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Hanging Fire

A 14-year-old reflects on insecurities about their appearance and future. They worry about dying before important milestones and their mother being in her bedroom with the door closed. The poem explores the anxieties of adolescence through short, fragmented lines that emphasize feeling overwhelmed by changes and a lack of control over what's to come.

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Charles Abel
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83 views1 page

Hanging Fire

A 14-year-old reflects on insecurities about their appearance and future. They worry about dying before important milestones and their mother being in her bedroom with the door closed. The poem explores the anxieties of adolescence through short, fragmented lines that emphasize feeling overwhelmed by changes and a lack of control over what's to come.

Uploaded by

Charles Abel
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Hanging Fire

BY AUDRE LO RDE

I am fourteen
and my skin has betrayed me
the boy I cannot live without
still sucks his thumb
in secret
how come my knees are
always so ashy
what if I die
before morning
and momma's in the bedroom
with the door closed.

I have to learn how to dance


in time for the next party
my room is too small for me
suppose I die before graduation
they will sing sad melodies
but finally
tell the truth about me
There is nothing I want to do
and too much
that has to be done
and momma's in the bedroom
with the door closed.

Nobody even stops to think


about my side of it
I should have been on Math Team
my marks were better than his
why do I have to be
the one
wearing braces
I have nothing to wear tomorrow
will I live long enough
to grow up
and momma's in the bedroom
with the door closed.

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