The sound of someone swallowing,
Or knuckles cracking, or gum chewing
Strikes me like a razor-sharp rock.
I flinch, then I blink, and I look down with shame.
As sound hits me again with emergent shock,
Pinching me with a dozen clothespins
Hanging off my feet,
Pulling like a strong ocean tide.
Sounds no one else hears or feels,
Insidious tornadoes flying and howling,
Tearing apart my happiness with pride.
My mind screams high shrieks and low cries,
But no one around me knows the anguish in my mind,
And I try not to let them see the ailing within me
While I fight to send them away
And send off the sinister sounds.
Check out KidSpirit newsletters, and get more great content in your inbox!
Art by Jaden Flach, Brooklyn
KidSpirit’s teen editors and contributors around the world believe in a better future. Help empower the next generation to raise their voices and move forward in a spirit of openness and inclusion - make a tax-deductible contribution to KidSpirit today.
KidSpirit, Inc is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
Check out KidSpirit newsletters, and get more great content in your inbox!
Art by Jaden Flach, Brooklyn