Write No Cliches ... Pull No Punches ... And Keep Going All Night

Geometry of Adolescence

Pushing at corners,
trying to force an out-sized circle
against laws of geometry
when it’s got no points to push
and its greased circumference
wants to slip through your hands,
wants to teach you a lesson
‘bout keeping circles with squares,
makes your eyes wide open staring
at a town full of circles, ovals, triangles,
anything but square-edged you,
its other energy on delicious display,
seeking comfort in unfamiliar ways,
worshiping your cringing confusion,
neglecting your mental contusions,
your gyros off-kilter
till your theorem’s dis-proven,
your hypothesis broken,
your square edges collapsed in despair.

At 10:59pm on March 22nd, 2008, Connor McCloud said…: This spoke directly to me own uncomfortable adolscence. The analogy is very fitting, upon reflection. It is a sense of being too much of an adult in a child-like body, or too much of a child in a body wanting to move in entirely new directions...changing one's behavior pursuant to these new imperatives (whatever those might be.) A very unique and creative take on a "slippery" concept. I liked it.

At 12:21am on March 23rd, 2008, David P. Eckert said…: Thanks much. Now take the usual concept of adolescence and add to it cross-cultural adoption, preferably with a different skin tone. Though neither the cross-cultural piece nor the cross-racial piece are necessary for adoption having the potential to further complicate the easy alienation of adolescence.

At 1:14am on March 23rd, 2008, Connor McCloud said…: Ahh...yes, and that adds an entirely new aspect to the whole thing. How dare you pack so much depth into one piece!
I have always questioned the wisdom of cross-cultural, cross-racial adoption. I see it is the thing du jour in Hollywood, and I wonder if they ever take the well-being of the child into consideration beyond visions of the lavish materialism they'll heap upon them so as to possibly appease their own vague sense of guilt at being so disproportionately wealthy for so little labor...and so you see, I must now stop myself in the midst of a good rant. =) Good stuff. Like the extra element.

At 2:52pm on March 23rd, 2008, Wendy Grimsley said…: square pegs . . . well, i'm living in some of this right now, vicariously going through puberty again with a 13 year old boy in the house. i suppose most of us get over our "issues" when we reach some point of adult enlightenment . . . i think i figured out why during that time i wanted to grow up so fast . . . those years really suck. they suck to the point that you drag the whole house down into your adolescent misery. come to think of it, i didn't like teens when i was one. i suppose if we survive that part of life the rest is ... well... to be determined i suppose.

At 3:03pm on March 23rd, 2008, Connor McCloud said…: And the best writing is that which speaks to our own experiences as we live them.

At 8:16pm on March 23rd, 2008, David P. Eckert said…: Living with 2 high schoolers, one miserable at times, angry and at every extreme available. I've never had a job that provided this much anxiety. I wonder what other animals are so difficult in adolescence. Dogs may get into mischief at that age/stage, but at least most are in a good mood about it.

At 8:31pm on March 23rd, 2008, Wendy Grimsley said…: one thing that seems to change my sons attitude is telling him that he is old enough to survive on the streets . . . that pretty much changes his tone immediately. a boy has to eat afterall

At 3:04pm on March 24th, 2008, David P. Eckert said…: that streets comment would not stop my daughter. It would just shift her into to challenge mode. She has already disappeared overnight 3 times, including multiple nights and in different towns. She is too good with public transportation and with meeting people.

At 3:39pm on March 24th, 2008, Wendy Grimsley said…: sounds like me, but then, females are more capable of taking care of themselves at that age than males. my son needs someone to cook for him

At 1:58pm on July 24th, 2008, Lionel Braud said…: this is a neat satire on the physical boundaries of relationships, emotional boundaries as well, the different geometric shapes really coins those personality differences.