Monkey Bars | Teen Ink

Monkey Bars MAG

December 18, 2008
By Taylor Cutshall SILVER, Westminster, Colorado
Taylor Cutshall SILVER, Westminster, Colorado
8 articles 0 photos 0 comments

When we were younger, I remember sitting on the monkey bars in the snow. We took off our hats and scarves, one at a time, to see who was the strongest, the bravest. I always won because you’d freaked out when your hands stuck to the metal – you were afraid they’d never come off. I’d call you a little girl and you’d throw your hat at me.

The snow would fall and we’d talk about kid stuff, and I’d wonder why I liked you so much. We would talk about things we thought were so important: Pokémon and Digimon, and all of the other “mon” type things that I can’t even remember anymore; you were always better at them than me.

The snow fell and the soft glow of the streetlights made each flake seem like a fallen firefly, a lightning bug processional that I could never tear my eyes from, except to look at you. Our breath would hold the light as well. You would put two fingers to your lips and pull them away, exhaling and pretending that you were smoking a cigarette. I was afraid to do that because my mom smoked and I knew it was only for grownups.

Now it’s snowing again, and we’re sitting outside on the hood of your white compact car. It’s dark – three in the morning. The only light comes from your headlights and sends a dull pain through my eyes. I like the darkness.

Well, that’s not true. The second light comes from a small orange ember between your fingers, between your thin lips. Now your breath mingles with real smoke, creating a ballet of young and old, of mature and immature, of ignorant and just plain stupid. My legs are crossed and I watch you, wondering when exactly we grew up, or if you ever really grew up at all. Am I sick of the burning of secondhand smoke in my throat, the smell it leaves on me … or does it only intrigue me more?

You smile at me, your ball cap flattening your hair into your brown eyes. Your free hand grasps mine comfortingly. I inhale deeply and cast my eyes down, knowing that I was never going to be strong enough to remove the particular layer that led to nicotine. Or perhaps it’s the other way around, and I’m the winner again.



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This article has 52 comments.


on Oct. 18 2012 at 7:04 pm
PoeticPenguin BRONZE, St. Peters, Missouri
4 articles 0 photos 3 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Sometimes people are beautiful. Not in looks. Not in what they say. Just in what they are." -Markus Zusak

This was beautifully sad. Way to capture human emotion so well, great poem, very powerful to read

on Sep. 26 2012 at 12:17 pm
vballgirl99 BRONZE, Atalnta, Georgia
1 article 0 photos 28 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Practice makes perfect"

Fantastic writing! It was so well-worded that I teared up at the end! Great job:)

Therese GOLD said...
on May. 17 2012 at 10:13 am
Therese GOLD, Thayer, Missouri
16 articles 0 photos 12 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I cry a tear in the ocean. The day you find it will be the day i stop missing you."

Made me cry!! :)

on Mar. 12 2012 at 11:29 am
hobo12321 PLATINUM, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
20 articles 11 photos 62 comments

Favorite Quote:
none, there's too many, although the one about the grapefruit is good. Any by Douglas Adams

Wow, love how you captured the emotion, and moment so perfectly

on Jan. 28 2012 at 11:33 am
JessIsTheBest BRONZE, Solon, Ohio
2 articles 0 photos 6 comments

Favorite Quote:
Hᴀᴘᴘɪɴᴇss ᴄᴀɴ ʙᴇ ғᴏᴜɴᴅ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴀʀᴋᴇsᴛ ᴏғ ᴛɪᴍᴇs, ɪғ ᴏɴᴇ ᴏɴʟʏ ʀᴇᴍᴇᴍʙᴇʀ ᴛᴏ ᴛᴜʀɴ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʟɪɢʜᴛ - Dᴜᴍʙʟᴇᴅᴏʀᴇ

this is very touching :)

on Jan. 6 2012 at 1:06 am
PhoenixCrossing GOLD, Tinley Park, Illinois
14 articles 0 photos 178 comments
This is a great piece. I love the beginning and it just gets better from there. Keep writing!

on Dec. 15 2011 at 8:16 pm
Dizzy.Bird BRONZE, Thornton, Colorado
3 articles 0 photos 9 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Shoot for the moon, even if you miss you shall land among the stars."

