Olsany, a Poem to You

You’re a not-so-secret cemetery, aren’t you?
Your sobbing is not silent.
I smell the bright yellow torrent of autumn tears that fall from your trees.

Soft, yellow-gold does nothing to melt the
crisp, clear air. It is cold and
the wind only makes you cry harder.

I want to know your seasons.
Will you be cold and white and bright?
Or snowy and cloudy and barren?
Are you sometimes hot and green and mysterious?
Or do you bustle with Life under green?

Thank you for the still death of your stone statues.
Angels and crosses, eagles and prayers…
Massive, not delicate. Cozily powerful.

You sprawl, as you encompass the poor, the forgotten, the famous.
Do the people around this neighborhood
know what lies within your protective arms, sometimes crying, sometimes smothering?
Do they feel your warm stone heart?

Original poem by Angela Schnaubelt, fall 1998

Why Do Women Find Dracula Movies Romantic?

Vampire movies are my favorite! I don't care if it's a cheesy "B" movie, or a modern blockbuster hit, I can't get enough of the vampire lore. Here are several reasons why the Dracula story holds romantic appeal for me.

Connectedness of Souls and Continuity of Existence
Dracula is a man who loves his woman so much that he not only faces the dark side for her, but embraces it. This gives new meaning to the phrase "I love you so much that I would die for you." Dracula died for his woman and became the undead to wait for her re-incarnation.

In Bram Stoker's Dracula (the movie with Winona Ryder and Anthony Hopkins), my favorite line is from the young, sexy Dracula: "I have crossed oceans of time to find you."


A love that overcomes the barrier of physical death is so romantic!
A love that endures through lifetimes of reincarnations is so romantic!

Seduction, Forbidden Desire
Desiring a "monster" from the dark side is forbidden.

The human psychology of loving a man even when he has a dark inner monster is intriguing to say the least. We are forgiving creatures, and love transcends even huge faults.

Charisma and seduction are timeless, obvious themes that arouse all women. To feel wanted, to feel wanted at all costs--even at the cost of being lured to the dark side--is intensely arousing.

The Idea of Immortality
While often portrayed as a lonely curse, I think that it would be awesome to have lifetimes to learn. Just the knowledge acquisition alone would be thrilling. I would love to have time to acquire wealth, an amount that would be self-sustaining. It would be fascinating to watch the evolution of humans on a larger scale, through centuries. It would be like time travel (forward, I know) on a really grand scale.


Romanticism is an ideal. In the case of Dracula, the ideal is one of an ideal love. Intense and without limits of time or life/death.


How to Videos & Articles: eHow.com