Along the Way | Teen Ink
  1. Home
  2. Poetry
  3. Free Verse
  4. Along the Way

Along the Way MAG

November 29, 2008
By Andrew Dobies GOLD, Long Grove, Illinois
More by this author
Andrew Dobies GOLD, Long Grove, Illinois
11 articles 0 photos 2 comments
View profile

How many faces and birthdays will I come to remember
before my eyes shut for the last time
and I find myself in that closet I hid in that smelled of laundry softener
in the third grade because I didn’t belong in a girl’s house?
How many fingers and palms and fingernails
will I see amid how many trees, swinging green and happy branches in the spring
like the clasped hands of middle aged lovers who left the kids at home with a babysitter
so they could go for an afternoon walk?
I imagine there will be enough smiles and enough tears
that if I wanted to I could flood the city of New York
and swim through those blurred lights in the dead of an August night
and sing along with the crickets and the distorted sound of drowned car horns.
Hopefully I’ll have a bag of forehead wrinkles and boxes full of voices
from teachers and friends and train conductors
who say the most unimportant things like “May I see your ticket?”
Hopefully there will be shoes and coats from parties
and sloppy kisses on doorsteps in cold January nights
where my breath will be visible in the air and the ice near my feet
will sparkle and gleam in the periodic flicker of the dying bulb
in her porch light.
Even if things go wrong,
at least there will be the smell of honeysuckle and sweat
in my mother’s hair as she held me to her chest as I came fresh from the womb
and there will always be those fluorescent lights.

© Erek S., Wolfforth, TX

Post a comment
Submit your own

Similar Articles

Previous Next
Poetry
Brother
By Anonymous
Poetry
The Top
By imperfection GOLD
Gilroy, California
imperfection GOLD, Gilroy, California
17 articles 9 photos 45 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Dream as though you&#039;ll live forever, live as though you&#039;ll die today.&quot;<br /> ~James Dean (1931-1955), American Motion Picture Actor, symbol of rebellion

View profile
Poetry
Breathing
By costarican93 GOLD
Washington, Louisiana
costarican93 GOLD, Washington, Louisiana
14 articles 0 photos 33 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;The city looks so pretty do you want to burn it with me?&quot;- Hollywood Undead

View profile
Poetry
A World of Problems
By Lost-In-Life GOLD
Whitby, Other
Lost-In-Life GOLD, Whitby, Other
11 articles 0 photos 299 comments

Favorite Quote:
It&#039;s never to late, if it weren&#039;t for the last minute many things would never get done!

View profile
Poetry
Joe
By BreLee SILVER
Sula, Montana
BreLee SILVER, Sula, Montana
7 articles 0 photos 0 comments
View profile
Poetry
Hanging leaves
By niceenouf PLATINUM
Garfield, New Jersey
niceenouf PLATINUM, Garfield, New Jersey
26 articles 0 photos 1 comment

Favorite Quote:
&quot;As we move on, you forget, we both move on, with no regret.&quot;

View profile

JOIN THE DISCUSSION

This article has 216 comments.

Presley96 said...
on Dec. 2 2011 at 9:43 pm
Presley96, Roseland, Virginia
0 articles 0 photos 12 comments

Favorite Quote:
There are people who laugh to show their fine teeth; and there are those who cry to show their good hearts.<br /> Joseph Roux

View profile
I agree, but it is a great piece of poetry
Wintergrl7 GOLD said...
on Dec. 2 2011 at 9:31 pm
Wintergrl7 GOLD, Hopkinton, Massachusetts
19 articles 3 photos 17 comments

Favorite Quote:
The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.<br /> &mdash;William Arthur Ward<br /> The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance; it is the illusion of knowledge.<br /> &mdash;Daniel J. Boorstin

View profile
LOVE IT. it seems as though the words start flowing together but then theres that awkward sentence, 2 dif writing styles that make the tempo weird
Ella1 GOLD said...
on Dec. 2 2011 at 5:49 pm
Ella1 GOLD,
14 articles 7 photos 137 comments
View profile
I love this, neat perspective. If you have a chance would you mind reading some of my work?
niner PLATINUM said...
on Dec. 2 2011 at 5:39 pm
niner PLATINUM, Hartville, Ohio
32 articles 0 photos 31 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Isn&#039;t it funny how you broke my heart, but I still love you with all the pieces?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easy to stand in a crowd, but it takes courage to stand alone&quot;<br /> &quot;What would you attempt if you knew you could never fail?&quot;

View profile
this was very unique! i like it alot :) very creative.
heather_marie PLATINUM said...
on Dec. 2 2011 at 12:58 pm
heather_marie PLATINUM, Deshler, Ohio
21 articles 2 photos 62 comments

Favorite Quote:
\\\&quot;Meeting you was fate, becoming your friend was a choice, but falling in love with you was beyond my control

View profile
wow i'm speechless!
MarissaWhitecloud SILVER said...
on Dec. 2 2011 at 9:56 am
MarissaWhitecloud SILVER, Oskaloosa, Iowa
7 articles 0 photos 84 comments
View profile
 was a really good article. Very well written.
garthgirl8888 BRONZE said...
on Nov. 10 2011 at 8:39 pm
garthgirl8888 BRONZE, Long Beach, California
2 articles 0 photos 20 comments
View profile
WOW! So good...
Dreammer GOLD said...
on Nov. 10 2011 at 3:25 pm
Dreammer GOLD, Montrose, Pennsylvania
19 articles 0 photos 37 comments

