. a large expanse of sea where adventure awaits for me | Liam Scott ‘23 The Carpenter | 17

Spring 2023 | Push On | Andrew Schoene I saw myself on the mat with a bloody nose and a strong pain in my left leg. There was only one section left on the test, one sparring match. A short minute long match. My master called my friend Evan and myself up to the ring to spar. He had the most powerful kick in the test. I walked up to the ring, laughed and told him to not hold back. I had to push myself as hard as I could or I would not have rightfully earned my black belt. We walked up, and he did not hold back. I got borderline beat up, with a few well landed strikes of my own. My whole body was aching and ready to drop. I walked over to my parents and asked for some water. Just a little left to go. Our master announced that the last section of the test was the breaking boards section. I got to personally select my breaks that I wanted to do and how many boards I wanted. I selected a jumping back kick, a reverse punch and a step behind-sidekick. I was not very confident in how many boards I could break with each kick. But I also want to push myself, I couldn’t back down now. My master called my name, it was time to go. The first kick was the hardest one I chose. The jumping straight back kick. You had to jump high and be accurate. I went up and got myself ready, I jumped, threw out my kick and landed it. Perfection. I went through the boards way easier then I thought I could. But when I hit the ground I got this feeling in my leg. This tightness so suddenly had almost knocked me down. It felt as if someone had ripped my hamstring out of my leg. So many thoughts and emotions had come into my mind all at one time. I did so well on that test to the point where the other students started joking I should already be moved up to second degree. I know that I wasn’t anywhere near the skill level of a second degree black belt, but it still felt so great to hear The Carpenter | 18

Spring 2023 that coming from other students and not family. Since family can sometimes over-exaggerate how well you did something to make you feel better. The Carpenter | 19

Spring 2023 | Blank | Hans Raven Delve deep inside My mind So proud and strong On the outside Past the surface Full of life and joy And feeling You will find A white void Like an eraser had come And removed anything once there The threshold Hides many things From the outside Things that could be shared But are not And though it does Not grow Neither does it shrink It is a constant The Carpenter | 20

Spring 2023 As I sit here And let it come forth A buzz in my brain Dies down Rather a Blank Look comes across me And I just fall Down into nothing Where I let everything Flow free A mix of color And wonder And imagination And power Fluid like water But vivid like neon I see in spectrums Unknown to others While I stare blankly before me The Carpenter | 21

Spring 2023 The wonder and creation Of my inner workings Are like a shred of divinity Left behind The vestiges of paradise Rooted in my head And the blank stare Persists In reality An odd sight to behold And while I am blank I still work as I would Though not thinking at all While I do so They call And I am snapped out Of paradise They ask if I am alright And they will not understand The indescribable Euphoric feeling Of the blank space The Carpenter | 22

Spring 2023 So I say yes And go on with life The Carpenter | 23

Spring 2023 monsoon: 1. seasonally prevailing wind, moving life right along. | Ronan Crowley ‘23 The Carpenter | 24

Spring 2023 | Escape from Auschwitz | Aiden Brown It was around noon when David was inside his house reading his favorite book, Kubuś Puchatek. That is what he liked to do when he wasn’t at school. David was ten years old and had the face of a baby. He was small and timid like a mouse. He liked to stay inside as much as he could because everytime he was outside, all he heard was trains, screaming, and gunshots. He and many other Jewish people lived together in what was called a Ghetto. The air in the ghetto was greatly polluted, so David chose to stay inside. The Germans forced as many Jews as they could into one ghetto. Since there were so many people in one ghetto, there was severe overcrowding and many Jewish people were sick and starving. As soon as he flipped to the next page in his book, he heard his mother yell his name from outside. He ran down the steps to see the three Nazis that he saw the day before pointing their weapons at his mother. His mother, Irena, looked at David with horror on her face. Once David saw her face, rolls of emotion flowed through him. One of the soldiers noticed David and pointed this gun at him. The silver barrel of the STG-44 gleamed at him. The soldier rushed towards David, grabbed him, then pushed him toward his mother. David, filled with fear, hugged his mother as the Nazis ordered all of the other Jews out of their home. The soldiers yelled, “Raus aus dem Haus, ihr Juden!” as all of the Jewish people ran down the stairs. David, his mother Irena, and the other Jews were taken to a train. David said to his mother, “Where are we going?” Irena replied, “We’re going on a trip to a fun place!” She knew that they were being sent to Auschwitz but did not want to tell David because she didn’t want him to be afraid. She knew that they would probably die in the camp. As soon as all of them got off the train, they were all put in cuffs and ankle shackles to prevent them from escaping. David and his The Carpenter | 25

