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On Trail to the Trial This work has been published in the Teen Ink monthly print magazine. This work has won the Teen Ink contest in its category.

The Earth has not stopped swinging;
when did it die?
Like a man hanged
orbits his rope,
we follow the sun.

Death waits distantly
carrion crows cry the end
dark’s car lights
chase down the world
to burn it.

A child crying out in pain
a race car speeding toward fame
a grown man blushing red in shame –
which is the world?

Cold gears released to grind slowly
their heated way to oblivion.
Combustion in a flash of white heat.
What matters when all ceases:
who’ll clear the debris, the pieces?

Vultures hover on the horizon
somnolent in their certainty
watching with cold and cruel eyes
as we prey scuttle fervently
to an unavoidable end.

A twisted, weighted, rigged game,
A rutted one-way dead-end lane,
A fogged, dirty, opaque pane –
Which is the world?

This work has been published in the Teen Ink monthly print magazine. This piece has been published in Teen Ink’s monthly print magazine.

This work has won the Teen Ink contest in its category. This piece won the March 2009 Teen Ink Poetry Contest.




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This article has 41 comments. Post your own!

poet.loverThis teenager is a 'regular' and has contributed a lot of work, comments and/or forum posts, and has received many votes and high ratings over a long period of time. said...
Jan. 4 at 9:31 am:
sometimes i would agree with the whole rhyming doesn't work idea...but in this piece of writing, the rhyming really helps the poem and brings out the flow of the words and meanings. the rhyming here really works and it seems you took great time in writing this. those of you putting this writing down because you think that rhyming is wrong, you have to know when it works and when it doesn't. :) amazing piece!!
 
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poet.loverThis teenager is a 'regular' and has contributed a lot of work, comments and/or forum posts, and has received many votes and high ratings over a long period of time. said...
Jan. 4 at 9:27 am:
This is by far one of the best poems on teen ink! the analogies are beautiful! and the words you chose are very detailed. I love the way you used the rhyming because it gives great and very smooth flow to this piece. the punctuation also, very well, emphasizes this read. very well written. please take a look at some of my poetry, thanks :)
 
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mariahstokes said...
Dec. 2, 2011 at 8:36 am:
i loved this, my favorite part was "A twisted, weighted, rigged game,
A rutted one-way dead-end lane,
A fogged, dirty, opaque pane –
Which is the world?" it's beautiful
 
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DestineeThis teenager is a 'regular' and has contributed a lot of work, comments and/or forum posts, and has received many votes and high ratings over a long period of time. This work has been published in the Teen Ink monthly print magazine. said...
May 7, 2011 at 4:16 pm:
Great analogies. I like the dead man hanging one the best. :)
 
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bochoyboyThis teenager is a 'regular' and has contributed a lot of work, comments and/or forum posts, and has received many votes and high ratings over a long period of time. said...
Mar. 24, 2011 at 10:01 am:
pretty good poem dude.
 
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HisPurePrincessThis teenager is a 'regular' and has contributed a lot of work, comments and/or forum posts, and has received many votes and high ratings over a long period of time. This work has been published in the Teen Ink monthly print magazine. said...
Feb. 8, 2011 at 10:58 am:
beautiful.   real emotions.  excellent word choices, it sounds like something i would write.  i really like it.
 
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dolphin13This teenager is a 'regular' and has contributed a lot of work, comments and/or forum posts, and has received many votes and high ratings over a long period of time. said...
Jan. 28, 2011 at 6:18 pm:

AMAZING! Keep writing!

 

 
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A_Flicker_of_Light said...
Oct. 21, 2010 at 1:55 pm:
It sounds awesome and I really enjoyed it. The "rhyming" was perfect
 
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pinkypromise23 This work has been published in the Teen Ink monthly print magazine. said...
Sept. 7, 2010 at 3:26 pm:
i absolutly love the two rhymying stanzasss!! haha(;
 
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BlueInk94 said...
Jun. 23, 2010 at 10:45 am:
Wow...thats all i can say Wow! anything else will ruin it! WOW!
 
