Carrie Warnecke
Temple Christian
Senior Poetry
Third Place--Junior/Senior Division
The Mix Tape to the Summer of Burned Bridges and Broken Bones
immersed in the charm of free fall
from the basement under the law
no where left to explore
but up with feet nailed to the floor
and there's so many reasons
I haven't been sleeping
at night
because I'm waiting by the light
of a city's angry glow
to the sound of oblivion grieving inside the radio
acquire the faltered discord
all d.i.y. noise
where drama can hinge on mishearing
the toxic grating voice
of rancid and minor threat
too loud to hear it
too real to fear it
too close to leave it now
so chase it
and erase it
but you'll never forget the sound
and there hasn't been much perception of sound
or time
when years are measured by bus fares
and the toll of late night fights
begin to test my prayers
it's all been one big test
failed too much to ever manifest
hints of incisiveness
hints corrupted by association
for me, I've related my declarations
to everything I have feared before
so threatened, so impure
so inflamed and unhealed
and I pick at unhealed wounds
I'd like to set it all on fire
and then run away from you
faster than I've ever run before
but my legs fall through
and I'm emptied
unmotivated
crawling parade and
the walls collapsing
my critics laughing
an open exhibition
with all eyes watching
trying to elude the cliche with the pit
I've spent enough time in the pit
and I'm not as strong as the paranoia is
and I can't live without bloodied fists
fighting every cynic
I'm completely unforgiven
life's so hit or miss
I thought we'd be so much bigger than this
bigger than shattered adolescent dreams
would ever have wanted us to be
we'll never be as good as they want us to be
so meet me atop the Hillsborough Bridge
if you trust i won't jump on a night like this
and bring all the things you regret you did
and all your piled teenage angst
and all your chronic deluded ways
and all the troubles on your list
we'll throw them over the Hillsborough Bridge
~