Spring 2023 mother were separated at the camp. David was sent into a building with other children while Irena went with the adults. David was balling his eyes out until a soldier slapped him and told him to shut up. That was the last time David would ever see his mother. David was chained with other Jew boys as they were taken to their building. The building he was taken to was called “House four.” In the house, there were about 30 children inside. David went to his bed and went to sleep with his face covered in dried up tears. David awoke the next morning at dawn. A soldier barged into the house and ordered all of the children to come outside. The children were taken outside and forced to do hard manual labor. A soldier warned that if they did not do the work, they would be beaten mercilessly or killed. They were forced to work all day. David had to work at a quarry with the other Jews. Once they were all done they were sent to get dinner. By the time David got to dinner, there was no more food left. The Germans then sent David and the other Jews back to House 4. The Jewish people never got to take a shower so they stink really bad. Inside the house the next day, David met Deborah. Deborah was 11 years old but was shorter than David. He introduced himself and told her about how he was separated from his mother. Deborah also told David how she was separated from both of her parents. The both of them realized that their parents were probably dead now because most adults were killed at the camp. David and Deborah planned to escape from Auschwitz and get to safety, in fear that they would be killed next. A guard overheard their plan and offered to help them escape. The day before when David was working, he saw that there was a ladder against the walls of the camp. The problem was that the wall was topped with barbed wire. David told Deborah and the guard about what he saw. The guard told them that he knows where a splicer is so he could cut the wire. He said that they shouldn’t escape that way because they could be seen and cut by the barbed wire. Deborah had been in the camp longer than David so she told them that there was a small hole near the wall. The problem was that they didn’t have The Carpenter | 26

Spring 2023 a shovel to dig. The guard then came up with a brilliant plan. The guard had actually saved many Jewish children before and had connections. David and Deborah would have to pretend to be dead so they could be put in the back of an ambulance with the soldier's friends. The ambulance would then drive through the exit and they should be free. Now it was time to put the plan into action. The guard called his friends to bring the ambulance in. While waiting for the ambulance, the guard dressed David and Deborah in bandages. They stunk so bad that when they were in the back of the ambulance the German guards wouldn’t check in the back of the ambulance. Once they were all dressed in bandages, the ambulance pulled up. The guard put David and Deborah into the back of the ambulance and closed the doors. “I cannot go with you because if I leave, I will be killed,” said the guard. The ambulance drove up to the exit. The Germans let them go through immediately because of the foul smell. The driver of the ambulance told David and Deborah that they were out of the camp. They stopped the ambulance, opened the doors, and let David and Deborah out. They hugged each other and started to cry because they wished that their parents were there with them. The Carpenter | 27

Spring 2023 | The Broken Glass | Manav Chawla Night had fallen on the Chawla home, and the fan creaked steadily in my brother’s room. We were playing imaginary cricket, a game that we had invented based on the real sport, in his bedroom. It was similar to cricket, however with distinct adaptations for the extremely unusual grounds of the match. That was the inaugural night of the game with the game progressively obscuring as darkness took over fighting for control over the room with the shining blue night light. The musty atmosphere had been set up perfectly for a long night and the catastrophic mistake of the second fall of the broken glass. The stuffed animals danced with us, becoming part of the match as it advanced. Then, having come out of my brother’s hand, the ball zoomed across the room creating a slight Poom! as it hit the ground with a light singular bounce. As the ball approached the stuffed animal, it was picked up transforming into a makeshift bat. Bang! Suddenly pieces shattered falling from the ceiling of the room like hail from the sky. **** A few weeks earlier, my brother had recently shattered the glass shade of the fan. The broken glass was extremely obvious, and he struggled to hide the mistake that he had made, leaving the only option of our parents finding out. His room’s floor had become like a dangerous pool of lava, and soft footsteps with flip-flop equipped feet had become a necessity. The broom approached the bedroom and with many sweeps it was safe once again. My brother was scolded at the dinner table as spoons clanged against plates and the flavorful food was spoiled by the lecture filled with anger like the anger of Lizabeth when she tore up Miss Lottie’s garden. The Carpenter | 28

