The Cracked Foundation | Teen Ink

The Cracked Foundation

April 8, 2009
By hey_itskatelyn PLATINUM, Willis, Texas
hey_itskatelyn PLATINUM, Willis, Texas
21 articles 0 photos 217 comments

Favorite Quote:
“God, of your goodness, give me yourself; you are enough for me, and anything less that I could ask for would not do you full honour. And if I ask anything that is less, I shall always lack something, but in you alone I have everything”


I walk outside and step onto the patio,
The smooth concrete is cracked and broken,
Between the gaps grow thorns and weeds of all kinds,
Choking all the other plants as they stretch to the sky,
But despite the coldness of the shattered pavement,
Life blossoms,
No matter how small,
Tiny yellow flowers fight for life,
Gasping for air among the suffocating thorns,
Like the flowers in my backyard,
America struggles for redemption,
Based on the faith of its forefathers,
It has become harsh and indifferent,
Lifeless and void,
Like the shattered pavement,
Relationships lose their strength, their love, and their commitment,
Now an electronic world,
America has become consumed,
Emails, texting, IM, Facebook, and MySpace,
Fill the cracks in the lives of the citizens,
Consuming all time and energy,
The morals of the “land of the free”,
Take a backseat in the rush of the vigorous lives,
In the “home of the brave”,
There is not enough time to even stop and pray,
The country has lost its determination to do what’s right,
And instead focuses on wealth, fame, and happiness,
All these thoughts enter my mind,
As I gaze at the concrete,
And I realize that hope blossoms here as well,
In the dark world, a light shines,
The flower struggles for life,
To repair the foundation of the country:
Faith, community, togetherness, and humility,
To let the light of Christ shine,
In the country that has lost its way,
To be like a flower among the weeds,
Of a concrete world,
To once again be “One Nation Under God”.


The author's comments:
I really love this poem. It kind of just came to me after receiving an assignment from my teacher. I hope you guys enjoy it.

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This article has 8 comments.


on Jul. 9 2009 at 9:09 pm
hey_itskatelyn PLATINUM, Willis, Texas
21 articles 0 photos 217 comments

Favorite Quote:
“God, of your goodness, give me yourself; you are enough for me, and anything less that I could ask for would not do you full honour. And if I ask anything that is less, I shall always lack something, but in you alone I have everything”

hey this is being published in "Whispers" a collection of poems. YAY!!

on Jun. 15 2009 at 4:13 pm
windswift DIAMOND, Arvada, Colorado
80 articles 0 photos 91 comments

Favorite Quote:
let it burn, suffering teaches the soul; let it grow, love nourishes the heart.

i liked this poem a bit, but i will give you one piece of advice, try to keep religion out of poems unless its for a specific type of poem, otherwise you might find yourself in a bit of trouble someday. i have nothing against religion, but others might. a four of five.

on Jun. 14 2009 at 5:52 pm
hey_itskatelyn PLATINUM, Willis, Texas
21 articles 0 photos 217 comments

Favorite Quote:
“God, of your goodness, give me yourself; you are enough for me, and anything less that I could ask for would not do you full honour. And if I ask anything that is less, I shall always lack something, but in you alone I have everything”

thank you very much! this is one of my very favorite pieces, but has gotten very little recognition on teenink. Maybe some more people will enjoy it too:)

thanks so much sallyloco! You are a devoted fan! haha (:

on Jun. 11 2009 at 2:31 pm
LoveLikeWoe DIAMOND, LeSueur, MN, Minnesota
54 articles 2 photos 748 comments

Favorite Quote:
Whoever laughs first has the sickest mind.

THIS IS SO AMAZING! It really got me reading. I love your work!

on Jun. 7 2009 at 10:58 pm
hey_itskatelyn PLATINUM, Willis, Texas
21 articles 0 photos 217 comments

Favorite Quote:
“God, of your goodness, give me yourself; you are enough for me, and anything less that I could ask for would not do you full honour. And if I ask anything that is less, I shall always lack something, but in you alone I have everything”

thanks unearthlyhaphazard. Wow. Thats a HUGE compliment. Thank you sooooooo much!

on Jun. 4 2009 at 10:56 pm
unearthlyhaphazard GOLD, N/A, New York
15 articles 0 photos 176 comments

Favorite Quote:
"There are three rules for writing the novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are."~W. Somerset Maugham

This should without a doubt be published in Teen Ink's magazine. So true. You're an amazing poet.

on May. 21 2009 at 11:13 pm
hey_itskatelyn PLATINUM, Willis, Texas
21 articles 0 photos 217 comments

Favorite Quote:
“God, of your goodness, give me yourself; you are enough for me, and anything less that I could ask for would not do you full honour. And if I ask anything that is less, I shall always lack something, but in you alone I have everything”

thanks(:

i wish the readers of teen ink thought it was amazing. lol

on May. 21 2009 at 2:36 pm
hope.floats BRONZE, Sunfield, Michigan
2 articles 0 photos 12 comments
This is AMAZING. You should really think of sending it to a newspaper - the Letters to the Editor section is open to everyone!