A Tribute to the Sun of His Heart's Setting | Teen Ink

A Tribute to the Sun of His Heart's Setting MAG

August 1, 2011
By thetruthawaits94 SILVER, Duncan, Oklahoma
thetruthawaits94 SILVER, Duncan, Oklahoma
9 articles 0 photos 351 comments

Favorite Quote:
Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, but learning to dance in the rain.


The cats and dogs pouncing
On the rooftop have come and gone,
Leaving a hazy cirrus stripe
Outside the dusty windowpane.

Peeking, I see through the Earth's soupy steam
An old man I once knew well
Still casting his pole onto the lake's wet skin,
Overalls and the willow he wears
Soaked to the core for he has sat
In his paint-flaking rowboat on the nose of the lake
Since before I was to awake.

I wonder what he thinks about
In his boat every dawn until break,
Sitting still as a statue, his eyes staring
As the bobber floats around
In the blue-green pool of tears.

His light pink fishing hat,
A pop of color in nature's shades,
A tribute to the sun of his heart's setting,
Has not been taken off his head,
Not for church or his land's pledge,
Since that day the killing cancer stole his love away.

That color took his only reason
To ever leave the fish-filled lake,
And because of this his slow-pounding
Heart will incessantly ache,
While I am kept inside with the company
Of the aged photographs, all alone,
My own heart continuing to break.


The author's comments:
An old man that lost his wife to cancer. He is now a changed man, a quiet man, who lives now only in his head and in a fog. He hides from reality by a routine of fishing on the lake, while mourning for his stolen love. I am the girl trapped inside, wishing that I could help him, but knowing that there is not much I can do.

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This article has 18 comments.


on Jun. 15 2013 at 1:13 pm
thetruthawaits94 SILVER, Duncan, Oklahoma
9 articles 0 photos 351 comments

Favorite Quote:
Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, but learning to dance in the rain.

i agree with you completely about looking at life with a special perspective! thank you!

on May. 5 2013 at 2:24 pm
Mekalynrose GOLD, Ventura, California
13 articles 24 photos 6 comments
This is amazing! I love the imagery and the metaphors you use like the lake's "wet skin", I think great writing comes from looking at things with a different perspective.  Really inspiring! :)

on Aug. 18 2012 at 12:54 am
thetruthawaits94 SILVER, Duncan, Oklahoma
9 articles 0 photos 351 comments

Favorite Quote:
Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, but learning to dance in the rain.

Thank you so much! (this is the first time I am seeing this reply) It makes me so happy that you think such good things about my writing so thanks! :)

on Mar. 23 2012 at 8:56 pm
LittleSully GOLD, Elmwood Park, Illinois
11 articles 0 photos 43 comments

Favorite Quote:
"The course of true love never did love smooth." William Shakespeare

Such terrible beauty:) I love it

on Mar. 22 2012 at 7:29 am
loveissmiles GOLD, Lynn, Indiana
13 articles 0 photos 102 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;I live for the nights I can&#039;t remember with the people I will never forget.&quot; -Carassisa M-&lt;3<br /> <br /> &quot;What the mind can perceive, the body can achieve.&quot; -Softball Coach Steve B-

this is beautiful! Painful, but beautiful. The way you write is so elegant. I felt like i was seeing through your eyes. It's something to be proud of. :)

on Sep. 15 2011 at 4:22 pm
Branden Navedo SILVER, Oklahoma, Maryland
5 articles 0 photos 17 comments
I know this might be completely off what you intended to express, but this makes me think of a person who lost his lover and the lake reminds him of her so he visits it occasionally. Now he dies in that same lake. I could write about that o: Nice poem, and thanks for the inspiration lol. Also, thanks for the comments on my stuff! Could you maybe help get me as many comments as you do? I'd really appreciate it ^-^

leafy said...
on Sep. 13 2011 at 2:24 pm
leafy, City, Other
0 articles 0 photos 682 comments

