Tocsin | Teen Ink

Tocsin

October 9, 2009
By karmastew GOLD, Buena Vista, Colorado
karmastew GOLD, Buena Vista, Colorado
15 articles 0 photos 5 comments

Tocsin

I lay back on green stretches of lawn
My mind plays tricks on me.
A prickling on my neck,
A tocsin of the quags to come.
I don’t know what to say,
What to feel anymore.
Hello there how are you?
I miss you and I don’t know what to say.

There’s a girl in the park and a guy with his dog.
They all remind me of you and I don’t know why.
A prickling on my neck,
a tocsin of the quags to come.
The girl throws a Frisbee and the dog catches it.
I miss things, like we and us and together stuff,
I miss the sandwiches your mother fixed,
And how alike we were.

It’s the middle of the afternoon.
I have this feeling in my gut,
A prickling on my neck,
a tocsin of the quags to come.
It just isn’t fair, like a fly trapped in a jar,
I’m under the microscope,
That girl has started to stare, and I’m mad and upset
And really I just don’t know why yet.

I nod my head, and bade her good day,
I just don’t see how I’ll get through this.
A prickling on my neck,
A tocsin of the quags to come.
Soon the sun will disappear,
The shadows under the tree bows will lengthen.
In my head, thoughts jet around,
I remember better times.

Your arm in a splint,
Dropping the oar in the lake,
A prickling on my neck,
a tocsin of the quags to come.
How much you loved going to the zoo
Looking at all the animals, but especially the ox.
I think I hear your voice but my hopes are dashed,
I used to sing to you a lot.
You liked to play with toys,
And to smile and to dance,
A prickling on my neck,
A tocsin of the quags to come.
I remember how religious you were
How you talked about sin
And felt compelled to complete the rites.
That special pin you always wore.

I feel a chill and consider leaving,
I see the couple go and I wonder if they are wed,
A prickling on my neck,
A tocsin of the quags to come.
A bee flies by and settles on some food at a picnic,
The mat is checkered, with red and white,
I remember that red was your favorite color,
And I am sad.

We used to live near a dam,
You were fascinated by its power
A prickling on my neck,
A tocsin of the quags to come.
Once you turned to me and asked what thunder was.
You were so smart, and I was excited to teach you something.
I loved you
I miss you.

The author's comments:
I wrote this poem using words from a scrabble game I played with some of my classmates. The rules were that all the words on the board had to be in each of our poems somewhere. This piece is probably one of the ones I enjoyed writing the most out of all my work.

Similar Articles

JOIN THE DISCUSSION

This article has 2 comments.


karmastew GOLD said...
on Aug. 29 2010 at 11:20 am
karmastew GOLD, Buena Vista, Colorado
15 articles 0 photos 5 comments
Thank you so much :D

on Jan. 8 2010 at 7:33 pm
NorthernWriter, Fargo, North Dakota
0 articles 0 photos 326 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Only dead fish swim with the stream"

I love how I feel close reading this, like I was right beside you when it all happened. It's sad though...almost as if its a living heart throbbing through. good job :)