Advanced Search

Get Our
Print Magazine

48 pages of creative bliss. Written by teens for teens since 1989.
Subscribe!
Current Issue   Get a Free Sample
Past Issues
See us on Facebook,
MySpace & Twitter
   
Home > All Poetry > Attention
Report abuse Submit my work Share/bookmark Email Print Tag as favorite

Attention This piece has been published in Teen Ink's monthly print magazine.

Next article »
« Prev article
Rate this article:
By Sally F., Columbia, MO
More by this author
Photo credit: Christina C., Hopedale, MA
When she arrived,
her friends flocked around her,
a cloud of makeup and safety-pin piercings
she showed her wrists
proudly,
her hair dyed shades of tragic,
eyes circled dark.
Wore her diagnosis like an ID key card,
opening all the doors,
getting her into the right crowds.
And we rolled our eyes
at the self-absorption,
poked fun at the melodrama.
How absurd, we said, shaking our heads,
miming razors across skin,
laughing.
And I held firmly to the edges of my sleeves,
smiling, terrified,
trying to hide the Band-Aids.
This piece has been published in Teen Ink's monthly print magazine.This piece has also been published in Teen Ink's monthly print magazine.

Join the Discussion


This article has 27 comments. Post your own!

Report abuse
lpanopoulos said...
Sep. 4 at 10:03 pm:

absolutley loved it

 
Reply to this comment Post a new comment
 
Report abuse
paintmeapicture said...
Aug. 26 at 6:05 pm:

amazing job, i loved it! i agree you should keep writing, can't wait to hear more :)

 
Reply to this comment Post a new comment
 
Report abuse
Sara B. said...
Aug. 24 at 1:53 pm:

Very nice, i looove the twist at the end. Heheh(:

 
Reply to this comment Post a new comment
 
Report abuse
Alexa V. said...
Aug. 23 at 9:29 am:

this poem is so real, situations like this happen so much. the stigma forces people to either flaunt or hide there demons.

 
Reply to this comment Post a new comment
 
Report abuse
Amanda said...
Aug. 21 at 2:03 pm:

Beautiful. Makes me sad.

 
Reply to this comment Post a new comment
 
Report abuse
~BearGirl~ said...
Aug. 9 at 10:41 pm:

That was like..whoa. that was really cool. sweet job

 
Reply to this comment Post a new comment
 
Report abuse
Eilina S. said...
Aug. 9 at 1:02 am:

It was well written, but I think you could have layed off the emo a bit. You described it well, but it almost makes you seem jealous. And it brings a modern cliche to the peice that it doesn't really need.

Still, I'd buy it in a shop.

 
Reply to this comment Post a new comment
 
Report abuse
Ismeraly T. said...
Jul. 30 at 3:13 pm:

great job, that twist at the end was very unexpected, and real.

 
Reply to this comment Post a new comment
 
Report abuse
His-Bright-Green-Eyes... said...
Jul. 30 at 1:41 am:

this is amazing. i am practically speechless. keep up the good work!

 
Reply to this comment Post a new comment
 
Report abuse
raychull1513 said...
Jul. 27 at 11:15 pm:

ive dne the exact same thing once. good job, i hope you keep writing because you have something very special here.

 
Reply to this comment Post a new comment
 
Report abuse
Brittany=) said...
Jul. 26 at 4:16 pm:

that was an amazing poem !!! i truly loved it . =

 
Reply to this comment Post a new comment
 
Report abuse
FashionGuru said...
Jul. 24 at 10:51 pm:

Simply...Real. Deep and emotional, i love how you show the insecurities of people and the need to fit in. Very, very touching and good.

 
Reply to this comment Post a new comment
 
Report abuse
marykate:) said...
Jul. 21 at 1:30 pm:

that was great very well written! i loved it

 
Reply to this comment Post a new comment
 
Report abuse
Melinda L. said...
Jul. 17 at 4:14 pm:

That's really good. Keep it up! :)

 
Reply to this comment Post a new comment
 
Report abuse
thinkoutloud said...
Jul. 14 at 11:12 pm:

this hit really close to home
i really apprieciate you telling it

 
Reply to this comment Post a new comment
 
Report abuse
torayy said...
Jul. 14 at 3:30 am:

amazing.....its morbid and emotional and real....keep writing....

 
Reply to this comment Post a new comment
 
Report abuse
LilJ<3 said...
Jul. 13 at 9:02 pm:

pretty great poem. i think u brought up an issue that is more common than most people realize. I commend u for havihg the courage to write this piece. I love how the poem was molded and how it came together at the end. GREAT JOB.

 
Reply to this comment Post a new comment
 
Report abuse
aussie65 said...
Jul. 11 at 8:02 pm:

You really expressed how some people act. I have a friend like her. If this is how you feel, you might want to read the book "Burn" by Suzanne Phillips. The protagonist is a lot like the person who doesnt fit in.

 
Reply to this comment Post a new comment
 
Report abuse
tephynay said...
Jul. 8 at 8:35 am:

I agree with what everyone else has said. You've done and amazing job, keep it up:)

 
Reply to this comment Post a new comment
 
Report abuse
Liesa B. said...
Jul. 7 at 11:17 pm:

All I can say is Wow, this is an amazing poem

 
Reply to this comment Post a new comment
 
Report abuse
LalaAkaLeilani4 said...
Jul. 6 at 4:31 am:

I enjoy the type of poem where you don't find out the true meaning of the poem until the very end. Irony if I do say so myself is displayed very well here; keep up the good work.

If this piece is written out of self experience, I understand the emotion in all of this.

 
Reply to this comment Post a new comment
 
Report abuse
milsivich said...
Jul. 5 at 7:34 pm:

I love you!

 
Reply to this comment Post a new comment
 
Report abuse
eLiZaBeTh<3 said...
Jul. 4 at 3:04 am:

Oh, this poem is just amazing! I love poems that end ironically, it communicates the real message that the author wants to send out, great job!

 
Reply to this comment Post a new comment
 
Report abuse
<3::wish4wings::<3 said...
Jun. 30 at 8:13 pm:

keep writing! its good

 
Reply to this comment Post a new comment
 
Report abuse
MariaMarie said...
Jun. 30 at 3:36 pm:

Gave it a five. The mood it creates and the fact that even knowing she does it, she does it not for attention- the main character. I think it shows opposite reasons of why it's done and well.. I like the way you word with the twisted ending. Nice.

 
Reply to this comment Post a new comment
 
Report abuse
aznchickie said...
Jun. 30 at 5:37 am:

I love it. It says so much. I hope you keep writing. It's a pretty awesome piece

 
Reply to this comment Post a new comment
 
Report abuse
Kara P. said...
Jun. 29 at 7:30 pm:

amazing.

 
Reply to this comment Post a new comment