When the World Paused | Teen Ink

When the World Paused

August 10, 2010
By Adams1030 BRONZE, Tenafly, New Jersey
Adams1030 BRONZE, Tenafly, New Jersey
2 articles 0 photos 1 comment

A four-way intersection
on my way to work.

The traffic lights
Every one of them
is red.

The cars come to a stop.
I
And the man with the
straight back
wearing sunglasses
And his hunched dog
And the woman in the
airy, flowery skirt
And the man in the
gray suit
ironed not by his wife
but by the dry cleaners
Also
come to a stop.

Naturally,
voluntarily,
almost
without thought.

I could run
across the street
But then the light
might turn green
and a car might
run me over.

There is no sound,
no movement.

In the middle of
Crystal City,
a city,
everyone waits,
Still,
utterly bound to
faulty traffic lights.

No sound.
No movement.

A light turns green
the cars start
And after the cars drive by
we cross the street

Though the crosswalk
traffic light
is still red.

Today, I thought:

What if the world ends one day

not with a blast
and panic
and chaos

but with no one realizing it,
no one fighting it?

Everyone just slowly,
gradually,
naturally,
and inevitably

coming to a stop.


The author's comments:
It was a surreal moment.

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This article has 13 comments.


on Apr. 5 2018 at 6:53 am
OneSeven-billionth PLATINUM, Westerville, Ohio
28 articles 1 photo 9 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Writing does not resurrect, it buries." - John Green<br /> "We are all just barnacles on the container ship of consciousness."-John Green

mind blown ~pow~

on Nov. 15 2016 at 9:15 pm
CJwriter BRONZE, Anonymous , New York
2 articles 0 photos 6 comments
I meant to say I love it! You are so talented

on Nov. 15 2016 at 9:14 pm
CJwriter BRONZE, Anonymous , New York
2 articles 0 photos 6 comments
To fully understand, you must read it a second time! I love You are so talented!

on May. 23 2016 at 6:16 pm
ItsTimeToBegin PLATINUM, Lexington, Massachusetts
29 articles 0 photos 49 comments
This sent shivers down my back when I read it a second time :)

on Mar. 11 2012 at 7:20 am
TheKayster BRONZE, Falmouth, Maine
2 articles 1 photo 25 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;You miss 100% of the shots you don&#039;t take&quot;

agree!! 

on Mar. 2 2012 at 12:51 pm
pandachic698 BRONZE, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1 article 0 photos 3 comments
Thats really creative, i really like the ending

on Oct. 22 2011 at 1:07 pm
xximjustmexx PLATINUM, Oak Forest, Illinois
46 articles 0 photos 71 comments

Favorite Quote:
There&#039;s no god. There&#039;s no religion. There&#039;s only life, what you do with YOUR life, who YOU let affect YOUR life. Bad things happen to everyone, you just have to learn to deal with them.

I always think about things like that. It's nice to know that I''m not the only person that thinks the way I do. You are a very talented writer. Great job:)

on Oct. 5 2011 at 11:06 am
Countrylife4 GOLD, Maine
11 articles 4 photos 118 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Someday soon we&#039;re gonna catch that dream we&#039;ve been chasing&quot;<br /> &quot;Seven days without a horse makes one weak.&quot;<br /> &quot;The worst part of riding is when you dismount.&quot;<br /> <br /> Insult my clothes, I say, &ldquo;Okay, thanks for the compliment.&rdquo;<br /> Insult the way I look, I say, &ldquo;Thanks for notifying me.&rdquo;<br /> Mock me and say riding isn&rsquo;t a sport, and I&rsquo;ll say,&rdquo;You say that &rsquo;cause you can&rsquo;t ride.&rdquo; But before you make fun of my horse, make sure you have &ldquo;911&Prime; on your speed dial.

Beautifully written :)

on Aug. 17 2011 at 9:19 pm
Mimi15 PLATINUM, Belfast, Maine
49 articles 0 photos 73 comments
Cute <3

purpleink GOLD said...
on Jul. 26 2011 at 4:26 pm
purpleink GOLD, Pendleton, Oregon
17 articles 0 photos 32 comments

Favorite Quote:
The early bird gets the worm but the second rat gets the cheese.<br /> <br /> There is more to life besides increasing its speed.

The end makes you think, doesn't it? I love it! Great poem :~)

on Apr. 29 2011 at 10:19 pm
CoughingColours BRONZE, Athens, Alabama
2 articles 41 photos 27 comments

Favorite Quote:
Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.<br /> ~Pablo Picasso

I rlylike the metaphor of it. Truly amazing dear:)

 


on Feb. 26 2011 at 5:16 pm
CreativeModelSould ELITE, Punta Gorda, Florida
102 articles 0 photos 13 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Life isn&#039;t about waiting for the storms to pass, it is about learning to dance in the rain.&quot;

This was amazing! I agree!! I can't believe how many hits your last poem got, but this one? This brilliant thinking? Got one comment... Keep it up! It inspires those of us that look for the hidden talent!

SelahSky said...
on Sep. 21 2010 at 4:44 pm
This is lovely!  It is melancholy in a way that makes me smile and sigh. Keep up the good work!