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Teenage Poems

Four Poems About Being a Teenager

By Jaclyn MoorhousePublished 6 years ago 4 min read
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Smiles are free

I always use my smile,

It is free and is endless,

I will smile every day until I die.

I share my smile with everyone.

I share it with that lady with a dog,

I share it with the man on the bike,

I share it with the boy on a scooter.

The problem is not everyone smiles back!

The lady with dog says good morning,

The man on the bike ignores me,

The boy with the scooters speeds past me.

Does this stop me smiling?

No.

They can waste their smile all they want,

There is no law on how often you must use it.

The people create their own laws:

I must not smile at the teenager,

I must not smile at the little child,

I must not smile at the older women.

No one has died smiling,

No one has died saying hello,

But people have died,

When you didn’t share your smile,

They thought no one cared.

Share it with everyone

Share it with the lady with the dog

Share it with the man on the bike

Share it with the boy on the scooter

Share it with the teenagers

Share it with the little children

Share it with the older women

For a smile has no use by date for meaning

For a smile is free

For a smile makes you feel great

No smile is more special than another.

True Friends

I looked at you and judged you,

I thought you were quiet,

I thought you had a big nose.

I thought you were friends with weirdos

I thought you would never acknowledge me

I thought you didn’t care I was even there.

Until one day happened,

Where I said I liked something of yours

We made conversation

We didn’t declare friendship right there

I judged you a little less,

I still thought you were quiet

I still thought you had a big nose.

I still thought you were friends with weirdos

But you did acknowledge me

But did you really care that I was there?

Two years later it was a dismal day.

It was rainy, so I put up an umbrella.

You walked past getting wet, so I spoke

I invited you under the umbrella.

We struck up another conversation

But then you had to go again.

I judged you less still,

I didn’t think you were as quiet,

I still thought your nose was big,

I didn’t think you were friends with weirdos,

I don’t even think you had many friends,

You still acknowledged me,

Maybe you cared that I was there…

Another two years passed by.

You did not have anywhere to sit so I spoke,

I told you that you could sit with us,

We struck up conversation but then lunch ended

And I didn’t judge you at all.

I didn’t care how quiet or loud you were,

I didn’t care that your nose was so big,

I didn’t care who you were friends with,

But now you had one new friend,

You always acknowledged me,

For once I knew that you cared I was there.

I didn’t have to wait another two years,

We struck conversation every day,

I’m friends with your friends,

You’re friends with mine.

You’re a true friend because you came by chance.

Status Quo

I know you’re listening,

But I don’t really care.

You’re laughing at my jokes,

But jokes are said to be laughed at.

The only thing I care about

Is the fact you’re acknowledging me

A teenager.

Teenagers get ignored.

I want to break the status quo.

When I said good morning you say it back,

When I look at your face you look back.

When I need to cross the road you let me across,

I’m a human all the same.

Treat me how you’d treat anyone else.

Teenagers are known for wearing hoodies.

I wear hoodies, but you know you do too!

We’re known for being lazy,

I like to be lazy, but so do you.

You know you sit down and stare at a screen.

You know sometimes you’re not as productive as me.

We’re both humans so that is why.

I’m not a different species because of my age,

I’m not a swearing destructive demon

Even if that’s what you make me out to be.

You know you swore

And so did I, I won’t deny it

Don’t you deny it either!

You’re an adult so you’re perfect.

You’re allowed to swear.

You’re allowed to be lazy sometimes.

I told you. I’m not part of the status quo!

I smile at people,

I am polite,

I don’t swear… a lot,

I don’t graffiti,

I work hard.

I told you. I’m not part of the status quo!

The more you swear

You call me this every day,

But now it means nothing.

The more you swear the less it means.

If I swore it would mean a lot.

You would go berserk!

That good girl who never swore just swore.

You call me this every day,

And it still means nothing,

At this point, I’m taking it as a compliment.

It’s your way of saying hello.

The more you swear the less it means.

I’m, however, not going to swear back.

It would mean a lot.

I, however, am not stooping down to your level.

You call me this every day,

Guess what? It means nothing.

Now I’m saying hello.

But you just swore back.

The more you swear the less it means.

Maybe you should try saying hello,

Maybe you would have as many true friends as me.

performance poetry
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