You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
this was a pretty average colleen hoover book but bc i always love the found family trope this one is definitely a favourite. the slam poetry was also surprisingly fun to read and i loved how stuff was revealed about the characters through their poems. will is an absolute sweetheart and one of the few men colleen writes that i don't have a burning hatred for. while i don't love the teacher student part the rest of the book was so heartbreaking but amazing at the same time. definitely recommend.
Wow, Colleen Hoover does it again. Her losing her mama was very sad. Especially since I had cancer. (6 years cancer free)
This book was SO addictive!! I loved this story so fucking much. Kel & Caulder we’re without a doubt my absolute favorite characters, but Eddie’s at a close third!! This story was so good, I really didn’t like it at first and the trope really bothered me, but after pushing through I’m so glad I did and the trope didn’t gross me out as much! I love Will & Layken and I loved the ending of this, even if Layken’s mom did have to die at the ending. I can’t wait to read the 2nd book!!
The book kept me wanting to read to come back and see what happened.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
This book had me all over the place with emotions. One minute I was laughing and then I would cry.
I really loved it. Can wait to read the rest of the series.
I really loved it. Can wait to read the rest of the series.
I sort of want to give this 5 stars, and I might when I mull over it a bit, but I just can't bring myself to do it right now. For those of you wondering, this book really is powerful and emotional. I couldn't put it down, I was angry and happy at the same time, and I felt invested in the characters. I absolutely adored the writing and I'm looking forward to the rest of the series. But adding the final star is up for debate due to the main character. To me, at times, she seemed incredibly selfish and immature. I cheered for her a lot in this story, but when she acted childish I couldn't stand her. Hopefully, my opinion of her will change in the future, but at the moment I feel a little overwhelmed by her.
Plot aside, holy crap did the author get me into slam poetry. I'm kind of in love with something I've never bothered looking into before. So kudos for peeking my interest. I even have the itch to slam some poetry myself, :)
Plot aside, holy crap did the author get me into slam poetry. I'm kind of in love with something I've never bothered looking into before. So kudos for peeking my interest. I even have the itch to slam some poetry myself, :)
this book was amazingggggg. I loved the poetry so so so much and OF COURSE now I can add this to my list of CoHo books that have made me cry.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
slammed
another amazing book from colleen hoover like you can't put down the book, it would be hard because you wanna know every detail about the character life amd that what keeps you hanging through the book l, the connection between the past and the present and how it affects everyone, coolleen is amazing with this aspect.
lets go back to the book this book talks about death and the shock that comes with it, the responsibility the comes after it, the pain that keeps hunting you over and over again, until you find the pick of the light (love) that would hwlp you to go through all of this but having the shock of your life because of this love unable to let go of it cz you're breathing because of it and you have to leave it because of the reality of your life, like this books teaches you alot about appreciation, love, sacrifice, alot more.. just loved Will character and the way he thinks and how responsible he can be and the sacrifices that he made that tore him apart just prefect.
and lake's character that made me feel weak, and how weak she was for the whole journey and that the only wall she can relay on, was breaking into tiny little pieces leaving her with the pain and the shock of life, she is tough though even after all the things she is being through.
REMARK all the poems are inserted here so be carful not to read them until you finish the book
I'm as nowhere as I can be, Could you add some somewhere to me
"It won't take long for me To tell you who I am. Well you hear this voice right now Well that's pretty much all I am." -The Avett Brothers, Gimmeakiss
Does he treat you with respect at all times? That’s the first question. The second question is, if he is the exact same person twenty years from now that he is today, would you still want to marry him? And finally , does he inspire you to want to be a better person? You find someone you can answer yes to all three, then you’ve found a good man."
But I can tell by watching you That there's no chance of pushing through The odds are so against us You know most young love, it ends like this." -The Avett Brothers, I Would Be Sad
"I am sick of wanting And it's evil how it's got me And every day is worse Than the one before." -The Avett Brothers, Ill With Want
Expectations , evaluations, internal evasions Fly out of me like puddles of blood from a wound A fetus from the womb of a corpse in a tomb Withered and strewn like red sheets on the bed Of an immaculate room. I can't breathe , I can't win, From this indelible position I'm in It controls the only piece of my unfortunate soul Left to fend for itself in this hollowed out hole That I dug from within, like a prisoner in An unlocked cell sitting in the deepest pits of hell Unencumbered he's not in his sweltering spot He could open the door 'cause he don't need a damn key But then again, Why would he? Circumlocution is his
I don't know if he's being 'Will' right now. I don't understand the angle he's coming at me from. I don't know whether or not to obey him, or punch him. I don't walk very far into his room. I fold my arms across my chest and attempt to look annoyed.
