Green, yellow, Red, Green | Teen Ink

Green, yellow, Red, Green

July 6, 2011
By KayleeRae PLATINUM, Arvada, Colorado
KayleeRae PLATINUM, Arvada, Colorado
34 articles 49 photos 46 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Either write something worth doing or do something worth writing."


Yellow light, red light, green light,
GO!
We’re born in this world
With nothing to know.
You play in the sun,
You play in the snow,
But then you get sick,
And go through chemo.

Life is a road,
And you are the car.
You can’t control death
To be near or be far.
Of all the places,
You go and you see,
You look through a window,
With no liberty.

An octagon sign
That tells you to stop.
The road is too short,
But in case there’s a cop,
You lay on the breaks,
And gather your thoughts,
And watch all the healthy
Pedestrians cross.

Sometimes you may help
Hitchhikers so sad,
A sibling, a friend,
A mom, or a dad.
They heal your scars,
You brush off their sand,
But sometimes you cry harder
When they hold your hand.

And sometimes a blessing
May cross your path.
A beautiful butterfly
Whose name was once Zach,
A bumper sticker
That may make you laugh,
A pretty new wig
Or a new floppy hat.

No U-turns,
No turning around,
One way street
Where maturity is found.
It’s been quite a while
Since your feet touched the ground.
Your road is as long
As your golden heart pounds.

You pass all the lights,
But follow the signs.
You play it safe,
Don’t cross yellow lines.
I have been here
With your hand in mine.
And really, the road
Is bumpy but fine.

Yellow light, red light, green light,
GO!
You’ve made it through
Much more than you know.
I’ve seen you hide,
And I’ve watched you grow.
You’ve reached the highway:
A long, smooth road.


The author's comments:
Camp Mountain Hope, a camp for siblings of cancer patients, inspired every bit of this piece. Some of the campers even helped me write a few lines.

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This article has 4 comments.


on Aug. 17 2011 at 7:17 pm
CarrieAnn13 GOLD, Goodsoil, Other
12 articles 10 photos 1646 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by." --Douglas Adams

"The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." --Marcus Aurelius

Gah!  Sorry about the double post; Teen Ink was taking a long time to load.

on Aug. 17 2011 at 4:38 pm
KayleeRae PLATINUM, Arvada, Colorado
34 articles 49 photos 46 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Either write something worth doing or do something worth writing."

Oopsy that was actually a typo, thanks for pointing that out!

on Aug. 4 2011 at 9:52 pm
CarrieAnn13 GOLD, Goodsoil, Other
12 articles 10 photos 1646 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by." --Douglas Adams

"The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." --Marcus Aurelius

The metaphor in this poem is interesting and I love how you keep the rhythm consistent.  My only criticism is that 'Yellow' should be capitalized in your title.

on Aug. 4 2011 at 9:52 pm
CarrieAnn13 GOLD, Goodsoil, Other
12 articles 10 photos 1646 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by." --Douglas Adams

"The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." --Marcus Aurelius

The metaphor in this poem is interesting and I love how you keep the rhythm consistent.  My only criticism is that 'Yellow' should be capitalized in your title.