Deterioration
Deterioration is a poem by Hopewell Valley Central High School junior Edison Hicks & was published in Panorama, the literary arts magazine.
Deterioration
An electric cycle continues with no end in sight / it powers our life, yet you think otherwise /
Your conclusion is one that is riddled with spite / and you turn away when I try to criticize /
But of course you’re correct, just tell me again / what you think lies where the powerlines end /
A walk through the industrial park together / with stainless steel plates and wires of copper /
But a rusting relationship in rainy weather / will force a conclusion no one could doctor /
Truly, I’m mistaken when the blame descends / because nobody knows where the powerlines end /
A hobby overtaking a simple life / an addiction to living in the worst way /
Rehabilitation opposing ever-present strife / and worrying about seeing the next day /
There is no time to make amends / when we’re split apart like a powerline’s end /
When the rain comes back on a special occasion / a walk now alone in a green landscape /
Doing anything you can to attempt / evasion of a topic so painful and hard to reshape /
But what is there to say when you lose a close friend / stuck all alone where the powerlines end /
You reach out with extended arms / yet I reject because you ignored my truth /
You claim to not intend any harm /
But secretly, I have hope for your sense of youth / to come back to you, so you can amend /
and find someone new at the powerline’s end /
Understanding has regained a place / we don’t interact, that’s still for the better /
We have our own comforting embrace / standing alone, torn strings of a sweater /
And now we’re apart, and we don’t pretend / to meet where we thought the powerlines would end /
A truth realized, a surprise in its place / I assumed too far and I have some regrets /
Image the shame and tears on my face / when I see I was wrong on all of my bets /
And so I move on, alone once again / I try to forget where the powerlines end /
Together alone with somebody new / I smile with no intent of emotions masked /
I hope to love someone with whom I can be true / who’s willing to answer any question I’ve asked /
And maybe that’s selfish, but I am in his heart / I’m finally happy where our powerlines start /
By Edison Hicks 11th Grader at HVCHS
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