Ticking Time | Teen Ink
  1. Home
  2. Poetry
  3. Free Verse
  4. Ticking Time

Ticking Time

April 26, 2013
By Hanban12 ELITE, Lake Worth, Florida
More by this author
Hanban12 ELITE, Lake Worth, Florida
133 articles 7 photos 631 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put foundations under them.&quot;<br /> Henry David Thoreau<br /> <br /> &quot;I fell in love the way you fall asleep; slowly, and then all at once.&quot;<br /> John Green

View profile

I’ve watched
My mother’s hands grow
Visibly thin,
Peered at the world
Which repeats its sins.

Listened to
The birds that sing,
Tried to soar
With shattered wings.

Attended to
The swaying trees,
Perceived the murmurs
Of the breeze.

Lived and watched
Those who died,
Cast the tears
That wouldn’t hide.

Things have changed
Yet here I stand,
My palm extends
For lonely hands.

Things have changed,
But not I;
Things have changed
Through wicked time.

© Tatyana Z., Norwood, MA

The author's comments:
You can never revisit the past, for time moves on even if you don't.
Post a comment
Submit your own

Similar Articles

Previous Next
Poetry
Untitled
By sHaDoWnInJa PLATINUM
West Jordan, Utah
sHaDoWnInJa PLATINUM, West Jordan, Utah
31 articles 0 photos 3 comments
View profile
Poetry
Different
By sHaDoWnInJa PLATINUM
West Jordan, Utah
sHaDoWnInJa PLATINUM, West Jordan, Utah
31 articles 0 photos 3 comments
View profile
Poetry
Death At Your Door
By sHaDoWnInJa PLATINUM
West Jordan, Utah
sHaDoWnInJa PLATINUM, West Jordan, Utah
31 articles 0 photos 3 comments
View profile
Poetry
The Unraveling Scarf
By kiwi12 PLATINUM
Austin, Texas
kiwi12 PLATINUM, Austin, Texas
28 articles 10 photos 365 comments
View profile
Poetry
I want a guy...
By grlgotgame BRONZE
Chillicothe, Ohio
grlgotgame BRONZE, Chillicothe, Ohio
4 articles 0 photos 1 comment

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Girls with butts like mine, don&#039;t talk to boys with faces like yours.&quot;

View profile
Poetry
The Voice
By BreLee SILVER
Sula, Montana
BreLee SILVER, Sula, Montana
7 articles 0 photos 0 comments
View profile

JOIN THE DISCUSSION

This article has 20 comments.

Luv4Ever SILVER said...
on May. 25 2014 at 8:27 pm
Luv4Ever SILVER, Jacksonville, Florida
7 articles 0 photos 199 comments

Favorite Quote:
A miracle is just another name for hard work<br /> -Minho in &quot;To The Beautiful You&quot;

View profile
this is a really great piece! keep it up^^
KarmaBites GOLD said...
on Mar. 13 2014 at 8:00 pm
KarmaBites GOLD, Columbia Heights, Minnesota
11 articles 0 photos 134 comments
View profile
Congrats on the Editors' Choice award, btw :-)
KarmaBites GOLD said...
on Mar. 13 2014 at 7:59 pm
KarmaBites GOLD, Columbia Heights, Minnesota
11 articles 0 photos 134 comments
View profile
This poem is beautiful in its poignancy. The first stanza drew me in, and I was enthralled throughout. Stunning work! You are extremely talented!
Alycia. BRONZE said...
on Feb. 1 2014 at 7:33 pm
Alycia. BRONZE, Lower Gwynedd, Pennsylvania
4 articles 8 photos 41 comments

Favorite Quote:
&ldquo;Our lives are not our own. We are bound to others, past and present, and by each crime and every kindness, we birth our future.&rdquo; -- David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas

View profile
The last stanza left me with chills! Beautifully written and the rhymes were amazing. Great job!
Mckay ELITE said...
on Oct. 23 2013 at 4:54 pm
Mckay ELITE, Somewhere, Virginia
146 articles 0 photos 2230 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.&quot;<br /> &mdash;Apple&rsquo;s &ldquo;Think Different&rdquo; commercial, 1997<br /> &ldquo;Crazy people are considered mad by the rest of the society only because their intelligence isn&#039;t understood.&rdquo; <br /> ― Weihui Zhou

View profile
The rhythm and rhyme add a musical quality to these heart-felt lyrics. I love the ending. Time isn't pure or innocent. Or kind for that matter. It's "wicked". 
Hanban12 ELITE said...
on Aug. 5 2013 at 6:50 pm
Hanban12 ELITE, Lake Worth, Florida
133 articles 7 photos 631 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put foundations under them.&quot;<br /> Henry David Thoreau<br /> <br /> &quot;I fell in love the way you fall asleep; slowly, and then all at once.&quot;<br /> John Green

View profile
Thank you soooooooo much
Hanban12 ELITE said...
on Aug. 5 2013 at 6:48 pm
Hanban12 ELITE, Lake Worth, Florida
133 articles 7 photos 631 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put foundations under them.&quot;<br /> Henry David Thoreau<br /> <br /> &quot;I fell in love the way you fall asleep; slowly, and then all at once.&quot;<br /> John Green

View profile
Thank you so much :)
Superhero_Fan SILVER said...
on Aug. 4 2013 at 6:48 pm
Superhero_Fan SILVER, Tomorrowland, California
7 articles 1 photo 163 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Impossible; for How many people did you know who refracted your own light to you?&rdquo; - Fahrenheit 451

