This would be the place for teens to post their poetry and songs they've come up with. A few ground rules:

1) adults may only post constructive critiques, they may not post poems themselves. It is the teen forum, after all.

2) while none of these poems/lyrics may need to be religious, please keep in mind you're on a Catholic Forum, and that your content may only be as such. No sexual references, blaspheming, etc. Please keep this in mind.

3) If any of these rules are broken I will ask the mods to remove your reply.

Nathan,

Why don't you check with the youth leaders or the ByzanTeens and see if you can send out an email to everyone, making them aware of your idea.

Pani Rose

Forgive the dumb question, but who would I pm?

Nathan Email some kids from youth rally or pildrimage! they could start posting.

-Katie

Does it matter if your poems/ballads are a bit depressing??

I do a lot of songwriting I love poetry and yes I am a teen...

Here is one...

Poor Melbourne side

No where to hold me by day
No heart to warm me by night
I look dead lying there on the side of the road
In the streets of Melbourne, my home.

Is this my life for me?
A desert in a city
Hey, I ain’t no art show! I’m sensitive you know.
The only symphony I get would be a stare and a poke
In the streets of Melbourne, my home

Lying there at night, shivering from the cold
Counting the stars like days of my life
Faint from hunger, dried up from thirst.
Won’t someone spare me a crust?
In the streets of Melbourne, My home

Dear Howard will you consider me,
Worthy of a concern?
I lost my love long ago, I am a poor man
Poor in spirit and poor in the pocket.
Will someone please send me some money?
Addressed to,
The streets of Melbourne, My home

Today is no different from yesterday,
No new achievement just a step closer,
A step closer to when I will breathe no more
A day hungrier than before
A day more without a shower
A day more of,
Loneliness
In the streets of Melbourne, My home

Why won’t somebody care for a man like me?
No good to the economy, no good to human society.
It’s all covered up; it is all a lie, appearing to be good,
but a cult in disguise.
Is this the truth, or just my bitterness?
In the streets of Melbourne, My home


Suddenly the streets turn black
My heart won’t beat
My lungs fail
No energy left to go on
It’s the end for a life that had no purpose
In the streets of Melbourne, my grave


And here is more of an uplifting one.. this is a song...

Guardian Angel


Verse 1
Don’t try to hide it from me
I know that you are upset
I can hear you cry
And I can feel your pain
Now come to me, I will heal your soul
I promise that I’ll put you back on your feet.
Don’t cry for you’re not alone.
Don’t be afraid cause you can trust me.
No need to be apprehensive, because I’ll be your security.

Chorus
I am your guide, I am your wings
You can believe in me, don’t be afraid of me,
for I’m your guardian angel.
I was sent from light to save you from the dark
Don’t lose faith in me.
I’ll never leave you
I’m your guardian angel.

Verse 2
I’ll guard your soul; no harm will come to you.
Don’t weep life is full of trials,
I’ll be with you through every single one.
Trust me; I’ll never leave you,
I’ll never leave you, I’ll never leave you.
You can yell and scream at me.
You can try to ignore me, you can abuse me.
You can throw things at me.
No matter what you do, I’ll never leave you.

Chorus

Verse 3
Things can come true trust me they do
Don’t ever give in, don’t tremble and don’t fall before your fears,
If you do I’ll lift you up again, and defend you.
If you ever forsake the light, I’ll lead you back.
Now feel safe you’re not alone, you are chained, in my chains of protection.
There is no escaping me.
For I’m your guardian angel, I’ll follow you where ever you go.
Don’t cry, I’m here and I’ll never forsake you.

Chorus +2

I’m your guardian angel
I’m your guardian angel
I’m your guardian angel

Evanescence

Here's one I wrote awhile back, and it is ok if the stuff is depressing, most of the time when I'm writing it's to get depression out (works most of the time).