I love it.... <3

pedro valdez said...
on Dec. 15 2011 at 2:26 pm
it was a really good piece of writing and i liked it how it got depressing at the end of the story. but it was fantastic and i just really enjoyed reading it. kepp it up!! =D

Adnama BRONZE said...
on Nov. 23 2011 at 9:57 am
Adnama BRONZE, Sidney, Iowa
4 articles 0 photos 9 comments
I likes this story.  It was touching.  It's sad how your childhood goes by so quickly and suddenly your older.  This was a good presention of the idea.

on Nov. 11 2011 at 8:05 am
IAmWhoIWantToBe PLATINUM, Manila, Other
41 articles 0 photos 650 comments

Favorite Quote:
‎"I’m learning how to drown out the constant noise that is such an inseparable part of my life. I don’t have to prove anything to anyone. I only have to follow my heart and concentrate on what I want to say to the world: I run my world." - Beyoncé

I like this story. Other writers don't usually use the second person as if they were really trying to talk to them through writing. But you did well here :D

This story kinda reminds me of my childhood. And the end is so sad; it was so touching. Great story!

StarWorks said...
on Nov. 1 2011 at 6:55 am
StarWorks, A, Other
0 articles 0 photos 22 comments
Wow... 5 stars! I like they way you communicated the relationship between the two people, the message and the way it progressed from being a kid to growing up (and making not-so-clever decisions)

natdancer101 said...
on Oct. 7 2011 at 9:46 am
this is a SUPER great story!  love it so much!

on Aug. 27 2011 at 9:23 am
singinginthegardn GOLD, Cowell, Massachusetts
16 articles 2 photos 158 comments

Favorite Quote:
"The role of a writer is not to say what we all can say, but what we are unable to say." ~Anaïs Nin

I liked this..very personal, thoughtful..good job!! <3

Das454 SILVER said...
on Jun. 22 2011 at 11:33 pm
Das454 SILVER, Shrewsbury, Massachusetts
7 articles 1 photo 2 comments

Favorite Quote:
Yesterday's history, and tomorrow's a mystery, but today is a gift - and that is why it's called 'the present'
"We always dread the unfamiliar", "We never burned right"

Almost always, it's the simple things that are beautiful. I'm glad I read this. Great job!

inkers GOLD said...
on Jun. 22 2011 at 10:53 am
inkers GOLD, Midland, Texas
10 articles 0 photos 40 comments

Favorite Quote:
"And the lamplight gloating o'er him threw his shadow on the floor... and my soul from out that shadow... shall be lifted, nevermore!" - Poe

I like the way you wrote this. I could visualize everything, and it all felt very personal. Very good job.

Duchamp SILVER said...
on Mar. 9 2011 at 12:18 pm
Duchamp SILVER, Noble, Oklahoma
8 articles 0 photos 3 comments

Favorite Quote:
"ok so let me get this straight, one really big meal a day then we go to sleep, no paper towels but a little bit of bread because we're not Nazis and as many popsicles as we want"-Nathan Explosion

That's great. I love how person it gets with the childhood memories.

Kwoww BRONZE said...
on Mar. 4 2011 at 9:02 pm
Kwoww BRONZE, Los Alamos, New Mexico
4 articles 0 photos 9 comments

Favorite Quote:
Fingerprints never fade from the lives' we touch
Love is like a little girl holding a lollipop:)

I don't like it, I LOVE IT! keep writing, please! You're going to go far! :)

on Feb. 10 2011 at 12:39 pm
rylieriley BRONZE, Schuylkill Haven, Pennsylvania
2 articles 0 photos 2 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Always remember you're unique, just like everyone else."

This is really good:) keep writing:)

on Nov. 14 2010 at 3:16 pm
HurtTiger SILVER, Jacksonville, Florida
9 articles 2 photos 26 comments

Favorite Quote:
Sometimes you gotta be cruel to be kind.
No risk, no reward

words taken righht out of my mouth.

Dayne22 SILVER said...
on Nov. 14 2010 at 2:33 pm
Dayne22 SILVER, Las Cruces, New Mexico
6 articles 31 photos 82 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Simplicity is the ultimate form of sophistication"- Leonardo DaVinci "Sometimes people are beautiful. Not in looks. Not in what they say. Just in what they are" -Markus Zusak "I'm just trying to be me... Whoever that is" Unknown

I like the simplicity of this that's what makes it so amazing :D