The Matter Of Things | Teen Ink

The Matter Of Things

November 2, 2008
By AntoinetteBrandt GOLD, Interlachen, Florida
AntoinetteBrandt GOLD, Interlachen, Florida
16 articles 0 photos 3 comments

Favorite Quote:
In order to gain all, you must risk all.


“Oh my goodness. What is wrong with you? Why are you all like that?”

“Oh I don’t know!”

“You don’t?”

“I do!”

“I don’t understand. Please tell me what is all the matter with you.”

“But that’s just it. I don’t understand what all is the matter with me.”

“Try to tell me. I care about you. Oh my goodness, what is wrong?”

“I wish I could sing!” I sob. “I wish I could sing better than any one in the whole world and everyone wouldn’t have to hear the words just hear how I was singing!”

“Why? What you do – it is noteworthy. Is this what is the matter?”

“Oh no. That’s not it. Because I cannot sing.” I begin to shake. “I wish I could draw anything in the whole world! I wish that I drew what people couldn’t see and when people looked at it they would know even if they had never laid eyes on it before!”

“But you don’t draw – you said so yourself.”

“Nor do I sing!”

“Is that all that is wrong?”

“No!”

“What is, then? My! What is the matter?”

“Everything!” I am sobbing and shaking uncontrollably. “I wish I could write! Oh how I wish I could write like people can sing and how people can draw!”

“Oh my, I’m afraid I do not understand you.”

“No one ever does! Oh why couldn’t I just sing? People feel that. Why couldn’t I just draw? People see that.”

“Earlier you said you wished you could write. Is that what is the matter?”

“Oh my, I have already written it down!”

“You what? You wrote it down? What did you write down?”

I couldn’t say anything. I kept sobbing and shaking. I could look no where except for down.

“Oh my, please tell me what is the matter!”

“I have! I already have!”

“I didn’t hear you.”

I am sobbing.

“I didn’t see anything.”

I am shaking.

“Oh my goodness! What is wrong with you? Why are you like this?”



Similar Articles

JOIN THE DISCUSSION

This article has 3 comments.


Ember1017 said...
on Feb. 22 2022 at 4:53 pm
Ember1017, Las Vegas, Nevada
0 articles 0 photos 21 comments

Favorite Quote:
ok...

this touched me in a deep way, it was very good and I hope you keep writing!

starzx said...
on Jul. 3 2019 at 6:54 pm
starzx, Manhattan, New York
0 articles 0 photos 98 comments
Beautiful, you're great at writing. This is so simple yet so meaningful. We all want to be someone we're not and maybe that's what's preventing us from being ourselves.

on Jul. 27 2014 at 3:33 am
JacobTheOrdinary PLATINUM, Rancho Cucamonga, California
43 articles 0 photos 38 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Fiction is the lie that tells the truth."

That brings back memories. I just loved the way you set up the whole piece. I'm not sure if the other speaker is a person or their conscious but either way, it just completes the piece. The simplicity of it is what I love the most. GREAT JOB! I'd like to talk some more about the piece. You should respond...