Listen | Teen Ink

Listen MAG

November 12, 2008
By Anonymous

Anger bubbles up beneath my skin;
I grin,
then push my lips out
in frustration
when he turns
away.

My nose prickles hard on the inside
and I swallow hard,
willing the tears not to come,
but they do not heed.
The briny water wells up
on the cusp of my lashline,
threatening to fall
to give me away.
I feel the first drop slip over the edge and glide softly
down my cheek onto my lower lip,
which trembles.
Its saltiness coats the single word
on my tongue
that fidgets,
waiting to launch itself into the open air
in vain
like so many times before.
Listen.



Similar Articles

JOIN THE DISCUSSION

This article has 155 comments.


on Jul. 7 2010 at 9:51 pm
christin.bass SILVER, Eagle River, Alaska
8 articles 0 photos 45 comments

Favorite Quote:
you will never make it big if you dream small. youll never learn if your living in the past and youll never understand if you were to fast forward, just press play and live!

Your writing is brilliant and beautiful. I can relate easily, and it painted a vivid picture! VERY VERY INSPIRING. keep writing please.

on Jul. 7 2010 at 8:56 pm
sparkofheart GOLD, Plymouth, Minnesota
16 articles 2 photos 253 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Always" - Severus Snape

that was soooo good!! i absolutely loved it :) check out some of my work please?

on Jul. 7 2010 at 3:30 pm
MelanieLouise PLATINUM, Plymouth, Minnesota
37 articles 0 photos 81 comments

Favorite Quote:
to live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong

Inspiring.

An emotion like this is difficult to put on paper, but you captured it beautifully.

Well Done


on Jun. 18 2010 at 11:42 pm
JesserFressers PLATINUM, Pevely, Missouri
27 articles 0 photos 7 comments

Favorite Quote:
If you love something, set it free....If it comes back, it was meant to be...If it continues to fly...let it soar...And have faith that God has something better in store...

I am speechless really. Great poem. Just....amazing.

on Jun. 15 2010 at 10:04 am
the_quiet_one BRONZE, Orangevale, California
3 articles 0 photos 18 comments

Favorite Quote:
“I write for no other purpose than to add to the beauty that now belongs to me. I write a story for no other reason than to add three or four hundred acres to my magnificent estate.”
~Jack London (White Fang)

I love how you said "the cusp of my lash line" and how "saltiness coats a single word." But if I may make a suggestion I'd just say 'my nose prickles on the inside' because you use hard in the next line down. Or you could use a synonym for hard instead.

on Jun. 15 2010 at 9:48 am
Hannaleiigh PLATINUM, Kittery Point, Maine
49 articles 0 photos 7 comments
I love this. It brings back so many images/memories. I think anyone who has ever cared about another person can relate to this, which is truly rare.

on May. 28 2010 at 11:15 am
JasminePinto BRONZE, Anywhere, Texas
1 article 0 photos 19 comments

Favorite Quote:
we make a living by what we get but make a life by what we give- Winston Churchhill

Don't quit while the night is darkest for its just a while till dawn- Jill Wolf

TRULY AMAZING, KEEP ON WRITING, BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!!!!

on May. 24 2010 at 8:37 pm
Alcanno DIAMOND, Mexia, Texas
59 articles 0 photos 670 comments

Favorite Quote:
"If you love life, don't waste time, for time is what life is
made up of."

-- Bruce Lee

Love it! Nice work - very powerful and daring. Read my poem "Not for Me" please?

plantrock said...
on May. 24 2010 at 3:47 pm
plantrock, Roscoe, Illinois
0 articles 0 photos 6 comments
I like the imagery. The last line being one word is very powerful. Good job. I enjoyed reading this.

on May. 24 2010 at 1:16 pm
Its.beautiful. BRONZE, Goose Creek, South Carolina
1 article 0 photos 24 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Immature love says: 'I love you because I need you.' Mature love says 'I need you because I love you." — Erich Fromm

Don't tell me what to do.  Toy boat. Toy boat. Toy boat. Toy boat. Toy boat.

on May. 13 2010 at 8:18 pm
princessariel SILVER, N/a, Maryland
5 articles 4 photos 10 comments

Favorite Quote:
Isn't this great? The salty sea air! The wind blowing in your face! *sigh* Perfect day to be at sea!
-Eric from The Little Mermaid

the imagery was amazing! great use of diction here. wonderful job :]

_ashh GOLD said...
on May. 2 2010 at 7:59 pm
_ashh GOLD, Chavies, Kentucky
10 articles 0 photos 10 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Forever is composed of nows." --Emily Dickenson

I love the last few lines.

"Waiting to launch itself into the open air/in vain/like so many times before./ Listen."

I relate to this.

I also love your word choice; "bubbles up" "prickles" "fidgets"

great imagery, amazing job! i love it!


on May. 2 2010 at 6:10 pm
emilyjoe DIAMOND, Algonquin, Illinois
51 articles 6 photos 34 comments

Favorite Quote:
"What if the person in the puddle is real, and you're just a reflection?" -Calvin & Hobbes

this is so good, very elegant.

onlyiz said...
on May. 2 2010 at 2:47 am
onlyiz, Boulder, Colorado
0 articles 1 photo 85 comments

Favorite Quote:
“You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.” - Mark Twain

this is a very eloquent and relatable. cool.

on Apr. 10 2010 at 7:52 pm
LovelyMiss GOLD, Floresville, Texas
11 articles 0 photos 124 comments
wow this was amazing.... i loved!!!

on Apr. 10 2010 at 7:35 pm
SOSaiXD PLATINUM, Oviedo, Florida
35 articles 1 photo 23 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Always believe that everything happens for a reason. If you give God long enough to prove His point, He will always blow you away."

Amazing description. I love the feeling you gave it and how you left the interpretation open to the reader. (:

Lexi-pex GOLD said...
on Apr. 10 2010 at 2:12 pm
Lexi-pex GOLD, Billingham, Other
13 articles 0 photos 75 comments

Favorite Quote:
"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."
- Eleanor Roosevelt

i thought that was amazing, well done! very well written. i enjoyed it : )

on Mar. 19 2010 at 9:05 pm
starlight26 GOLD, Miramar, Florida
11 articles 7 photos 174 comments

Favorite Quote:
*life isnt about pretending to be something you're not. It about being who you are and finding someone
who loves every bit of it."

"Life's tradegy is that we get old too soon and wise too late"

It was written with wonderful detail. I could picture the whole thing. Feel Better.

on Mar. 19 2010 at 8:23 pm
katielynn21 DIAMOND, Sierra Vista, Arizona
63 articles 0 photos 32 comments

Favorite Quote:
live as if you'll die tomorrow, dream as if you'll live forever

This was possitively beautiful.

it reminded me of times when me and my ex-boyfriend would fight, id begg my tears to retreat, but they never did they spilled over revealing my pain. I completely connect with this poem, please keep writing. check out my work if you ever have the time.

kysh15 said...
on Mar. 19 2010 at 6:11 pm
kysh15, Edmonds, Washington
0 articles 0 photos 57 comments
this is just beautiful, i relate completely