In the quietest stall | Teen Ink

In the quietest stall

May 22, 2013
By ephemeral GOLD, Park City, Utah
ephemeral GOLD, Park City, Utah
17 articles 0 photos 52 comments

Favorite Quote:
"All that is gold does not glitter/Not all those who wander are lost/The old that is strong does not wither/Deep roots are not reached by the frost"


Had I but remembered
That the neck solely belongs
To the crook of the cushion--
That such things come along
When turning to your own deafest ear
Were I but well rested,
I might not be here

Silent's the air in this unfriendly place
Whorls of thoughts are dust motes in space
The stomach protests my harshest famine
Spread through the flesh, and rooted within

Were I but protected
In this quietest stall
From the assailing Grim
Against these four walls
While there's no clocks, bones walk in glory
In choir the mirrors mock
Memento mori

The tiles still ring
With echoes of death
I fear that my sunshine
Will soon all be spent


The author's comments:
Under the daze of another sleepless night, I found myself huddled in a bathroom stall at school, midst an existentially-fraught crisis.

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This article has 13 comments.


on Jun. 4 2013 at 9:21 pm
BookNerd35 GOLD, Herod, Illinois
10 articles 1 photo 60 comments

Favorite Quote:
There are so many people out there who will tell you that you can't. What you've got to do is turn around and say, 'watch me.' -unknown

Wonderful job!

ephemeral GOLD said...
on Jun. 2 2013 at 5:57 pm
ephemeral GOLD, Park City, Utah
17 articles 0 photos 52 comments

Favorite Quote:
"All that is gold does not glitter/Not all those who wander are lost/The old that is strong does not wither/Deep roots are not reached by the frost"

Muahaha It's really a trick to get you read it a bunch of times. No, I admit it's just my wacky writing style ^-^ Thanks for the positive feedback

ephemeral GOLD said...
on Jun. 2 2013 at 5:55 pm
ephemeral GOLD, Park City, Utah
17 articles 0 photos 52 comments

Favorite Quote:
"All that is gold does not glitter/Not all those who wander are lost/The old that is strong does not wither/Deep roots are not reached by the frost"

Meep, you're so nice! I'm glad we share that as one of our favorite lines, because it sums up nearly everything I was feeling in the memory that I'm writing about, as well as a general fear that most of us feel. Thanks for your feedback!

ephemeral GOLD said...
on Jun. 2 2013 at 5:53 pm
ephemeral GOLD, Park City, Utah
17 articles 0 photos 52 comments

Favorite Quote:
"All that is gold does not glitter/Not all those who wander are lost/The old that is strong does not wither/Deep roots are not reached by the frost"

Oh wow, what an amazing comment ^-^ you make me blush. Now excuse me while I go and stalk your work, because unlike everyone else who has commented, I've hadn't had a chance to for you yet :x

ephemeral GOLD said...
on Jun. 2 2013 at 5:52 pm
ephemeral GOLD, Park City, Utah
17 articles 0 photos 52 comments

Favorite Quote:
"All that is gold does not glitter/Not all those who wander are lost/The old that is strong does not wither/Deep roots are not reached by the frost"

I take that as high flattery, because I try to inlay a meaning in poems rather than slapping in your guys' faces y'know? On the other hand, when you write during the periods where you're less sane than usual, this is what usually comes of it. I'm glad you enjoyed this one, it's one of my first real poems that I wrote ^^

ephemeral GOLD said...
on Jun. 2 2013 at 5:50 pm
ephemeral GOLD, Park City, Utah
17 articles 0 photos 52 comments

Favorite Quote:
"All that is gold does not glitter/Not all those who wander are lost/The old that is strong does not wither/Deep roots are not reached by the frost"

Er, I've tried but I never quite finish, I just sort of drift noncommittally from idea to idea. But thanks, that's encouagement to try and stick to a fictional story to see where it goes

on Jun. 1 2013 at 7:18 pm
SincerelyManon GOLD, Holyoke, Massachusetts
10 articles 0 photos 27 comments

Favorite Quote:
Memories are the only things that don't change when everything else does.

I love this poem. It's confusing yet, relatable and it makes it enjoyable and intrigues me to read it over and over.

on Jun. 1 2013 at 6:15 pm
Carpe-Caffeam GOLD, No Where, Florida
10 articles 0 photos 444 comments

Favorite Quote:
“If it weren’t for the coffee, I’d have no identifiable personality whatsoever.” –David Letterman

I love the last line "I fear that my sunshine will soon all be spent." Such a sad, meaningul phrase! I love the pure eloquence of this poem. Great work! :D

on Jun. 1 2013 at 5:31 pm
papayajuice13 GOLD, Tel Aviv, Other
12 articles 0 photos 26 comments
I really liked it. Your imagery and use of words is amazing, better than most of the writing I have seen on this website. Keep it up!

on May. 30 2013 at 4:34 am
Metalhead08 GOLD, Port Republic, Maryland
15 articles 0 photos 78 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I'd rather hate you for everything you are. Than ever love you for something you are not. " FFDP "You're born alone and you die alone" FFDP "I wonder out where you can't see, inside my shell I wait and bleed." Slipknot " If youre 555 then I am 666"

This poem is very similar to a riddle; your point is hidden in the amazing use of imagery and dreamlike words. It creates a very vivid image in the readers mind. I particularly took interest in this poem, very well done!

ephemeral GOLD said...
on May. 30 2013 at 2:26 am
ephemeral GOLD, Park City, Utah
17 articles 0 photos 52 comments

Favorite Quote:
"All that is gold does not glitter/Not all those who wander are lost/The old that is strong does not wither/Deep roots are not reached by the frost"

Your comments are very flattering *blushes*. And huzzah, I've accomplished my goal! I try to make poetry a riddle, and you have to work it through and think about it and maybe read it twice before you quite understand what the author is talking about. My favorite poems are ones that I had no clue what the author was saying and I had to just sit and stare at it for awhile before the sublime talent of the author dawned on me and I decided that I was in love. Do you ever have that happen to you?

on May. 30 2013 at 2:10 am
WrenArrington, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
0 articles 0 photos 74 comments
By the way, do you do only poetry? I bet you'd be great at fiction, especially fantasy since you're so good at dreamlike imagery. Just thought I'd ask :P

on May. 30 2013 at 1:57 am
WrenArrington, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
0 articles 0 photos 74 comments
Besides your jealousy-inducing word choice, I think my favorite thing about your poetry is that, at least at first, I never have a clear idea of what you're trying to say. I have to actually do some thinking--and even when I suspect I've figured it out, I'm still not totally sure. Beneath the surface in each of your poems there seems to be a rather specific emotion--kind of like when you feel almost numb, but there's that one emotion you can't shut out completely. I'm not sure whether that makes sense to anyone but me--probably not, but that's my interpretation. Keep it up!