Life | Teen Ink

Life

May 2, 2022
By aquaticfireflies SILVER, Florence, Alabama
aquaticfireflies SILVER, Florence, Alabama
6 articles 0 photos 2 comments

Life

Everyone is told of how they were born

A bright light, the warmth of our mothers’ arms.

 

Tik tik tik

 

Our time begins.

 

Tik Tok tik

We no longer remember our first steps, words,

Friend, food, breath. Yet we are told of these events

And are expected to hold them dear to us. We grow and grow

Making new memories and leaving the older ones.

Our life’s decisions are meant to place a heavy bearing on our past

Though many don’t remember it.

 

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“Mommy! I wanna go play! Pleeeease.”

“You’re going to school today honey”

“yaaaaay”

 

Tik

 

“Do you wanna be my friend?”

“ew no your weird”

 

Tok

 

“Get up honey”

“mom I hate school everyone’s mean to me.

it is just depressing. I want to do things that make me happy.”

“Happiness isn’t what pays bills honey it's what’s best for you

You’ll get that later.”

 

Our mothers often tell us of how precious our life is.

That we must cherish it and make the most of it or

We WILL regret it.

We must live our days with joy making sure to make the best

Of every day.

Yet we are not allowed to do so…

 

Tik Tok tik tik

 

“Mom, can I go hang out with my friends?”

“No honey go study”

“Mom I want to go to art school. It's my passion in life”

“No, you need a real job grow up”

“Mom, can I go out on a date? I really like being around this person.”

“You’re too young to know if you like them

Don’t waste your time go study”

 

Tik

 

“Yes, hello how may I help you today?”

“Yes, mam I’ll refer you to Mr. Morgan”

Tok

 

“I just feel like I missed my childhood

Like I never did all I wanted to … all the things I can’t now.”

“How does that make you feel?”

 

Tik

 

“What…happened I don’t want to live like this anymore.

I can’t do this anymore its unbearable. I never got to feel

the joy childhood should have.”

“Did you have friends?”

“I did”

“did you see them?”

“I wasn’t allowed. All I ever wanted was some piece of freedom.”

“Are you suicidal?”

“No! of course not I love my life it's precious.

I need to live so I can take full advantage of my life!”

“How can you do that when you’re working?”

“my joy can be thought of later when I’m no longer working”

 

TIK

 

The clock of life halts.

Our last grain of sand slips through the glass

 

 

 

At last I have found my peace.


The author's comments:

I looked around me trying to gather inspiration from my surroundings to see trees. They reminded me of the fickle nature of life. I added the ticking sounds of a clock in-between section to represent the narrator’s life progressing. The use of a clock and sand in an hourglass to represent time and shows a clearer representation of the absolute nature of time and its passage in human life. As well as repeating the idea that life is precious and must be lived to the fullest. Yet as we grow we are told to be practical then our inner child regrets the way our life was spent. While our current mind just restates how important our life is and how we love It so even though we may not truly feel this way and are just mimicking the words of others. 


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