Magazine, website & books written by teens since 1989

When I am Dead This work has been published in the Teen Ink monthly print magazine.

Custom User Avatar
More by this author
When I am dead, my dearest, don’t stick my bones
together with Scotch tape. Do not try to fit them
underneath a frame. Use them, one by one,
as a weapon, a gavel. My bones,
they can be good back scratchers, honey mixers,
and hands of clocks.

You can toss them across space
and see how far they’ll glide until another hand
slips across it. When I am dead, dearest,
thread my bones to the top of a mountain.

The next time you arrive at a glass sea,
spill it boldly. Spell your life in two parts,
watch them float until they descend
like a weight down into that container.

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





Join the Discussion


This article has 388 comments. Post your own!

sjohnson said...
Nov. 30, 2011 at 12:16 pm:
this is very insightful on your views of death
 
Reply to this comment Post a new comment
 
ababuryan said...
Nov. 24, 2011 at 2:35 am:
love it! i dont think it's creepy at all, i actually think it's very clever and deep :)
 
Reply to this comment Post a new comment
 
Shannah said...
Oct. 28, 2011 at 11:56 pm:
I loved it! i thought it was very interesting and true when I die I don't want my bones sitting in the ground rotting. Let them be used!!
 
Reply to this comment Post a new comment
 
Lexce Mayberry said...
Oct. 28, 2011 at 11:33 am:
I really like this and i have enjoyed reading it
 
Reply to this comment Post a new comment
 
Lexie96 said...
Oct. 22, 2011 at 6:44 pm:
Creepy, but good; deep. Think any of you could check out some of my work sometime?
 
Reply to this comment Post a new comment
 
RandomRanda said...
Oct. 18, 2011 at 9:03 am:
its good! i love it! keep writing!
 
Reply to this comment Post a new comment
 
heather_marie said...
Oct. 6, 2011 at 10:04 am:
i think it's a lil creepy but i like it!
 
Reply to this comment Post a new comment
 
HateKnuckle said...
Sept. 30, 2011 at 8:24 pm:
This is wonderful. Sorry to advertise but I am desperate. I only have three so it shouldn't be that bad. Please look at them and tell me what you think. Be honest.
 
Reply to this comment Post a new comment
 
BieberLover16 said...
Sept. 29, 2011 at 9:00 am:
that's deep...i love it!!
 
Reply to this comment Post a new comment
 
theJew said...
Sept. 18, 2011 at 1:52 pm:
very deep im at loss of words right now
 
Reply to this comment Post a new comment
 
paigeturner9 This work has been published in the Teen Ink monthly print magazine. said...
Sept. 14, 2011 at 7:04 pm:
this is unbelievable! Such a great poem :)
 
Reply to this comment Post a new comment
 
WeAllBurn said...
Sept. 9, 2011 at 11:18 am:
THIS IS AMAZING <3
 
Reply to this comment Post a new comment
 
LittleMissSunshine08_11 said...
Sept. 1, 2011 at 9:33 am:
...Wow... :)
 
Reply to this comment Post a new comment
 
chdinicThis 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...
Aug. 23, 2011 at 6:37 pm:

awesome :) very creative

 

 
Reply to this comment Post a new comment
 
takeitasitis said...
Aug. 23, 2011 at 12:22 pm:
Magnificent.
 
Reply to this comment Post a new comment
 
scrambledmind said...
Aug. 20, 2011 at 12:47 pm:
WELL SAID... 
 
Reply to this comment Post a new comment
 
peaceandloveandjesus said...
Aug. 18, 2011 at 5:28 pm:

why do i love this so much?

 

 
Reply to this comment Post a new comment
 
radicalhonesty said...
Aug. 14, 2011 at 12:17 pm:
This is unique and beautiful. I think I've interpreted (sp?) the first stanza, but the next two are so deep i can't begin to comprehend them. Could maybe explain it to me? thanks so much :D
 
Reply to this comment Post a new comment
 
ohheyyyelli said...
Aug. 1, 2011 at 11:54 pm:
Strangely beautiful. (:
 
Reply to this comment Post a new comment
 
MeaghanSeesStarsThis 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...
Aug. 1, 2011 at 10:27 am:
it's different....but well written.
 
Reply to this comment Post a new comment
 
Site Feedback