Spring 2023 Late into the night, the work continued, and slowly a new glass shade took the place of the old one. My brother held the shade up to the fan watching intently as my father delicately spun the shade, the cold of the metal slowly permeating into his fingers. Suddenly, the room was filled with a new brilliance of light as the fan returned to normalcy. **** Panic flooded all of the souls that existed in that room, jolting us into action like zebras running away from jaguars. The broom hurriedly screeched across the room, and the glass pieces on the floor scrambled away from the broom into a pile like mice from cats. Next, the gargantuan task of making the bed safe once again lay ahead of us. The blankets flew, the mattress was wiped down, and the pillows were gutted. We shepherded the broken glass into a plastic bag, and as it was placed into the closet with our mistakes. The bag jiggled and shook leading to my brother placing it into another sturdier bag. The knowledge of how to replace the glass shade flooded my brother’s mind, and he executed it. **** A week later, my parents had left my brother and I at home to go grocery shopping. My brother assuredly carried the duffel bag with the glass clanking around. As his feet rapidly marched down the hallway like that of a soldier, he approached the garage door. Reaching towards the cold metal knob, he prepared himself for what awaited him. Crash! The broken glass tumbled out of the duffle bag, and my brother strode away from the bin. The deed had been done and no one would ever find out about it. Or so we thought. **** Months later, our fourth-grade class had been asked to write a memoir about a significant past event in our life. I concluded that the event of the broken The Carpenter | 29

Spring 2023 glass fit the assignment to the tee. My pencil flew across the sheet of looseleaf and soon the graphite had stained the page with the tale for the teacher to read. **** My mother had just come back home from parent-teacher conferences on a Tuesday night, dark like the deepest black hole. She asked me a peculiar question about this tale of the glass shade. And then, the ghost of the broken glass came back to haunt me. The Carpenter | 30

Spring 2023 smile: 1. a pleased, kind, or amused facial expression to manufacture happiness with. | Thomas Sharbach ‘24 The Carpenter | 31

Spring 2023 | War is No Place for a Child | Donchez Graham It is an early morning at camp, the bugle sounds. I emerge from my tent. I put on my undergarments and my dirt stained uniform. I shake my brother, Henry, and we leave the tent. I begin a conversation with Henry, “I still don’t understand why you followed me to this accursed war.” “I ain’t want you to turn up dead, Ed,” Henry replies. We sat on the bench in front of the camp kitchen. “What do you have for us today Samson?” I inquire. “We have hardtack.” “No meat, sir?” Henry adds. “Fraid not.” An hour later the General receives word that the rebels are planning an attack in Gettysburg. Henry and I get our ammunition from the camp armory, put the utility belts around our waists, and fall into formation. We prepare to march with the 69th Pennsylvania infantry regiment, and I know that this will be a long journey - so I ready myself. “Henry, are you scared?” I ask. “Not really, I think this is going to be fun.” I scoff and glare at Henry. I think, Henry is as green as a newborn. The commander shouts, “Forward, March!” Not so shortly after the first beat of the drum plays and after five miles of marching, we arrive at the battlefield; we camp out in the woods and wait for the rebels to arrive. The General assigns Henry and me to dig out trenches and tend to the wounded during the war. The other people in their regiment look down upon us. But of course we’d already been exposed to the treatment. The Carpenter | 32

