Lauren Sparks

The Sparks Notes

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Behind Young Eyes

June 13, 2019 by Lauren 38 Comments

Photo by Alexandra Fuller on Unsplash

Have you ever wished for an inside glimpse of the mind of a teenager?  Just a little bit of understanding?  If you haven’t, you’ve probably never lived with one because they can be hard to figure out.    My daughter Allie offered to let me publish a poem she wrote and I jumped at the chance for her to share it with me.  I think it’s more timely and important than ever after seeing this post from one of my favorite authors.  To read more from this author, check out Stolen Jesus and Sacred Ground, Sticky Floors.  Here’s what my daughter had to say.

 

Circus

 

tangled in my tightrope

dwindling on the brink

the person who I used to be

drowned in thick black ink

running through the circus

the thoughts that fill my head

the lion untamed, memories made now fill that head with dread

 

tears in my tights

left from overworked nights

tears in my eyes 

left for makeup to disguise

the only real juggling here is that of my fear or my happiness

 

hollowed out, i’m just a shell for them to manipulate

i’m only here to sell tickets they count them off 500 per show

i look happy on the outside but will they ever know?

the dark secrets behind my show

the cage for the tiger

the spark before the lighter

the reason there’s a net

the fact that we’re in debt

the burning blisters from my shoes

that either way, i lose

 

i’m a puppet on their strings tangled in my tightrope

dwindling on the brink

the person who i used to be

simply gone in a blink

 

I asked Allie if the poem should stand alone or include some explanation.  She said that teenagers feel the pressure from society to be perfect and it’s horrifying.  At 14 she already feels like she is being manipulated by the world’s beauty ideals.  She wrote this to express some of how she truly feels.  She wanted to give voice to those who choose not to talk about it.

 

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And look up these great writers I link up with every week:

InstaEncouragements, Literacy Musing Mondays, Hello…Monday,

Dream Team link up, The Good. The Random. The Fun.

BloggerClubUK, Tea and Word Tuesday, Purposeful Faith,

GraceFull Tuesday Link-Up, Different Dream,

Let’s Have Coffee, Welcome Wednesday, Recharge Wednesday,

Worth Beyond Rubies, #TellHisStory Link Up, Porch Stories,

Encouraging Word Wednesday, Tune In Thursday,

Stories of Hope, Moments of Hope, IHeart Verse Link Party,

A Blogging Good Time, Fresh Market Friday, Feature Friday Time,

Friendship Friday Blog Hop, Faith on Fire, Traffic Jam Weekend,

Faith ‘n Friends, Dancing with Jesus, Grace & Truth, Booknificent

 

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Filed Under: Christian, parenting Tagged With: beauty, culture, Jami Amerine, poetry, pressure, Sacred Ground, society, Sticky Floors, Stolen Jesus, teens

Comments

  1. Jennifer says

    June 14, 2019 at 12:11 pm

    This is beautifully written!

    Jennifer
    Effortlessly Sophisticated

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      June 15, 2019 at 2:40 am

      Thank you, Jennifer. I shared this with my daughter and it encouraged her.

      Reply
  2. Martha J Orlando says

    June 14, 2019 at 7:51 pm

    Tell Allie that this poem absolutely blew me away, and I’m a published author! Encourage her to keep writing because she certainly has a gift for it.
    Blessings, Lauren, and thanks for sharing this precious poem!

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      June 15, 2019 at 2:39 am

      Thank you so much, Martha! Allie enjoyed hearing your praise.

      Reply
  3. Aryn The Libraryan 📚 says

    June 15, 2019 at 3:20 pm

    Wow! Allie, you captured this so well!

    I never understood teenagers in general, even when I was one. But the feelings (and fact behind) this poem is very real.

    #CountingMyBlessings Linkup

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      June 18, 2019 at 1:54 pm

      Thank you, Aryn. I have passed your kind words on to her.

      Reply
  4. Tammy L Kennington says

    June 15, 2019 at 3:26 pm

    Wow! Allies is a gifted writer like her mama! The imagery is incredible. Being a teenager in today’s world is so difficult.

    Blessings,
    Tammy

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      June 18, 2019 at 1:53 pm

      Thank you for the compliments. Passing them on to my daughter. It will mean so much.

      Reply
  5. Michelle says

    June 17, 2019 at 8:32 pm

    Well done! If I recall, I started getting past that feeling when I was about 35.

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      June 18, 2019 at 1:52 pm

      I’m 45 and still not there! Thanks for weighing in, Michelle.

      Reply
  6. Jen says

    June 18, 2019 at 1:04 am

    Wow! What a beautifully written and POWERFUL poem. Please thank her for allowing you to share with us! I can only imagine how tough it is as a teenager these days. It was a time that always came with its challenges, but the pressure that social media puts on these developing young adults has to feel crushing. She’s lucky to have you to steady and support her, and I know you must feel so lucky to have her, too.

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      June 18, 2019 at 1:51 pm

      Thank you for such kind words, Jen. Being a teen and parenting a teen in our current culture is not for the faint of heart.

      Reply
  7. Jeremy@ThirstyDaddy says

    June 18, 2019 at 1:32 pm

    That was very good! passing it along to our 19 year old #anythinggoes

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      June 18, 2019 at 1:50 pm

      Thanks, Jeremy!