View profile
Hey Hanban! Great job! I thought this was really good! And sad. But that seemed like the desired effect, so good work! ;)
Laugh-it-Out PLATINUM said...
on Jul. 8 2013 at 8:41 pm
Laugh-it-Out PLATINUM, Brooklyn, New York, New York
38 articles 0 photos 445 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light&quot; --Dylan Thomas

View profile
No problem! Like i said before this is really one of my favorites :) it's amazing! Also that was fun earlier; the feedback for feedback thing on chat :) see ya round Hannah :)
bree_bree GOLD said...
on Jul. 3 2013 at 5:10 pm
bree_bree GOLD, Auburn, Kentucky
12 articles 0 photos 39 comments

Favorite Quote:
mistakes are made to be learned from.

View profile
Ithink that the last stanza is my favorite "through wicked time" i love that its just verry imaginative and i cant always find things like that in comon poetry. your amazing keep it up :)
Hanban12 ELITE said...
on Jun. 19 2013 at 10:14 pm
Hanban12 ELITE, Lake Worth, Florida
133 articles 7 photos 631 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put foundations under them.&quot;<br /> Henry David Thoreau<br /> <br /> &quot;I fell in love the way you fall asleep; slowly, and then all at once.&quot;<br /> John Green

View profile
Wow thank you soon much!!!
TanviKusum DIAMOND said...
on Jun. 19 2013 at 4:10 pm
TanviKusum DIAMOND, Gurgaon, Other
89 articles 4 photos 197 comments

Favorite Quote:
All men who have achieved great things have been great dreamers. <br /> Orison Swett Marden<br /> <br /> &quot;The role of a writer is not to say what we all can say, but what we are unable to say.&quot; - Anais Nin<br /> <br /> we speak in hushed voices so as to not wake our memories

View profile
This is an amazing poem. Editor's choice well deserved! :D
HazelGrace said...
on Jun. 6 2013 at 4:52 pm
Oh, this is haunting. Creepy in a really beautiful way. I love  the sue of rythm and ryhme!
BlackbeltJames GOLD said...
on Jun. 2 2013 at 4:12 pm
BlackbeltJames GOLD, Reading, Other
14 articles 0 photos 193 comments

Favorite Quote:
Isaac Asimov - &quot;Intelligence is an accident of evolution, and not necessarily an advantage.&rdquo;

View profile
This is a very emotive and powerful piece; it is unique with each section having its own specific imagery which works very well. The concepts and theme also comes across perfectly, giving it that personal touch as well as opening up the reader to many questions about themselves and how they see their time and how it has changed. Very good, keep it up :)
KkatKreationz PLATINUM said...
on May. 17 2013 at 7:13 pm
KkatKreationz PLATINUM, Minerva, Ohio
31 articles 0 photos 66 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken.&quot; :) <br /> -Me.

View profile
You are amazing! Awe inspiring!  It awesome.  
Hanban12 ELITE said...
on May. 14 2013 at 10:16 pm
Hanban12 ELITE, Lake Worth, Florida
133 articles 7 photos 631 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put foundations under them.&quot;<br /> Henry David Thoreau<br /> <br /> &quot;I fell in love the way you fall asleep; slowly, and then all at once.&quot;<br /> John Green

View profile
Thank u sooooooo much!!!! :P
Fallen_ PLATINUM said...
on May. 14 2013 at 9:24 pm
Fallen_ PLATINUM, Quakertown, Pennsylvania
25 articles 3 photos 433 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot; a shattered world is only an opening into a new beginning with laughs, smiles, and love all around enter the world of the light and away from the broken darkness&quot;

View profile
sweet short but poerful and amazing! way to go you deserved this hannah soooo much
Hanban12 ELITE said...
on May. 13 2013 at 6:15 pm
Hanban12 ELITE, Lake Worth, Florida
133 articles 7 photos 631 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put foundations under them.&quot;<br /> Henry David Thoreau<br /> <br /> &quot;I fell in love the way you fall asleep; slowly, and then all at once.&quot;<br /> John Green

View profile
OMG thanks soo much for your feedback! You dont know how much it means to me ;) and I'll definitely check out ur work. Have a great day! :P
laurengerhard SILVER said...
on May. 12 2013 at 8:52 pm
laurengerhard SILVER, South Windsor, Connecticut
8 articles 0 photos 124 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;I am gone quite mad with the knowledge of accepting the overwhelming number of things I can never know, places I can never go, and people I can never be.&quot; -Sylvia Plath

View profile
Your last stanza is my favorite. This is beautifully written.
Laugh-it-Out PLATINUM said...
on May. 12 2013 at 8:48 pm
Laugh-it-Out PLATINUM, Brooklyn, New York, New York
38 articles 0 photos 445 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light&quot; --Dylan Thomas

View profile
THIS IS AMAZING AND CONGRATS ON THE EDITORS CHOICE!!!! Sorry, kinda excited for you. Wow, this is amazing. You had me at the title (not to mention the obvious red check beside it).  I loved the first words, but the second stanza is perfect, really. Absolutly wonderful, you have obvious talent my friend. This was really well done, from the rhyming to the show not tell action, you had me captivated the whole time! Really amazing job. Couldn't be better. Freaking Perfect!!! Okay, ;) Also, if you had time, would love if you could check  out some of my work! But this isn't about me, but you. Beautiful job, really. Keep rockin