A Drop of Embers | Teen Ink

A Drop of Embers

October 23, 2013
By Kestrel135 PLATINUM, Waterford, Connecticut
Kestrel135 PLATINUM, Waterford, Connecticut
43 articles 0 photos 256 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Respect existence or expect resistance"


She sits. The grass licking her fingers, the ground reaching up to cushion her fall. The sky wobbles in her vision, clouds releasing their tears unto the ground miles below, conjuring a shallow gray paint strewn across the heavens. Her eyes, weary, close against the rigid drops falling from above; they tap on her clothing, the rhythm to a song that has only just begun.
She hears the fluttering of wings, followed by a soft plop in the small pond across from her limp form. The raindrops trickle down her face, as she tries to ignore the presence of the bird, cushioned by the water as she is cushioned by the ground, one by land and one by sea. Her mind wanders, dipping into the past as the rain seeps into the earth, the water. Her thoughts seep deeper into stillness, their trail just as deft.
The bird hoots at her, the quieted sentinel resting in the pillow of grass, on the bank of a forgotten pond in a derelict grove. The trees whisper around her, wind hissing a rumor into their ears, in minutes whisked around the forest to be circulated again. The girl, so silent, so still. Breath shallow, as shallow as the pond before her; yet as undeterred by this fact as the waters.
So relaxed.
The rain stains her face with false tears, ice with a soul of fire. Herself, a frozen statue with a mind of embers. The water ripples, arcs, settles; the bird lifts into the air and the wingbeats fade into the wind.
She listens, silent, ghostly, unmoving.
The others don’t know it; they are too occupied with their own times, their own schedules, with money and work than to exploit the true things that matter. The trees, the pond, the birds and leaves scattered around her thin, frail body; the rain with a soul of fire. They are frozen in time, the very thing they rush through, never glancing back, never turning, never caring. The world she has seen is frozen, stuck, running ahead. And not once does it glance, not once does it turn; and never does it care.
But not there. There, cocooning her body, the earth and water mixing together, there things are different. Slow. Calmed. Real. More real than the world that she has known for so long. There waits. There listens. There sees. And with timid footfalls, light, sneaking into the future, it moves on to the next scene. A child laughing into the sky, missing the moment as it passes but savoring the chance to continue, knowing that there will be more skies and more laughter. But also knowing that it will never be the same.
They don’t bother to wait. They don’t bother to savor. They just rush on to the next meeting, next hour, next minute of the day; and then they forget all of There. All the beauty. All the splendor.
All the honesty.
The girl, face wet with the sky, smiles into the clouds, eyelids lifting slowly. Her pupils dilate to absorb the pristine circle of peace surrounding her; the rain creates voices in the sky, an interlude to a song that will never end. A sigh escapes her lips, and she listens to the pattering, the whispering, the rumor; the world stands still and not a moment is wasted as her senses turn to the circulating truth of There.
Once heard, she stands. She embraces. She never glances back. No regrets. No mistakes. Just honesty.
Footstep by footstep, creeping into the distance, she fades into the wind.
And not once does she stop caring.



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This article has 14 comments.


on Jun. 30 2014 at 6:56 pm
Kestrel135 PLATINUM, Waterford, Connecticut
43 articles 0 photos 256 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Respect existence or expect resistance"

Thank you!

on Jun. 30 2014 at 11:37 am
WOWriting SILVER, Broadstairs, Other
5 articles 0 photos 266 comments
This is a sweet poem, full of truth and honesty :)

on Jun. 20 2014 at 5:49 pm
Kestrel135 PLATINUM, Waterford, Connecticut
43 articles 0 photos 256 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Respect existence or expect resistance"

Thank you so much! And I definitely intend to keep on writing, that's for certain!!! I'm glad you loved it:) 

on Jun. 19 2014 at 5:59 pm
Olivia-Atlet ELITE, Dardenne Prairie, Missouri
325 articles 10 photos 1165 comments