Favorite Quote:
Gil: I would like you to read my novel and get your opinion.&nbsp;<br /> Ernest Hemingway: I hate it.&nbsp;<br /> Gil: You haven&#039;t even read it yet.&nbsp;<br /> Ernest Hemingway: If it&#039;s bad, I&#039;ll hate it. If it&#039;s good, then I&#039;ll be envious and hate it even more. You don&#039;t want the opinion of another writer.&nbsp;

I loved the imagery in this, great job! 5/5

on Sep. 10 2011 at 6:19 pm
Regs_the_Shorty GOLD, Frankfort, Illinois
13 articles 0 photos 129 comments

Favorite Quote:
There are people who finish what they start and.....

Loved it but its sad. I really liked what it was about 5 stars!

on Aug. 21 2011 at 9:53 pm
PhoenixCrossing GOLD, Tinley Park, Illinois
14 articles 0 photos 178 comments
This is so sad! I really feel for both you and the old man. So beautiful!

on Aug. 20 2011 at 12:49 pm
PaigeStreet PLATINUM, Juneau, Alaska
47 articles 0 photos 218 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Stay golden&quot;<br /> - Johnny (The Outsiders, S. E. Hinton)

This is really good

on Aug. 10 2011 at 11:21 am
ohheyyyelli SILVER, Woonsocket, Rhode Island
5 articles 3 photos 178 comments
Beautiful imagery!

kat2.0 SILVER said...
on Aug. 8 2011 at 2:23 pm
kat2.0 SILVER, Sparrowbush, New York
5 articles 0 photos 19 comments

Favorite Quote:
life is short so go for it

It is beautiful like the other post said and it is beautifully written

on Aug. 8 2011 at 1:09 pm
JerseyGirl716 BRONZE, Central, New Jersey
2 articles 0 photos 92 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face... we must do that which we think we cannot.&quot; -Eleanor Roosevelt

Couldn't agree more; I loved it!

on Aug. 5 2011 at 10:13 pm
Love.Hate.Passion., Spring Valley, Illinois
0 articles 0 photos 356 comments

Favorite Quote:
~Hope. Faith. Love~<br /> ~Be proud of who you are.You are all unique in a different way.~<br /> ~I WILL NOT fade into oblivion , and become less than<br /> a distant memory.~

You paint a beautiful tragedy :)

on Aug. 4 2011 at 7:16 pm
thetruthawaits94 SILVER, Duncan, Oklahoma
9 articles 0 photos 351 comments

Favorite Quote:
Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, but learning to dance in the rain.

Oh yeah. The pink hat he wears represents the cancer that killed his wife.

on Aug. 4 2011 at 7:15 pm
thetruthawaits94 SILVER, Duncan, Oklahoma
9 articles 0 photos 351 comments

Favorite Quote:
Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, but learning to dance in the rain.

This poem is about grandfather, and he is just dead inside with grief (he wears a willow, as i said it in the poem). He leaves reality now because he is so sad, and his family watches him from inside the house, leaving him to himself, not knowing how to help him. No one can bring back the dead. So instead, everyone watches him, their hearts breaking for him. not knowing how to fix it. I dunno if that helps, but i love to explain my poems... i think it's fun :)

on Aug. 4 2011 at 7:08 pm
bEllAhOPe BRONZE, Houston, Texas
4 articles 0 photos 21 comments

Favorite Quote:
\&quot;Flying is simple... you just throw yourself at the ground and miss.\&quot;

You illustrated the point very well. The problem for me was: what exactly is the point? I suppose you could say that I don't understand it or have misinterpreted the simple meanings; either way, it truly is an elegant piece. Excellent writing.

on Aug. 2 2011 at 10:20 pm
callmebaddog SILVER, Spokane, Washington
8 articles 0 photos 24 comments

Favorite Quote:
Dream as if you&#039;ll live forever. Live as if you&#039;ll die today. <br /> -James Dean

This is beautiful! Sad, but very detailed, a very well painted picture.