Lauren Sparks

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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.

 

Sharing is caring! If you liked this post, please share to your favorite social media accounts. And if you want to make sure you don’t miss anything, subscribe!

 

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

 

Lastly, my posts may contain affiliate links. If you purchase anything from one of these links, I will receive a few pennies to help offset the cost of this website at no additional charge to you. Thank you in advance for your help.

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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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