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

I LOVED THIS!!!!! My favorite line would have to be, "The rain stains her face with false tears, ice with a soul of fire." It's so perfect!! KEEP writing!!!

on Apr. 12 2014 at 10:00 am
Kestrel135 PLATINUM, Waterford, Connecticut
43 articles 0 photos 256 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Respect existence or expect resistance"

Thank you! I appreciate your feedback, and for rating. Thanks! 

on Apr. 11 2014 at 2:07 pm
currently_liddell GOLD, Derry, New Hampshire
18 articles 0 photos 14 comments

Favorite Quote:
“I can't go back to yesterday because I was a different person then.”
― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

I really liked this it has great insperation and really moves you!

on Apr. 7 2014 at 5:06 pm
Kestrel135 PLATINUM, Waterford, Connecticut
43 articles 0 photos 256 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Respect existence or expect resistance"

Thank you! It was meant to be a sort of general reflection, and I'm glad the message came across. I appreciate the feedback! 

on Apr. 6 2014 at 4:23 pm
ThatOneWritingGirl PLATINUM, Greenwood Village, Colorado
21 articles 0 photos 41 comments

Favorite Quote:
Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon.
Love Always. :)
When the tides of life turn against you and the current upsets your boat, don't waste time and tears on what might have been, just lie on your back and float.

I really liked this! I interpreted it more on a general reflection on life and how society functions now than an actual story, which might be why it appealed to be so much. Your writing is really lyrical and lovely to read. Great job!

on Mar. 23 2014 at 1:37 pm
Kestrel135 PLATINUM, Waterford, Connecticut
43 articles 0 photos 256 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Respect existence or expect resistance"

Thank you so much! In a way it is a bit wistful, but also very hopeful, and that makes it balanced. I'm glad you found it a refreshing read - this is a style I'm not really used to, but at the same time, in corporates what I do most often. Refreshing is good, and is what I was hoping people would feel after they read this piece. Thank you! 

on Mar. 22 2014 at 10:58 pm
GuardianoftheStars GOLD, Shongaloo, Louisiana
17 articles 0 photos 495 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Let's tell young people the best books are yet to be written; the best painting, the best government, the best of everything is yet to be done by them."
-John Erslcine

This was a beautiful piece.  The words flowed so nicely and I could see the entire work playing out in my head. I loved the ending too! I was so simple and clean.  This was truely a refreshing read!!

on Feb. 25 2014 at 8:16 pm
Kestrel135 PLATINUM, Waterford, Connecticut
43 articles 0 photos 256 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Respect existence or expect resistance"

Thank you! I'm glad you found it smooth and interesting, even with such little actual event. I do like keeping things vague; sometimes it's better to let the reader decide who the character is. Thank you for the comments! 

on Feb. 23 2014 at 7:14 pm
Bay_Renee SILVER, Brinkhaven, Ohio
7 articles 2 photos 37 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Kites rise the highest when going against the wind."
-Winston Churchill

   I loved this so much! I liked how it was descriptive, but not overly 'telling'! The perfect balance of showing the readers where the character is, but letting them create their own scene, as well. That's a talent!      Anyway, I enjoyed the piece! I thought it was very captivating and beautifully written. The storyline was nice, too- simple and containing a vague character, but very satisfying, at the same time. Again, you have real talent!^.^

on Feb. 1 2014 at 11:43 am
Kestrel135 PLATINUM, Waterford, Connecticut
43 articles 0 photos 256 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Respect existence or expect resistance"

Thank you so much! It's always nice to hear that your work is appreciated. I don't normally use third person, but I figued that I could try it out in this piece, and it worked quite well. I'm glad you like it!

on Jan. 31 2014 at 5:04 pm
RoyalCorona SILVER, Grand Rapids, Michigan
7 articles 0 photos 290 comments

Favorite Quote:
All of us fave failed to match our dream of perfection. I rate us on the basis of our splendid failure to do the impossible. -William Faulkner

I liked this a lot! I thought that it was very interesting and they imagery in this passage was just beautiful and breathtaking! I don't have any critiques! Great job!