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LadyMoonThis teenager is a 'regular' and has contributed a lot of work, comments and/or forum posts, and has received many votes and high ratings over a long period of time. said...
Jun. 11, 2010 at 11:01 am:
I really love this poem!! My fave sentence was 'what matters when all ceases: who'll clear the debris, the pieces?' It was amazing!1And the title's awesome too!!
 
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demetria said...
May 20, 2010 at 6:49 pm:
rhyming is not liked! just speak your mind. don't try to throw rhyming into your poems because 9 times out of 10 it doesn't come out great. work on not trying to rhyme
 
bochoyboyThis teenager is a 'regular' and has contributed a lot of work, comments and/or forum posts, and has received many votes and high ratings over a long period of time. replied...
Mar. 24, 2011 at 9:55 am :
rhyming takes skill man. free veres poetry takes the least skill of all. 
 
poet.loverThis teenager is a 'regular' and has contributed a lot of work, comments and/or forum posts, and has received many votes and high ratings over a long period of time. replied...
Jan. 4 at 9:31 am :
sometimes i would agree with the whole rhyming doesn't work idea...but in this piece of writing, the rhyming really helps the poem and brings out the flow of the words and meanings. the rhyming here really works and it seems you took great time in writing this. those of you putting this writing down because you think that rhyming is wrong, you have to know when it works and when it doesn't. :) amazing piece!!
 
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seemee146 said...
May 20, 2010 at 6:37 pm:
Throwing a pathetic attempt at rhyme into a free-verse poem is a bit like buying a car and deciding it would look better with only two wheels: doomed to fail and only makes it look like you have no idea what you're doing.
 
bochoyboyThis teenager is a 'regular' and has contributed a lot of work, comments and/or forum posts, and has received many votes and high ratings over a long period of time. replied...
Mar. 24, 2011 at 9:57 am :
rhyming makes poetry more fun. free verse peotry basiclly no skill at all, inless it really means somthing.
 
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Beth K. This teenager is a 'regular' and has contributed a lot of work, comments and/or forum posts, and has received many votes and high ratings over a long period of time. said...
May 20, 2010 at 5:39 pm:
It's a very good idea and image that I can see. Try your best to not rhyme. The whole poem was at its best when it wasn't rhyming.
 
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WritingLoverForeverThis teenager is a 'regular' and has contributed a lot of work, comments and/or forum posts, and has received many votes and high ratings over a long period of time. said...
May 20, 2010 at 3:37 pm:
This poem is beautiful. I love your work. Could you check out some of mine maybe?
 
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savagivity777 said...
May 20, 2010 at 11:37 am:
My dog just vomited.
 
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Eilatan This work has been published in the Teen Ink monthly print magazine. said...
Apr. 28, 2010 at 7:16 pm:
THIS IS SO AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
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rayj095This teenager is a 'regular' and has contributed a lot of work, comments and/or forum posts, and has received many votes and high ratings over a long period of time. said...
Apr. 6, 2010 at 8:50 pm:
Amazing. I love your descriptive words.
 
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Jaquie This work has been published in the Teen Ink monthly print magazine. said...
Mar. 20, 2010 at 2:54 pm:
Incredible. This is a work of art. Amazing, amazing job! God bless.
 
SarbearThis teenager is a 'regular' and has contributed a lot of work, comments and/or forum posts, and has received many votes and high ratings over a long period of time. This work has been published in the Teen Ink monthly print magazine. replied...
Apr. 10, 2010 at 8:29 am :
love this... great job!! you are such a talented writer--i love your work. check out some of mine?
 
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Sally Sunshine said...
Mar. 15, 2010 at 10:06 am:
I think your poem is really awsome
 
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abeatlesfan65 said...
Jan. 30, 2010 at 9:00 pm:
Very well written! I'm glad you decided to publish this, you're talented!
 
