The Stranger Across the Room | Teen Ink

The Stranger Across the Room MAG

By Anonymous

I sat in the airport reading a magazine
My eyes started to wander across the scene
They fell upon a man with dirty clothes and messy hair
He paid no attention to it, he didn’t care

He wore slim-cut jeans and a worn-out hat
He had a tattoo on his arm of a baseball bat
He had a five o’clock shadow you could see from a mile
And it looked like he hadn’t had a haircut in a while

His face was weather-worn and tanned like leather
He must have lived somewhere with pretty rough weather
He had a scar above his left eye
I wondered what happened, how and why

As I boarded my plane I looked back once more
The man was making his way to the store
As my plane left for Egypt to see the tombs
I couldn’t stop thinking of the stranger across the room



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This article has 42 comments.


on Oct. 5 2017 at 3:10 pm
KurdiG PLATINUM, Douglasville, Georgia
21 articles 0 photos 7 comments
I like the way the it flows. Astonishing work!

on Jan. 14 2017 at 3:44 am
sunshineAL BRONZE, Oregon City, Oregon
1 article 0 photos 2 comments

Favorite Quote:
The best thing about hitting rock bottom is there's only one direction you can go, and that's up.

I could picture the stranger in my mind. Fantastic writing!

Orlivee BRONZE said...
on Oct. 8 2014 at 7:37 am
Orlivee BRONZE, Lagos, Other
2 articles 0 photos 26 comments

Favorite Quote:
Never make someone a priority if they will make you an option.

I like the way it goes, almost like a song...beautiful

on Jul. 14 2013 at 4:46 pm
PirateCountry DIAMOND, Muncie, Indiana
91 articles 18 photos 330 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

I'm sure all of us have had a natural curiosity about some random stranger. You did a good job capturing it with words!

sarah98 BRONZE said...
on Apr. 29 2013 at 5:58 pm
sarah98 BRONZE, Holyoke, Massachusetts
1 article 0 photos 405 comments

Favorite Quote:
It is better to write for yourself and have no audience than write for your audience and have no self.

really well written, but a bit random

on Feb. 19 2012 at 9:53 pm
turnedleftatgreenland BRONZE, Lynbrook, New York
4 articles 2 photos 2 comments
I really enjoyed this. You have such an organic flow and a great way of creating imagery.

brianna5810 said...
on Dec. 19 2011 at 12:59 pm
wow, this poem is amazing.

wilderose121 said...
on Nov. 23 2011 at 12:33 pm
very nice. a bit confusing though. 4/roses

on Oct. 10 2011 at 11:09 am
musiccrazy SILVER, Colorado Springs, Colorado
8 articles 1 photo 72 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Live a life worth living, because God gave you this amazing gift worth giving!" by me (Harley)

WOW! Awesome!

on Sep. 22 2011 at 11:38 am
krissynicole BRONZE, Brownwood, Texas
2 articles 0 photos 14 comments

Favorite Quote:
Dream as youll live forever live as if youll die tomorrow

This was very descriptive and I loved it!!! :D

Becca17 GOLD said...
on Mar. 26 2011 at 10:29 am
Becca17 GOLD, Belleville Ontario, Other
10 articles 0 photos 36 comments

Favorite Quote:
“Seven Deadly Sins:
Wealth without work
Pleasure without conscience
Science without humanity
Knowledge without character
Politics without principle
Commerce without morality
Worship without sacrifice.”
― Mahatma Gandhi

love the description :)

on Mar. 4 2011 at 1:21 pm
alekstymura BRONZE, New Britain, Connecticut
4 articles 0 photos 3 comments

Favorite Quote:
There is no time, like the present.

i felt the man sitting acrooss the room. very real, good use of imagery. your word choice is good :)

Duckie430 said...
on Feb. 10 2011 at 10:16 am
Duckie430, Riverside, Rhode Island
0 articles 0 photos 228 comments

Favorite Quote:
“The secret to life is being who you are and being happy with who you are.”
"Whatever does not kill you only makes you stronger."

the details in this poem is amazing. good job. :)

MissElliot said...
on Feb. 5 2011 at 9:57 pm
MissElliot, Yolo, Kentucky
0 articles 0 photos 30 comments
This was really awesome!

on Jan. 19 2011 at 1:25 pm

seriously i fell as if i am staring at the stranger when i read the imagery in this poem.

 


Shakespere said...
on Jan. 19 2011 at 1:21 pm
This imagery is amazing. I could picture the stranger across the room...

your mom said...
on Jan. 19 2011 at 8:13 am
I love this

Rox18 SILVER said...
on Oct. 26 2010 at 4:59 pm
Rox18 SILVER, Riverside, California
7 articles 0 photos 6 comments
the imagery in this poem is excellent.you describe it as if im watching a detailed movie. nice job :D

on Sep. 9 2010 at 9:12 pm

wow! the imagery is really good! not sure why isnt posted under limericks though...a limerick is a 5 liner, rhyme scheme aabba with the bb lines being pretty short.

but the freeverse poem is good! i loved it! keep writing!

however, i am confused about why the stranger is so important? most poems arent about nothingness, and this is kinda...pointless? its well written but i dont see what ur trying to accomplish with it

 

 


on Jun. 17 2010 at 3:55 pm
B1ackAnge1 SILVER, Darrington, Washington
6 articles 0 photos 8 comments

Favorite Quote:
Make the best out of the worst situation.

wow i could picture myself there too