Favorite Quote:
Love is like quicksand the further you fall the harder it is to get out

View profile
Well written please look at my work and cOmment... Everyone I want honest so I can better my writing k thanks :)
itlovedtohappen GOLD said...
on Nov. 10 2011 at 12:45 pm
itlovedtohappen GOLD, Ocala, Florida
10 articles 0 photos 32 comments
View profile
This is a very beautiful piece with a unique perspective and writing style. I love it!! Keep writing, :)
Rikki-Lynn BRONZE said...
on Nov. 10 2011 at 10:39 am
Rikki-Lynn BRONZE, Lincoln, Maine
2 articles 0 photos 4 comments

Favorite Quote:
Love is true you just have to believe in your self!!!!!!!

View profile

wow I love this !!!!!!!!! you are a very good writer good job!!!!!

 

AmayaSakaruta said...
on Nov. 10 2011 at 9:02 am
AmayaSakaruta, Borger, Texas
0 articles 0 photos 35 comments

Favorite Quote:
From out of the night that covers me, black as the pit from pole to pole, i thank whatever gods may be, for my unconquerable soul. -William Earnest Henley<br /> Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil. -the Bible

View profile
i like how you made it hopeful. like things will be messed up, but at least simple things will still be good. pleez feedback on my work?
BeingAnna GOLD said...
on Oct. 19 2011 at 7:41 pm
BeingAnna GOLD, Montreal, Other
13 articles 0 photos 24 comments

Favorite Quote:
Imperfection is beauty<br /> -Marilyn Monroe

View profile
Wow thsi has brought tears to my eyes. Everything about this is truly beautiful. All I can say is wow.
Ally1832 SILVER said...
on Oct. 19 2011 at 7:40 pm
Ally1832 SILVER, Bark River, Michigan
5 articles 1 photo 21 comments

Favorite Quote:
Wipe away the tears and walk away

View profile
I really enjoyed this poem, I love the way your wrote it.
MakaylaS. GOLD said...
on Oct. 19 2011 at 5:03 pm
MakaylaS. GOLD, Fairfax, Virginia
13 articles 0 photos 20 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Starve a Bully, Feed your Soul, STAND GRAND.&quot; -Vincent Castronovo

View profile
This was AMAZING. one of my absolute favorite poems. you really deserve to be an author or poet someday! again, AMAZING job! <3
SophieG. SILVER said...
on Oct. 19 2011 at 4:36 pm
SophieG. SILVER, St. Davids, Pennsylvania
5 articles 0 photos 47 comments
View profile
Very good job! Check out my work!
KCayla GOLD said...
on Oct. 19 2011 at 2:27 pm
KCayla GOLD, Stillwater, New York
12 articles 2 photos 48 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;I brought a cupcake, and I brought Apollo&quot; - My Best friend, implying that I was like Apollo :D

View profile
wow, that was totally not a waste of time. good job.
-Char- GOLD said...
on Oct. 19 2011 at 10:00 am
-Char- GOLD, Council Bluffs, Iowa
17 articles 0 photos 21 comments

Favorite Quote:
The true friends are the ones who can get you to laugh even in your darkest depressions. ~Me

View profile
WOA!
You sound like you have ALOT of experience, like your... your... a PRFESSIONAL, DUDE(or dudett) YOU SHOULD GET PAYED TO WRITE!!! :D 
IT WAS GLORIOUS!
I would actaualy be HONORED if you were to read some of my newby poems x)
DarknessForever13 SILVER said...
on Oct. 19 2011 at 8:17 am
DarknessForever13 SILVER, Gainesville, Texas
5 articles 0 photos 51 comments

Favorite Quote:
Quoth the Raven: &quot;Nevermore!&quot;<br /> &quot;What&#039;s right isn&#039;t always popular, but what&#039;s popular isn&#039;t always right.&quot; - Unknown

View profile
This was a great poem, you captured the essence of life itself, an kept my heartstrings taut till the end. Keep writing, You are and amazingly mature writer,  and you are going to go far!
singingdetective SILVER said...
on Sep. 27 2011 at 9:13 am
singingdetective SILVER, Sugar Land, Texas
9 articles 0 photos 53 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Out of a world of laughter, <br /> suddenly I am sad.<br /> Day and night, it haunts me,<br /> the kiss I never had&quot;<br /> --Midsummer by Syndey King Russell<br /> <br /> &quot;Chances lost are hope&#039;s torn up pages&quot;-- &quot;Chances&quot; by Five for Fighting

View profile
This is one of the most professional and mature poems I have seen ever! It sounds so well developed and flowing, as though you've been writing poetry for ages. The best comparison I make is to Robert Frost, that's how deep and intelligent this poem really sounds. FANTASTIC JOB! :D
zadiekatie23 PLATINUM said...
on Sep. 5 2011 at 7:23 pm
zadiekatie23 PLATINUM, Rio Rancho, New Mexico
39 articles 4 photos 69 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don&#039;t matter and those who matter don&#039;t mind.&quot; - Dr. Seuss

View profile
Amazing. Just stunning. I - Wow. I'm really at a loss for words.