Spring 2023 Friday June 3rd, around four o’clock in the morning. An explosion wakes our entire company up. The soldiers grab their guns. They are ready for war. Henry and I are totally oblivious to this new world that we are about to face. We rush in the direction of the explosion. When we arrive, Henry and I are in utter shock. I glance at Henry, his jaw is on the ground. We see limbs from union soldiers. Shrapnel embedded in soldiers’ legs. I quickly tend to the wounded. I look behind me and there he is, Henry. Just standing there, uncovered, an easy target for the rebels. I quickly pull him down to cover. As I’m pulling him down a bullet zips right above his head into a tree. “That was stupid, Henry, you could’ve gotten yourself killed!” says Edward in anger. “I warned you that war is no place for a child. But here you are.” “I’m sorry, Eddy'' Henry replies shakily. I look toward a soldier whose leg has been blown clean off. He screams and in complete agony “Help! You there! Boy!” He waves Henry over. While the rest of the company is returning fire. Henry is dressing wounds and I am removing pieces of wood and shrapnel from this soldier's left leg. The scene is a bloodbath. I almost wish I didn't come. My home is calling for me. Whilst I was bandaging the man's leg, that’s when I was called to the front lines. Dropping the bandages, I grab my musket and my brother. I turn to Henry and say, “The time is now. This is what you’ve been wanting. I hope you are happy, Henry.” “I’m scared, Eddy, I’m scared, I want to go home.” “It’s too late now, little brother” We push to the frontline, side by side. We hear the command, “Ready, Aim, … Fire!” Henry and I fire our first shot at the rebels. Soon after we flinch at the sound of cannons and mortars shrieking through the air, as they soar across the The Carpenter | 33

Spring 2023 battlefield. I look at Henry for a quick moment and he is mortified. I look across the battlefield and aim at a man that I am going to kill. His body is sleek and pale; I cannot see him clearly through the thick smoke but I can see him aiming back at me. It is cloudy, and there is a slight southern breeze, masked with the smell of gunpowder. I fire a shot at the rebel I’m aiming at. The bullet pierces him. I hear a bullet strike someone, after it sped past my ear. The bullet hits Henry. “Henry! NOOO!” I let out a loud wail. I drop my musket and quickly drag him into cover. His shirt is covered in bright red blood, but he is breathing. I wrap his wound and give him the rest of my water from my canteen and lay him up against a tree. I sit down next to him, holding him close. “Little brother, you can’t die not yet, Not here. There is so much that we have left undone. You still haven’t had the ability to experience freedom. Don’t die on me, Henry,” I say weeping. While I’m sitting with Henry, shaking, Henry passes. I can only imagine the agony my little brother was in. I feel a hot, burning pain in my right shoulder. I look down and blood is gushing out. I’ve been shot. I put pressure on my shoulder to stop the bleeding. Things start to become blurry. Four hours later, I wake up in a medical tent. I assume they gave me some type of medication for the pain. My upper half shoots up, a wincing pain in my shoulder, which has been bandaged up. I look around for my brother; he is nowhere to be found. Is he dead, I wonder. I ask the medic if he is. That day, that one moment, that sentence changes my life forever. “I’m sorry for you to find out like this from me. But your brother died, in your arms, Edward,” said the medic in a calm but chilling tone. My life is over. I have failed. I’ve lost my brother. The Carpenter | 34

Spring 2023 airpods: 1. developed by apple, made to enhance mondays | Rocco Parise ‘24 The Carpenter | 35

Spring 2023 | The Showing of Mercy | Ryan Currie “Lay down your weapons and surrender,” commanded Slay, the son of Argus who is the leader of the Swedish Viking clan. “We don't want to hurt any more of you,” said the second son of Argus, Bo. The Swedish Vikings clan had finally won the battle between them and the Bojung viking clan, although the air was filled with the smell of blood. Now that Slay and Bo with the help of the Swedish clan soldiers have made Bojung warriors surrender in their own village they just have to wait until their father arrives who isn’t in a good enough condition to fight with his growing age. Slay, the extraordinary fighter, fast as a cheetah, with his axe and sword always charges his enemies as if he was a wild bull, along with his brother, Bo, the Smartest and most accurate bow and arrow shot, whose brain works faster than any of the others, are not only brothers but best friends, and are very proud of themselves for this victory. “We shall wait until Argus arrives to find out what to do with the Bojung clan,” announced Bo to the Swedish soldiers. Although almost instantly after Bo’s announcement, Swas, the brother of Argus abruptly yells, “They should be slaughtered now we do not need Argus’s permission, I will make the decision for once.” Swas draws his sword and is running straight for Thor, the leader of the Bojung clan. “We should be the only clan left in this world, we should rule everything! Slay and Bo’s hearts drop and they yell at Swas to stop, but they are too far away to stop him. Swas slices his sword toward Thor’s head and then…. “SWAS!” It was a booming yell that made Swas freeze with fear. It was Argus who had just arrived. “Killing Thor will not bring peace to our village, it will only bring more war to our village.” The Carpenter | 36

