To Think of Nothing | Teen Ink

To Think of Nothing MAG

September 17, 2009
By Katelyn Carter BRONZE, Monticello, Illinois
Katelyn Carter BRONZE, Monticello, Illinois
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

They tell me to think of Nothing,
To empty my mind and focus on Nothing.
But it’s hard to focus on Nothing.
Because if there’s Nothing,
Then what do I focus on?

They gave me a picture of Nothing,
And then asked me what it looked like.
I told them, “Nothing.”
And they said,
“Exactly.”

A blank paper … it was Nothing?
But even a paper is Something.
Right?
So how could it have been Nothing?
How could I have been right?

So, when I got a chance,
I took a crayon and colored all over Nothing.
When I was done, I thought,
There, now. Nothing’s finally Something!
But can you really change Nothing?

“Nothing is nothing,”
They told me.
“Think of Nothing,
Focus on Nothing.
White is Nothing.”

But white is Something.
It’s a color.
And Nothing is Something too.
Because if Nothing was nothing,
Then nothing wouldn’t be Nothing.

So therefore Nothing is Something.
Just like blank paper is Something,
And white is Something.
Nothing has to be Something too.
And that Something is Nothing.



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This article has 17 comments.


on Aug. 27 2012 at 9:19 am
Thatdaydreamer GOLD, Peterborough, Other
14 articles 0 photos 32 comments

Favorite Quote:
&ldquo;You can make anything by writing.&rdquo; <br /> ― C.S. Lewis

very thoughtful but not overwhelimg, this is so well-written:)

on Mar. 4 2011 at 2:19 pm
MiscellanyCrop DIAMOND, Middlefield, Ohio
50 articles 1 photo 22 comments

Favorite Quote:
Let Earth unbalanced from her orbit fly / Planets and Suns run lawless through the sky. <br /> An Essay on Man - Alexander Pope

I really like this. (: Great poem.

on Nov. 8 2009 at 3:12 pm
LeilaniLives PLATINUM, Fort Wayne, Indiana
42 articles 11 photos 128 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;They say &#039;Life&#039;s two steps forward and one step back&#039; - But what if I tripped and fell down the whole flight of stairs?&quot;

I was thinking something like this a few weeks ago as well. I love the way you built the story within the poem. This sounds kind of like my poem "Feels like It's Raining." I have two poems titled that, but the poem should begin "Why does tonight feel like it's raining?" It has the same idea yours has. The reverse what's true but what could be questions?- anyways, I'd love you to comment mine and tell me what you think.

on Oct. 14 2009 at 5:20 pm
Just_Breathe SILVER, Visalia, California
5 articles 0 photos 11 comments
This is really good, thanks for making me think. :)

on Oct. 13 2009 at 6:46 pm
ClicheBecauseItsTrue PLATINUM, A City, California
29 articles 0 photos 7 comments
This is amazing. it puts everything in perspective. we were actually just talking about this a few days ago - how nothing is everything and everything is nothing

on Oct. 2 2009 at 2:29 am
Kitten111 SILVER, Watanobbi, Other
6 articles 0 photos 48 comments

Favorite Quote:
Knowledge is knowing that tomato is a fruit ..... wisdom is not putting it in fruit salad :P

LOL awesome ...... you remind me of an old friend i havent seen in a long time she always talked like that ... thanks :) your a really kool writer keep it up

Centennial said...
on Sep. 20 2009 at 5:36 pm
Centennial, Florissant, Missouri
0 articles 0 photos 7 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Every atom in your body came from a star that exploded. And the atoms in your left hand probably came from a different star than your right hand. It really is the most poetic thing I know about physics.<br /> <br /> You are all stardust.<br /> <br /> You couldn&#039;t be here if stars hadn&#039;t exploded. Because the elements, the carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, iron, all the things that matter for evolution weren&#039;t created at the beginning of time. They were created in the nuclear furnaces of stars. And the only way they could get into your body is if the stars were kind enough to explode.<br /> <br /> So forget Jesus. The stars died so you could be here today.&quot;

Why, you're welcome slaubster409.

slaubster409 said...
on Sep. 20 2009 at 1:00 pm
slaubster409, St. Louis, Missouri
0 articles 0 photos 8 comments
Why thank you Centennial C.

on Sep. 18 2009 at 9:53 pm
EternityBroken GOLD, Hooker, Oklahoma
17 articles 2 photos 28 comments

Favorite Quote:
It is impossible to love and be wise.

this poem will make me think for a while... i loved it thank you for sharing it

Meago GOLD said...
on Sep. 18 2009 at 2:48 pm
Meago GOLD, Spring City, Tennessee
17 articles 2 photos 83 comments

Favorite Quote:
How come when you need something the most- that&#039;s the time when you have to fight the hardest to receive it?

I really like this! It really does make you think....

on Sep. 18 2009 at 2:47 pm
dylonmichael GOLD, El Dorado, Kansas
10 articles 3 photos 118 comments

Favorite Quote:
i have two one is &quot;live life as if it were your last day on earth&quot; and two is &quot;never make some one your everything because when they leave you you have nothing&quot;

i loved it its well written and its the truth

on Sep. 17 2009 at 9:51 pm
Veritytrue SILVER, LaVista, Nebraska
6 articles 0 photos 53 comments
I think this is a very clever poem. It takes a twist on SOMETHING you take for granted and makes it into SOMETHING new. I really like it!

on Sep. 17 2009 at 7:01 pm
poetic_natural GOLD, Jefferson, Wisconsin
16 articles 0 photos 66 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;you know you&#039;re in love because you can&#039;t fall asleep, because reality is finally better than your dreams&quot;

this is a really good poem, i like it a lot

on Sep. 17 2009 at 5:06 pm
XRamirez SILVER, Round Rock, Texas
8 articles 0 photos 3 comments
Makes you think a bit. I liked it

on Sep. 17 2009 at 4:48 pm
LuckieMistake PLATINUM, Florence, Colorado
22 articles 1 photo 16 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;What doesn&#039;t kill me only, will make me stronger in my head...&quot; Papa Roach, Kick In The Teeth

thats exactly how i think!! no one else agrees with me

Centennial said...
on Sep. 17 2009 at 2:51 pm
Centennial, Florissant, Missouri
0 articles 0 photos 7 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Every atom in your body came from a star that exploded. And the atoms in your left hand probably came from a different star than your right hand. It really is the most poetic thing I know about physics.<br /> <br /> You are all stardust.<br /> <br /> You couldn&#039;t be here if stars hadn&#039;t exploded. Because the elements, the carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, iron, all the things that matter for evolution weren&#039;t created at the beginning of time. They were created in the nuclear furnaces of stars. And the only way they could get into your body is if the stars were kind enough to explode.<br /> <br /> So forget Jesus. The stars died so you could be here today.&quot;

In some crazy original way, this makes sense. I think there's so many ways you can interpret this as a reader which truly makes it wonderful. It's really, as Sammi L. puts it, honest and unique.

slaubster409 said...
on Sep. 17 2009 at 1:54 pm
slaubster409, St. Louis, Missouri
0 articles 0 photos 8 comments
I really liked this poem--it was very creative. I think it was so honest and unique.