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Voices from a Paradox

April 23, 2013
By ChrisA.Ramsden BRONZE, Vancouver, Other
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ChrisA.Ramsden BRONZE, Vancouver, Other
4 articles 0 photos 2 comments
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Enemies among friends
Whirls of confusion
Waves of distortion
Cannot save me
Nor destroy me
Yet it shields me
From the obvious

Knowledge is wealth
Wealth is a key
To understanding
The people I need
Secrets of darkness
Comes from them too
A friend can save me
Or throw me over

No one understands
My thoughts or feelings
Should I trust them, no?
With my head hanging

Summer refreshes
My body and mind
After winter cold
But the heat is hot
So I wait for snow
I'm a picky thing

Humans are not better
Two sides of a coin
It's heads or tails
Morning or the night
I will need a drink
And I'll take it straight

I am eleven, ten, and fifty five
Doesn't matter though
Because one day soon
I'll be like you too
The bad and the good

Sides don't exist
It's not black or white
Neither good or bad
Only shades of grey
It's human nature
I cannot change it

Forgive me today
Because tomorrow
I really don't know
If I can trust you
I'll trust in myself
I know what I need

© Ariana R., New Orleans, LA

The author's comments:
I have dealt with a lot during my fifteen years of living. Betrayal, forgiveness, bitterness, jealousy - I have felt all of it and more. It can get confusing with all these strange, foreign feelings inside a young teen. Many ideas that form in the minds of these individuals are contradictory and false, but it is hard to pick the wrong from the right when you know so little of life. This is what this poem is about; the ever-shifting sands of the mind of a struggling teenager.
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This article has 1 comment.

DeleteMe said...
on Apr. 26 2013 at 2:11 am
DeleteMe, Nampa, Idaho
0 articles 0 photos 36 comments
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  Interesting poem. Relatable, well-written, philosophical. I like your style of writing, too. I especially love the lines "I am eleven, ten, and fifty five" and "Sides don't exist It's not black or white Neither good or bad Only shades of grey", but my most favorite lines of all, from this poem, are "Summer refreshes, My body and mind, After winter cold But the heat is hot So I wait for snow I'm a picky thing" because of its imagery and innocence. I feel like these lines are more symbolic, but even though it's simple symbolism, it's a significant part that stresses your emphasis on conflict and confusion. The main theme of this poem, to me, is conflict. Conflicting feelings, conflicting views, conflicting people. You mention such things in quite a few lines, but the thought of "hot and cold" and "summer and winter" really pronounce these ideas with vivid sensations we're all familiar with.  Great poem. 4/5. Don't stop writing. I'll be reading.