Spring 2023 “We will show your clan mercy, Thor. Do not attack us again and we will not attack you again, understood,” explained Argus. “I agree,” said Thor with a sigh of relief. Moments later Slay and Bo, filled with anger, run up to Swas. “What were you thinking?” says Bo with anger in his eyes. Bo and Slay have never liked their uncle Swas. They knew that Swas had always been jealous of Argus (his older brother) for being elected to be leader by their father. “Shut up, you little brats, your father has always been way too soft and things need to change and they will very soon,” said Swas, with a grin. Following their victory, the warriors along with Argus,Slay, and Bo were very excited to return to their village as they were greeted with a great party with their victory over the Bojung clan. Vikings are always fighting and at wars with other clans so there’s always a party after a victory. There was a huge feast made with big fires for the party just like any other Viking celebration. However, Swas did not celebrate the victory he instead went with his little group to their house enraged with anger. Later in the night Swas who had waited until the guards had gone to sleep snuck into Argus’s Longhouse. Swas wearing his metal armor, walked quickly and quietly to Argus’s bed, drew his knife which was yelling at his shove it through Argus's heart, and when he was just about to kill Argus a hand stopped him. It was Argus he had awakened struggling to keep the knife from stabbing his heart. “I have been in your shadow for too long. It is my time to become king, you have become weak,” Swas said with his demon eyes staring into Argus’s. It was at this moment that Argus knew his time had come. Argus chuckled, “You have always been a fool.” These were the final words Argus ever said as Swas had driven the knife through his heart. Swas stood there looking at Argus who still had a grin on his face as if he was still mocking Swas even when he was dead. Swas who told everyone that Argus had died from a heart attack had been named the new leader of the clan. Although Swas was not done there, The Carpenter | 37

Spring 2023 when Slay and Bo were grieving over their loss, Swas brought them drinks pretending to grieve with them. When Slay and Bo took a drink from their drinks they passed out immediately and laid as if they were dead. Swas had put a poison in them. Though right before Bo passed out he looked at Swas’s grin, and immediately figured out that it was Swas, he killed their father. Swas got some of his men to go dump Slay and Bo far away from the clan's village with big grass fields surrounding them, figuring they would die. The brother’s woke up with a gasp. They were in a longhouse, but not one they recognized. After they gathered their senses, they look up and see Thor, the leader of the Bojung clan. “I’m sorry to hear about your father's death,” Thor said. “My men saw you lying in the middle of nowhere and brought you here realizing you had been poisoned, although my healers saved your lives.” Slay and Bo sat back trying to make sense of the crazy events of what had happened. Slay and Bo came up with a plan to take back their clan from Swas. If Swas stayed the leader he would lead the clan into destruction. Slay and Bo asked Thor if his clan could help them take down Swas. “Your father showed me and my entire clan mercy, it is time I repay my debt,” said Thor, as he left to go get his son, who was second in command, to gather the warriors. The Bojung warriors, along with Slay and Bo, went to the Swedish clan. “Do not fight to kill especially non warriors, we only want Swas,” yelled Slay. When they got to the clan’s houses, there were no guards, no warriors, the Swedish clan had no defense against an attack. Slay and Bo tell the Bojung warriors to wait outside the walls and would call if they needed them. Slay and Bo entered Swas’s longhouse and saw him sitting his knife next to him that he used to kill Argus. Swas, hearing that someone had entered his home, turned around and went pale when he saw the brothers standing before him. “You two are supposed to be.” Those are the last words Swas said as Slay wasted no time in ending his uncle's life. The Carpenter | 38

Spring 2023 Slay and Bo explained to everyone what had happened and how Swas had betrayed his clan. The two brothers became the new leaders of the Swedish clan and became very close allies with the Bojung clan. The Carpenter | 39

Spring 2023 me: 1. it’s me, me, me, me, and i like to eat | Niccolo Gurri ‘24 The Carpenter | 40

Spring 2023 | The Vessel | Hans Raven A vessel was born Hollow like the rest Emotionless, faceless, empty Raised its hand to the sky And set out on its way Dark were its eyes And dark was its heart For it was empty and knew It would always be such Its life was limbo And death was the same How many of it had been created To end up this same way So it sought freedom But found none For it could not think Of what that was So I took this vessel Which was the same as me And taught it how to live As a person ought to But it was all in vain For I could not teach What I did not know The Carpenter | 41

