Seventy-Five Names | Teen Ink
  1. Home
  2. Poetry
  3. Free Verse
  4. Seventy-Five Names

Seventy-Five Names MAG

October 3, 2014
By Olivia-Atlet ELITE, Dardenne Prairie, Missouri
More by this author
Olivia-Atlet ELITE, Dardenne Prairie, Missouri
325 articles 10 photos 1165 comments

Favorite Quote:
"To these the past hath its phantoms,<br /> More real than solid earth;<br /> And to these death does not mean decay,<br /> But only another birth" <br /> - Isabella Banks

View profile

Sometimes I feel like an acrobat with seventy-five names.
Like I’ve been twisted and stretched,
Thrown and twirled,
And been in every bodily frame.

Sometimes it’s hard to be everyone at once,
To love your neighbor
and impress your friends.

It hurts to be grabbed and yanked across a stretch of air,
Have to tie up the loose ends.

My muscles throb, burn, and ache.
I only want to breathe,
but life wants to take.

All of the oxygen around my head is fading,
and blue fills my eyes.

Sister, daughter, friend, nerd, flute player –
Ahh! I’m not alive!

I’m Liv, just Liv.
So leave me be.
I like books,
I like fire and tea.

I like to be alone sometimes,
and pretend I don’t have one single name.
I think, childishly, I don’t take the blame.

Not Olivia, Liv, Livi, Elle, or Olive, I just turn the key.
Because seventy-five names are way too many for me.

© Rebecca S., Coventry, RI

Post a comment
Submit your own

Similar Articles

Previous Next
Poetry
The Protectors' of the World
By Arbys GOLD
Dobbs Ferry, New York
Arbys GOLD, Dobbs Ferry, New York
15 articles 0 photos 1 comment

Favorite Quote:
&quot;I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity.&quot;Edgar Allan Poe<br /> &quot;A dream doesn&#039;t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work. ~Colin Powell&quot; ~ Colin Powell<br /> &quot;Wisdom is not finally tested in the schools, Wisdom <br /> &quot;A poem is never finished, only abandoned.&quot;-Paul Valery

View profile
Poetry
The Ending
By OurFrost GOLD
Galt, California
OurFrost GOLD, Galt, California
10 articles 1 photo 4 comments
View profile
Poetry
I want a guy...
By grlgotgame BRONZE
Chillicothe, Ohio
grlgotgame BRONZE, Chillicothe, Ohio
4 articles 0 photos 1 comment

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Girls with butts like mine, don&#039;t talk to boys with faces like yours.&quot;

View profile
Poetry
The World of the Present
By Lost-In-Life GOLD
Whitby, Other
Lost-In-Life GOLD, Whitby, Other
11 articles 0 photos 299 comments

Favorite Quote:
It&#039;s never to late, if it weren&#039;t for the last minute many things would never get done!

View profile
Poetry
Afraid of Always Loving You
By MariaMarie DIAMOND
Washington Court House, Ohio
MariaMarie DIAMOND, Washington Court House, Ohio
70 articles 0 photos 181 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Life&#039;s a mountain on a beach&quot;-Unknown<br /> &quot;Will: This is either madness or brilliance. Sparrow: It&#039;s remarkable how often those two traits coincide.&quot;-Pirates of the Caribbean:Curse of the Black Pearl.

View profile
Poetry
Maybe I&#39ll let my Heart be Happy
By MariaMarie DIAMOND
Washington Court House, Ohio
MariaMarie DIAMOND, Washington Court House, Ohio
70 articles 0 photos 181 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Life&#039;s a mountain on a beach&quot;-Unknown<br /> &quot;Will: This is either madness or brilliance. Sparrow: It&#039;s remarkable how often those two traits coincide.&quot;-Pirates of the Caribbean:Curse of the Black Pearl.

View profile

JOIN THE DISCUSSION

This article has 7 comments.

Katyaini SILVER said...
on Aug. 22 2016 at 8:40 am
Katyaini SILVER, Greater Noida, Other
9 articles 0 photos 85 comments

Favorite Quote:
Life is like a chocolate covered chilly.... <br /> <br /> Some succeed because they&#039;re destined to; <br /> Most succeed because they&#039;re determined too

View profile
Wow! So relatable and so true, and it's painful to keep up such a balance with all of one's identities- you end up feeling like a hollow shape with endless number of masks.
Olivia-Atlet ELITE said...
on Sep. 9 2015 at 5:23 pm
Olivia-Atlet ELITE, Dardenne Prairie, Missouri
325 articles 10 photos 1165 comments

Favorite Quote:
"To these the past hath its phantoms,<br /> More real than solid earth;<br /> And to these death does not mean decay,<br /> But only another birth" <br /> - Isabella Banks

View profile
Aw thank you! I'm so glad you liked it!
Nightingale74 PLATINUM said...
on Apr. 22 2015 at 7:21 pm
Nightingale74 PLATINUM, Beavercreek, Ohio
46 articles 0 photos 152 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;When you need something to believe in, believe in yourself.&quot;<br /> &quot;A poem unwritten is only a thought; unshared, unsaid...&quot;

View profile
Beautiful Liv!! You always write with such power and voice :) You truly do have a lot of talent! Please keep writing!!
Olivia-Atlet ELITE said...
on Oct. 19 2014 at 2:37 pm
Olivia-Atlet ELITE, Dardenne Prairie, Missouri
325 articles 10 photos 1165 comments

Favorite Quote:
"To these the past hath its phantoms,<br /> More real than solid earth;<br /> And to these death does not mean decay,<br /> But only another birth" <br /> - Isabella Banks

View profile
Thank you so much! *snaps* lol old tradition... anyway.... Thanks so so so much for checking this out! Have a great day :)
_em26 SILVER said...
on Oct. 19 2014 at 11:20 am
_em26 SILVER, Milltown,
6 articles 0 photos 7 comments

Favorite Quote:
Once we accept our limits, we must go beyond them. -Albert Einstein

View profile
Such powerful writing! My hat goes off to you *claps*
Olivia-Atlet ELITE said...
on Oct. 17 2014 at 1:07 pm
Olivia-Atlet ELITE, Dardenne Prairie, Missouri
325 articles 10 photos 1165 comments

Favorite Quote:
"To these the past hath its phantoms,<br /> More real than solid earth;<br /> And to these death does not mean decay,<br /> But only another birth" <br /> - Isabella Banks

View profile
Thank you! I wrote this at one 'o' clock in the morning, so I didn't expect it to be readable, but what do you know? lol Thanks again :)
Niyaroo PLATINUM said...
on Oct. 16 2014 at 7:17 am
Niyaroo PLATINUM, Colonial Beach, Virginia
31 articles 4 photos 69 comments
View profile
Wow! Very well written