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Paig3Cagl3 said...
Nov. 9, 2009 at 2:45 pm:
This poem has great flow and insight.
I really enjoyed it.
Lovely poem darling =]
-Please check out the works that I have posted on here it would be highly appreciated and I think you would greatly enjoy them, Thankk youz-
XxThe Whole Time You Were Talking I Didnt Hear A Single Word You Said B/C Th3 Whole Time You Were Talking I Was Picturing You DeadXx
 
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Alexandria P. said...
Sept. 20, 2009 at 6:51 pm:
This poem left me awestruck, so wanting more. I loved it. It moved me and touched me. It was so deep, so well written and honest. I give you kuddos. You surely deserve them.
 
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Twilightnme said...
May 17, 2009 at 10:11 pm:
nice... enough. It needs work, but its good. Make it so we want more...
 
sunnyhunny This work has been published in the Teen Ink monthly print magazine. replied...
Feb. 21, 2010 at 8:24 pm :
Well I think its really good.
 
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LittleBrittThis teenager is a 'regular' and has contributed a lot of work, comments and/or forum posts, and has received many votes and high ratings over a long period of time. said...
May 6, 2009 at 12:04 pm:
oh my god...that was amazing.

A child crying out in pain
a race car speeding toward fame
a grown man blushing red in shame --
which is the world?


that part really stuck out to me. what an awesome thought.
really good poem. keep it up
 
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annkaykay2011This teenager is a 'regular' and has contributed a lot of work, comments and/or forum posts, and has received many votes and high ratings over a long period of time. said...
May 6, 2009 at 12:06 am:
The last stanza was....wow. It has a dark beauty to it
 
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Victoria26 This work has been published in the Teen Ink monthly print magazine. said...
May 5, 2009 at 10:17 pm:
That was absolutely amazing! I think this may be the best poem I have ever read! I can't help feeling like you see something beyond...that no one else can see. And now I want to see it too. You come accross as a VERY experienced writer. Writing is definetely for you! Keep it up!
 
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xXsmileXxThis teenager is a 'regular' and has contributed a lot of work, comments and/or forum posts, and has received many votes and high ratings over a long period of time. This work has been published in the Teen Ink monthly print magazine. said...
May 5, 2009 at 9:54 pm:
Really good! Every word lured me further into the poem.
 
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AndThisIsReal This work has been published in the Teen Ink monthly print magazine. said...
May 5, 2009 at 1:07 pm:
In one word: Stunning.
This poem has such a dark intriguing beauty to it.
Reminds me of my writing.
Check it out if you have the time.
Keep writing and I'll keep reading.
You're a gifted writer.
<3, Sam.
 
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YeseniaG said...
May 6, 2009 at 7:25 pm:
Great work. I had to comment on this. It was really good.
 
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heart_on_my_sleeve said...
Mar. 17, 2009 at 10:39 pm:
Oh my god that poem is ssoo incredible! You're a fabulous writer and i can truly capture the depth of your unruly curiosity and passion.
 
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Chayala K. This work has been published in the Teen Ink monthly print magazine. said...
Mar. 17, 2009 at 4:58 am:
thanks everyone! i'm really glad you enjoyed it.
 
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phavi1995 said...
Mar. 14, 2009 at 6:04 pm:
POWERFUL!
 
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kissingdawn331 said...
Mar. 4, 2009 at 7:52 pm:
you kept me in to the poem the whole time... I understand your views
 
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brightsideofthemoon This work has been published in the Teen Ink monthly print magazine. said...
Feb. 25, 2009 at 7:55 pm:
I could hold on to every word, every stanza. It's incredibly powerful and easy to understand once read several times. Lovely job!
 
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futurprez said...
Dec. 2, 2008 at 3:30 am:
that is an awesome poem!! very deep
 
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