Spring 2023 And so we set off To find one who did And through our journeys We found no one For all were empty Just like me An abyss doomed to be unfilled Until someone or something Gave it meaning The Carpenter | 42

Spring 2023 mountaintop: 1. the summit, or where i dream of every night | Michael Wallace ‘24 The Carpenter | 43

Spring 2023 | The Real Story of Wild Bill Hickok | Carson Byers Morning comes and it's time to go home. After fighting with the Union army during the civil war, Hickok and I are good to go. Hickok has a huge mustache with extremely long curly hair. He always wears a buckskin jacket with a cowboy hat. We decide not to go back home, and instead make our way to Deadwood, South Dakota. It is going to take a while to get all the way up northwest from the east coast. So in the process we stop at a few towns. I’m starting to question my decision to follow Wild Bill Hickok to Deadwood because of his robbing multiple towns we stayed the night at. I’m not exactly the type of person to rob and kill, but there is no turning back now. It’s been 72 days since we began the journey and today is the day we finally make it to Deadwood. It’s been an arduous journey, more than I had imagined. “I’m dragged out,” I say. “Get a wiggle on! we still have to get across town to find us a place to stay,” Hickok fires back. Deadwood is a large town with dirt roads, the buildings packed together, and is a city known for its murders. Mountains and hills block every view outside of the city. Small shops and restaurants are filled up to capacity with folks from all over the city. I don’t want to say this town disturbs me, but it does spook me a little bit. Bullock Hotel, which is built out of bricks and it was fairly small, is where we were going to stay for a while but we don’t have enough money for the two of The Carpenter | 44

Spring 2023 us to stay. The two-and-a-half month haul to arrive up west left us both without money and food. I wake up to a slap in the face. “Pony up!” shouts Hickok. “Hobble your lip, why are you waking me up at four in the morning?” I shout back. “You want money and food right? We are heading to Lead City. It's only a few miles down the road.” “What are we going to do there? Rob another bank?” I say jokingly. “Exactly,” he says. “You’re shootin’ your mouth off, there’s no way we are going to pull this off. You're crazy!” “Stay here then, I'll be back in a couple hours.” “Fine, I’ll go with you.” Great. Another bank robbery. My favorite. I put a duster long sleeve on with a buckin’ coat overtop. I make sure to put on my cattleman hat and I put a bandana around my neck which I will pull up above my face before we go inside, followed with baggy, wool pants. “How long is this going to take to get to Lead City?” I ask while yawning. “Around 45 minutes,” he responds. Once we arrive in Lead city I ask Hickok a question. “What’s the plan here?” I get no response out of him. I just follow him into the bank. We act like civilized humans until we get close to the worker. Quicker than a predator catching its prey, Hickok rips his gun out from his buscadero holster. The worker screams at the top of her lungs until Hickok covers her mouth with his hand. As I just stand there watching, Hickok yells, “Get the bag, hurry up!” I hand him the bag and he starts stuffing thousands of dollars into it. Sprinting out of the bank like we are getting chased The Carpenter | 45

Spring 2023 by a steer. As we leave the bank, I stare into a homeless mom and her child’s eyes, them staring back at me with a hopeless expression. It seems like they are in need, so I decided to purposely drop some money out of the bag just in case they want to take it. We arrive back at the hotel without getting caught. Now we have money for food and a house to stay at. I’m almost positive we are going to see some most wanted posters about us but we have to lay low. It’s been a few months and neither one of us has a job, and money is becoming tight. I’ve been asking Hickok what we are going to do about it for a week or so but he always cuts me off and says that he’s got a plan. The next day I wake up from Hickok rustling me. “Again?” I say. “Yep, we are almost broke,” he responds. “Where are we heading to?” “Sturgis city, it’s going to take a lot longer than molasses.” “How long exactly?” “About two hours and thirty minutes.” When we arrive in Stugis and I immediately think how different this city is than Deadwood. Sturgis is so much more open and less crowded. The brick and wood buildings are a lot more spread out. This city is a ghost town, and extremely quiet. It isn’t even early. I am beginning to think this is going to be an easy mission. But I thought wrong. Before we enter the bank, I pull up my bandana. Hickok turns around handing me a gun. “You’re going to need this.” Inside the bank is completely empty. Hickok asks for some assistance. Then a middle aged beautiful blonde lady comes out of a door from the back of the building. She stares at me dead in my eyes, which makes me look way and down at my shoes. “Y’all from round here?” she says. “We’re from right down the street,” I respond back instantly. The Carpenter | 46

