Teen Angst and American Motivation

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TeenAngst

Teen Angst, Circa 2013

 

Hard to see why you’d

want to chose a

long distance relationship

with someone

you sit next to

in class.

 

No, she’s not yr

girlfriend,

so she won’t be invited over

with parental consent.

 

Relegated

to texting

all summer long.

 

American Motivation

 

It will be

accomplished

if you can just

run up the hill

 

With each step

 

Get Thin

Get Confidence

Get Wealth

Get Happiness

Get Love

 

Get up the hill

 

Get Pretty

Get Pretty

Get Pretty

 

Higher Pursuit

 

Why wait?

For god’s sake

why wait?

 

The men sit under

trees, planning the

Future, envisioning

green beyond the white.

 

Cool floorboards

they are yours

all yours.

 

Look at your saint

he tells you

don’t wait

go.

Now.

Interrupt that

sweat-faced silence.

 

Start again.

 

Modern Liberal

If left to ourselves
the past would
remain a short ride

Devoid of the truth
(a hummer)
we make believe all
went well

That we behaved ourselves

That we didn’t slam down
our foot on the accelerator

Just to frighten you

We believe in
the false Prius

We believe in our own shady goodness

Never flattened
squirrels
Never stole a parking spot

 

Dick: York or Sargent

 

Geek chic.

 

Stupid goddamn

glasses is what

I call it.

 

Never saw the

appeal, seeing as

I’ve always styled

myself as a

nerd or dork.

Strike that:

I was not self-styled,

I was unaware that

by reading so . . .

 

much

 

I had turned a corner:

Book worm with poor posture.

It’s taken 15 years

for me to figure out how to

talk to strangers.

Eyesight steadily worsening.

And I’m finally

wearing clothes that fit.

 

So: pretty boys

and pretty girls

who think they

belong on the

awkward spectrum

are more than a

little preposterous.

 

How many episode guides

have you read?

 

Worst fake ever,

fan boy.

Emily Treakle-Chase is a writer, reader, employee, parent, pet owner, volunteer, and wife living in the shadow of Mt. Rainier.

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