Quicklinks:
Short S. | Poetry | Not News | Scripts | Comedy | Non-Fiction | SF | Crime | For Kids | Extended | Village
Great Writing - Home > Poetry > Fourteen with attitude
READING ROOM
Great Writing - Home
Read and review others' work
Articles on writing
Advice from the community
COMMUNITY
Talk to others in the forums
Events and Competitions
GW News
ABOUT GREAT WRITING
All About Us
Contact Us
WORK AWAITING REVIEW
GW IS...
Great Writing creative writing community is designed to prompt ideas and provide inspiration and motivation within aspiring and amateur authors. Whatever your topic; from love poetry to Doctor Who or Harry Potter fan fiction, Great Writing's online writing group is where you can make new friends and improve your creative writing.
WHO'S ONLINE
We have 1583 guests online and 3 members online
Poetry
print friendly version     
Fourteen with attitude
By punchy
31 March 2008

 Trying to get inside the head of a 14 year old angry male.
Inspired by a group of about 12 kids I confronted this morning because one of them threw a bottle at my house which smashed narrowly missing my dog. The culprit ran but the others were quick to give his name. the police caught up with him after a call from me.
 The young boy and 2 mates have just knocked on my door and extremely politely apologised and asked if I will be contacting the school. They were polite and extremely brave to take responsibility. I strongly believe people are not their behavior and having regularly had to approach teenagers when they graffiti my house and fence I am always pleasantly surprised at how lovely and just misunderstood they are.
 I forgave him and told him how impressed I am by his courage.

 Bless him he looked terrified ( mind you I was covered in Dora the explorer stickers courtesy of my 4 year old)!

 P.s. please feel free to correct my spellings.



Fourteen and bored ,filled with rage
 The world obstructs my fun
For every wall I climb or clear
 Appears a higher one
 
Teachers, police and parents
They've got no fucking clue
I can't believe it when they claim
They once were fourteen too
 
No one hurts as much as I
 no one knows my pain
I need an outlet for this grief
Before I go insane
 
Don't patronize with sympathy
That worked when I was two
Of all the people who would care
Least of all it's you
 
I'll wallow in my misery
My empathy is nil
I cannot see past my own eyes
My future has no will
 
I'll show my mates they'll watch in awe
As I press self destruct
I'll hide my cries and jealousy
With attitude abrupt
 
If I can gain respect and fear
I'll have a purpose true
But maybe there's another route
An aim for something new
 
If everyone has doubt in me
 And they isolate my age
Then maybe I can prove to them
 That skill can grow from rage
 
They don't know what is best for me
  I know who I am
They'll be wanting my respect
 When I'm the better man

Reviews

Written by Josie (2785 comments posted) 31st March 2008
I'm afraid that there is nothing in this world that can excuse that fourteen year old doing such a dreadful thing. I also have befriended them, and shown them love, but, at the end of the day (as they say), this was a terrible thing to do, and unless he really understands that and feels guilty inside himself, and is determined not to do it again, it will soon be forgotten as he does something worse. It would not have happened when we were young, for sure, and if it had happened, I am afraid that our parents would have metred out just punishment to ensure it NEVER happened again.

Written by punchy (500 comments posted) 31st March 2008
Sorry I don't share your views Josie. I really believe that he won't do it again. I thought forgiveness was the christian route although I am not one. 
I question why does he need to impress his mates, underneath every negative action is a cause and a higher purpose and I can't help him in that but he now knows there is one adult in this world that has recognised a positive behavior in him.

Written by Veronica_Milvus (637 comments posted) 31st March 2008
What a nice surprise that the kid came to apologise. and well done, Punchy, for walking a mile in his shoes. The last verse is well written because it sounds like he has suddenly grown up. I really hope so.

Written by stevetroster (1549 comments posted) 31st March 2008
An interesting enough read. Personally I’d have thrown a brisk wall back at the b######d - but then I’m not Christian at all! 
I know that I’ve written a few surreal poems of late and am, therefore, in all probability, in no position to question your message, but I‘m going to anyway.  
Did you mean: “they'll watch in oar” - “they'll watch in ore” -or- “they'll watch in awe”? 
 
All the best, 
Steve

Written by punchy (500 comments posted) 31st March 2008
Steve I don't know but it's probably awe as I wasn't talking about rowing boat paddles, cheers hon will change it now. 
Thanks all for reviews. 
I'm not christian but I remember being an angry misunderstood teen, I didn't throw bottles as I was too busy drinking the contents :grin

Written by stevetroster (1549 comments posted) 31st March 2008
Ooops, typo!! 
 
"brisk wall" 
 
A cross between a brick wall and a brisk walk. I'd better put my boots on.

Written by mia_ms_kim (1019 comments posted) 31st March 2008
Good on you, punchy! You never know, your kindness might have turned that child away from the path of destruction. I wonder if our society showed more compassion to the angry misunderstood kids, we would have less crimes (and less school shootings!). Maybe you could have given the child a warm piece of bread or something to let him know he was not only forgiven, but he was also welcome into our world. 
 
Mia :) - I thought your poem expressed the misunderstood kid's inner world well.

Written by fellpony (1616 comments posted) 1st April 2008
Well expressed - both the "I'll do something dreadful to get attention" and the quick change to furious ambition rang very true. Of course kids of 14 are not REALLY misunderstood by adults - it's just that we've all been there and are impatient with what we know is only a temporary hormonal "brain bypass". It's just that they THINK they are misunderstood on account of said brain bypass, and until it passes, they find it hard to cope.

Written by punchy (500 comments posted) 1st April 2008
Thankyou Mia and fellpony, 
I would like to think they are not misunderstood by the generation who themselves remember those feelings of self destruction but i sadly believe that a large portion of my parents generation either never had those feelings or just don't remember so there lies the misunderstanding and lack of tolerance. 
My mother often complains about kids skateboarding down her road but in the next breath she tells me how in her day kids were always outside playing or apple scrumping( whatever that is? probably oldfashioned burglary)!

   Only registered users can rate and write comments.
   Please login or register.

Powered by AkoComment 2.0!
 Previous item   Next item
This site is copyright 2005 - 2007 Great Writing. Work submitted by members remains the copyright of the respective authors.
See our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.