Spring 2023 Hickok points his gun at the lady and she starts screaming. He screams at her to place all of the money she has in the bag I took out of my backpack. Someone must’ve heard the disturbance we created and he walks inside with a gun in his hands. Hickok shoots him directly in the gut. We sprint out the back doors and hop onto our horse. Within the first few seconds our horse slips and falls. He just stays there not getting up. Hickok and I both realize what had happened, our horse had been shot in the leg. We stand up, grab the money, and start running away. Little did we know, but will come to realize, is that a whole entire gang is running behind us. Hickok knows his ways and he leads us to a town right outside of Rapid City called Tilford. Hopefully, there is a bar or a market we can hole up at for a while. Thankfully, when we arrive, there is. A small market, surrounded by the dead crops of farms that can’t survive the cold air. We walk into the market and sit down to have a couple drinks. We enjoy ourselves until a crowd of men burst through the door, asking if anyone’s seen us. Our initial reaction is to run through one of the back doors so we do exactly that. While running for our lives, I reach for the revolver, the one Hickok gave me, as well as my only weapon to defend myself. Threatened by the enemy gang, we run all the way back to Deadwood to stay another night. I wake up in the morning to a loud crowd of people. I take a peek out of the window and the people who were chasing us are out there. It looks like they are bribing the people with money and have a lot of posters with them. “Hickok, wake up, you have to see this. Aren’t these the people chasing us around yesterday?” Hickok glances down at the area, eyes precise as a bird. “You’re right, we have to leave. Now!” The Carpenter | 47

Spring 2023 We start rushing to pack our things and gather as much as we can. Some clothing is going to have to stay behind. Before we know it people are here. We hear a knock at the door. A man’s voice says, “Open the door or we will kick it down!” The door is getting pounded on and is about to fall through. Hickok and I stare at the door, watching it dance and shimmer from the vibration. There is only one way of getting out of here safely. Hickok opens the window and we exit from there. I take less than five steps and I hear multiple gunshots go off. There’s no sign of Hickok anymore. I have lost him. I continue to run until I am sandwiched. I am completely surrounded by people with guns pointing directly at me. I have to give myself up. There is no other choice. “Alright! I’m done! Take me!” I shout. The guys are leading me to Deadwood Jail that was just built this year and I see posters everywhere with Hickok and I on them. They all say we are wanted for robbing banks. On my way to the jail I come across something I wish I never have seen. Hickok lying on the ground face first. He’s been shot and killed. I have no words. I just stare. My best friend for many years has died. We arrive at the jail and I am only being sentenced for six months. The jail is a small barn-like building built out of wood and has tiny cells. This jail is going to get me claustrophobic every single day. Once I get out of this contraption, I’m going back to Maryland. The Carpenter | 48

Spring 2023 The Carpenter | 49

Spring 2023 july: 1. the hot seventh month of the year and life’s sweetest memories | Rocco Parise ‘24 | The Rise and Fall of Henry Ever | Derek Krizman As Henry reaches for the brown quill on his desk, there is a knock at the door. He looks up and says, “Come in.” One of the crew members walks in. Henry can see in the dim flickering light of the room with all of its freaky sounds and humid feeling it is the man who is soon to be his second in command, Charles Jameson. “The crew is ready when you are, Captain,” he says. Henry gets up and walks to the door with Charles not far behind. As they walk to where the crew is meeting, they talk of what will happen and how great it will be. Henry walks into the room filled with men of all ages. They see Henry walk into the room. “We are tired of having no wages, we are tired of being merchant men, we want to be pirates,” one of them yells and the others agree with a cheer. Henry leads his men to the captain's quarters and knocks on the door. “Come in,” they hear the captain say. “Wait out here,” Henry says to the crew. \"I will give you a signal.” He walks in and sits across the captain. “Where are my wages?” Henry says in a roar. “I’m working on it,” the captain says as he gets up to pace around the room. The Carpenter | 50