When I was younger, I fancied myself quite the writer. I don’t anymore, not really. I see myself more as a storyteller now – which makes more sense, I guess, since I work as a copywriter in marketing. I also realised I probably don’t have it in me to write an entire book. I do like writing short stories, articles and blogs of course. But to actually take the time to sit down and write down all the ideas that are swarming around in my head? And then turn them into half decent “books”? I don’t see that happening any time soon. Life gets in the way. And I like my life the way it is now.
Anyway, especially in my teens, I also fancied myself quite the poet. Your typical angsty teenage emotions that get stuck in your head. Fights with the parents, feeling misunderstood, like you won’t fit in. I had all of that. And I wrote some of it down in the form of poems. I want to share some of them here with you. So here’s the first one, which I wrote in June of 2006, when I was sixteen years old.
Them
by Loes Keimes
They find themselves
powerless.
Knowing or not?
I’m not sure
They’re causing
harm.
Intentional?
Probably not.
Knowing or not?
I’m not sure.
I’m still not sure
Despite my efforts
to talk to them,
to get them to understand.
But… why
do I still bother?
I’m not sure.
‘Cause I only end up
harming myself
even more.
It’s a little cringy, thinking back on this. I mean, it’s so obviously teenage angst, being misunderstood and just having had a fight with my parents. I don’t remember exactly when I wrote it or why, but I know the general context. I do feel proud that I wrote this, in English, at sixteen and it’s not that horribly bad. So we’ll leave it up for now, let’s see how I feel about this in a few months! Anyway, please don’t critique me too hard, I was only 16 and I wrote this instead of screaming at my parents.
Happy reading,
Loes M.