      Reply
  8. ~ linda says

    June 18, 2019 at 2:12 pm

    Dear Allie, I just read your poem. I am 71 now, yet in reading these beautiful and poignant words, my youth raced to the forefront of my memory. I really was a teen once!!…I recall feeling alone yet surrounded, sad yet outwardly happy, rejected yet loved. Oh my! Many emotions racing forth, Allie. I wrote poems as a teenager to express myself. I journal now less poetically but I still write. It truly helps and you have encouraged me to write even more poetically now. In these emotional days, sweet girl, remember Who created you and how much He loves you. I am in a huge transition of life myself. I lost my husband of 25 years to cancer just one year ago. So in a strange way, I am feeling vulnerable and changing even now. Draw near to the Lord and He will draw near to you. I love what you have written, sad that it is so true, and proud that you were willing to share it with us each and all. Caring through Christ, ~ linda

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      June 19, 2019 at 7:29 pm

      Linda, I will share all of this with Allie. Thank you so much for talking the time to write to her.

      Reply
  9. Maree Dee says

    June 19, 2019 at 6:01 pm

    Allie – This is a fabulous post. Thank you, Lauren, for sharing it. It gives us a glimpse into the heart of a teenager. I am so glad you shared it on Grace & Truth. I will be sharing it. Blessings, Maree

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      June 19, 2019 at 7:30 pm

      Thank you, Maree. I will share your kind encouragement with my girl.

      Reply
  10. Patsy Burnette says

    June 19, 2019 at 7:50 pm

    Beautiful! I remember how confusing it was to navigate the teen years. It can be so very, very painful and lonely, and that was before this whole social media game. I just can’t imagine trying that again, now, with all that added pressure. Bless your heart!

    Open communications Lauren. Keep an open door of conversation going with your daughter. Keep her interested in God’s Word. Let her see Him working in your life and hers. Let her see you trusting Him. The bond of your relationship with her during these years in so important, but not nearly as important as the bond of her relationship with the Savior.

    We have a Praying Proverbs Over Your Child post you may want to check out. Prayers for you and your daughter! Thanks for linking up at InstaEncouragements!

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      June 19, 2019 at 9:50 pm

      I already printed off and am using that proverbs post, Patsy! Thank you for the encouragement and the sweet words I will share with my girl.

      Reply
  11. Rebecca Jones says

    June 19, 2019 at 8:14 pm

    Please tell Allie, her poem is great, she expresses herself very well. I think God’s circus is better, He’s the best ringmaster, He keeps a lot in the air for me. Mary K. Hill, teaches classes for teen writers, you might want to contact her at LMM.

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      June 19, 2019 at 9:50 pm

      Thanks for the class referral and for the compliments I will pass on to my daughter.

      Reply
  12. Enda Sheppard says

    June 20, 2019 at 10:44 am

    Such a tough time … such a complicated time … and yet so full of possibility. WEll done your daughter.

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      June 20, 2019 at 1:40 pm

      Thank you, Enda. I will pass this on to her.

      Reply
  13. Sarah Geringer says

    June 20, 2019 at 6:19 pm

    Excellent poem–Allie has your writing skills, Lauren!

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      June 20, 2019 at 7:02 pm

      Thank you, Sarah. I will pass along the compliment.

      Reply
  14. Sarah-Marie says

    June 20, 2019 at 9:09 pm

    What a fantastic wordsmith for such a young age. I can remember feeling just like her at that age. #ABloggingGoodTime

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      June 21, 2019 at 1:46 am

      I will pass along your kind compliment to her. Thank you.

      Reply
  15. Dee | Grammy's Grid says

    June 21, 2019 at 4:54 pm

    Thanks so much for linking up at the #WednesdayAIMLinkParty 39!

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      June 22, 2019 at 7:31 pm

      Thank you for hosting, Dee.

      Reply
  16. Felicia Stout says

    June 22, 2019 at 3:08 am

    Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      June 22, 2019 at 7:30 pm

      Thank you for reading, Felicia.

      Reply
  17. Sylvia says

    June 22, 2019 at 3:10 am

    Touching poem. Allie is a gifted writer! Thanks for sharing it with us. And thanks for linking up with us at the #WednesdayAIMLinkParty 39

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      June 22, 2019 at 7:29 pm

      Thank you, Sylvia. I will pass your kind compliment on to my daughter.

      Reply
  18. Kylie says

    June 27, 2019 at 9:26 am

    Amazing! Your daughter has talent no doubt about it, I can see why you would be so proud to share it, and also proud as a mother that she has such a mature insight. It is so sad how teens are made to feel, my daughter just turned fifteen and her best friend is struggling with an eating disorder she will be fifteen in August. It is heartbreaking. Well done Allie xx and thank you for sharing with #AbloggingGoodtIme

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      June 27, 2019 at 2:54 pm

      Oh how tragic to be struggling with an eating disorder so young. Thank you for sharing.

      Reply
  19. Dee | Grammy's Grid says

    July 3, 2019 at 1:06 pm

    Congrats! Your post is FEATURED at the #WednesdayAIMLinkParty 40! Party starts tonight, July 3, 2019 at 9:00 PM Central.

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      July 4, 2019 at 3:44 pm

      Thank you so much, Dee!

      Reply

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About Me

I love Jesus, my husband and caffeine. The order of these can change depending on how tired I am. When my two daughters, stepson, and 4 grandchildren get to be too much, I practice yoga. God graciously allows me to share our adventures, victories and flub-ups from my laptop. May He be glorified here.
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