Brave Hearted

The last night we saw Brave while he was sane
We spent all night playing in the grieving rain
We pretended to be elves and dragons
Trying to save the fairy princess
Hoping with all our heart that the party wouldn't fall apart
We hoped the earth wouldn't swallow us in its misery
But the earth did swallow Brave it swallowed him in its misery
We grabbed onto him
Screaming at the top of our lungs
And then the world shook in its fury
The rage of a spoiled child that was denied
That's when Brave threw himself in
And the earth destroyed our friend
And we grieved with the rain of blood
We clawed at and cursed the earth for taking our friend
We grieved and cried and screamed for Brave
For the loving friend we had lost
I found him later lying on the ground
Water and blood all about him
He was bruised and battered but alive
Alive!
In our tears we never said a word
For the blood-rain had said everything we ever wanted to cry out

Wonderful! I am so proud of you guys doing this. I had a poetry thread running in the Town Hall for awhile, but in my laziness didn't keep it going. I'll have to recharge it as well from your inspirations here.

Poetry is really the opening of the soul to express what is good, true and beatiful - the Greeks even had special deities, the Muses, responsible for this.

Some of our greatest liturgical works in the Byzantine tradition are poetry, from such as John of Damascus, Cosmas, Romanos, etc.

Poetry is one of those things which can be a good into itself, an opening up to the realization and extolling of those things which are intrinsically and eternally good - from God.

When you write a poem about a sunset, a beautiful mountain, etc. is it not the extolling of the greatness of God's works like the Psalmist? Even in a "sad" poem, a lament - do we not have a hint of the sadness of the Cross? Of life and death itself, the victory won once and for all?

I've found poetry to be an incredible evangelical tool in this way. God bless you all and keep it up.
Deacon Diak

I want to encourage the Teens to keep up the good work!

What the heck, I'll put up another one I wrote...

First Born Syndrome

What would you do
If you cared nothing for yourself
If you'd gladly go to Hell
To save someone else
What would you do
If you wanted to give everything of yourself
And starve to death
So that someone can eat

Would you go with that urge
To block everybody out
So that they can be happy
Especially if you're not
Would you let yourself die
For someone you don't even know
So that they don't suffer
Even if you do

What would you do
If someone wanted you to care for yourself
To treat yourself only as you treat others
What would you do
If that person never left you alone
Trying to get you to care
For the uncarable unlovable you

Would you tell that person
That they were ridiculous
That they're worth saving
And you're not
Would you think that person strange
For trying to care
For the cow dung
That you think you are

Hey sorry man for buggin you
I didn't mean to
I didn't understand

Hey sorry man for telling you
That you were wrong
Even though I'm even worse

Maybe we both need to understand
God's saving plan
And that we're included

Maybe we both need to know
That what Christ did
Made it all right finally

Maybe we'll understand
It's ok to be loved
that we're worth the hurt

Maybe we both need to know
We have the classic first born syndrome

A gift and a curse it is
But where do we go from here?

I am the first-born too, and the only boy (with three younger sisters).

I wouldn't trade it for anything! I don't have a little brother always tagging along and trying to be like me, since I'm the oldest I get the most privileges, and now that I'm away at college whenever I come home my parents drop everything their doing for me! LOL...I think being a middle child would be a fate worse than death, frankly.

Logos Teen

I wrote this one a long time ago... geez when I was 15 or something. I don't really know why, but I did. It was intended to be a song....


straight roads and curving paths
intersecting at the red, the red branch
known only to those who seek a dwelling

dreams, hopes, faith

exposed to the morning light, guided by the evening sun
tears gather here welcomed, with the kiss of a brother
dust to be settled is dust arisen with cries of anguish
and the tears are welcomed
unknown love with unknown resolve to what is set out
with arms raised aloft, tears drawn, tears fallen

dreams, hope, faith
this is the doubter's theory


Ha! What was I thinking ?!?

Nathan,

Great poem. I am the oldest of my family with a younger brother. I completely relate to that poem.

What a blessing it is to be able to write poetry.

Gretchen

Ukrainiancatholic, what happened that made you write that (I actually enjoyed what you posted, by the way)? every once in a while I just look at stuff and it's good enough to ask what brought it on.

Nathan,

I'm not all that sure as to why I wrote that. It was a song I played a lot when I used to be semi-serious about guitar. I know my grandparents at that time had recently died and I was having girlfriend problems or something so it was probably a mixture of everything and probably trying to channel grief.

-uc

Ah, that makes far more sense. Makes it that much better too. Good job! I like the whole paths thing, because when you are in grief, that is what happens to you, things start to turn into roads in your mind....very very cool.