I don't know if he's being 'Will' right now. I don't understand the angle he's coming at me from. I don't know whether or not to obey him, or punch him. I don't walk very far into his room. I fold my arms across my chest and attempt to look annoyed.
I somehow fell asleep in Will's bed again. I know this, because when I opened my eyes, I was no longer crying. See? People can't cry forever. Everyone eventually falls asleep.
I look at all the houses along the street. They're all so similar and I can't help but try to imagine the differences of all the families inside the homes. I wonder if any of them are hiding secrets? If any of them are falling in love? Or out of love? Are they happy? Sad? Scared? Broke? Lonely? Do they appreciate what they have? Do Gus and Erica appreciate their health? Does Scott appreciate his supplemental rental income? Because every bit of it, every last bit of it is fleeting. Nothing is permanent. The only thing any of us have in common is the inevitable. We'll all eventually die.
I look at all the houses along the street. They're all so similar and I can't help but try to imagine the differences of all the families inside the homes. I wonder if any of them are hiding secrets? If any of them are falling in love? Or out of love? Are they happy? Sad? Scared? Broke? Lonely? Do they appreciate what they have? Do Gus and Erica appreciate their health? Does Scott appreciate his supplemental rental income? Because every bit of it, every last bit of it is fleeting. Nothing is permanent. The only thing any of us have in common is the inevitable. We'll all eventually die.
People don't like to talk about death because… it makes them sad
If they only would have been prepared, accepted the inevitable, laid out their plans ,
I'm starting to accept it. That we won't be together. That we can't be together. Especially the last two nights he's been here. It really feels like we've finally transitioned. There are definitely still moments, but none we're not able to overcome. It's only October and he'll be my teacher until June. That's still eight long months. When I look at the shift my life has made in the past eight months, I can't fathom what my life will be eight months from now. When I lie down and close my eyes, I make a resolution. Will is not going to be my first priority anymore. I'm putting my mother first, Kel second and life third. Finally. He no longer has a hold on me.
-Don't stop making basagna. Basagna is good. Wait until a day when there is no bad news, and bake a damn basagna. -Find a balance between head and heart. Hopefully you've found that Lake, and you can help Kel sort it out when he gets to that point. -Push your boundaries, that's what they're there for. -I'm stealing this snippet from your favorite band, Lake. "Always remember there is nothing worth sharing, like the love that let us share our name." -Don't take life too seriously. Punch it in the face when it needs a good hit. Laugh at it. -And Laugh a lot . Never go a day without laughing at least once. -Never judge others. You both know good and well how unexpected events can change who a person is. Always keep that in mind. You never know what someone else is experiencing within their own life. -Question everything . Your love, your religion, your passions. If you don't have questions, you'll never find answers. -Be accepting. Of everything. People's differences, their similarities, their choices, their personalities. Sometimes it takes a variety to make a good collection. The same goes for people. -Choose your battles, but don't choose very many. -Keep an open mind; it's the only way new things can get in. -And last but not least, not the tiniest bit least. Never regret. Thank you both for giving me the best years of my life. Especially the last one. Love, Mom
met a girl in a U-Haul. A beautiful girl And I fell for her. I fell hard. Unfortunately, sometimes life gets in the way. Life definitely got in my way. It got all up in my damn way, Life blocked the door with a stack of wooden 2x4's nailed together and attached to a fifteen inch concrete wall behind a row of solid steel bars , bolted to a titanium frame that no matter how hard I shoved against it - It wouldn't budge. Sometimes life doesn't budge. It just gets all up in your damn way. It blocked my plans , my dreams , my desires , my wishes , my wants , my needs. It blocked out that beautiful girl That I fell so hard for. Life tries to tell you what's best for you What should be most important to you What should come in first Or second Or third. I tried so hard to keep it all organized, alphabetized, stacked in chronological order, everything in its perfect space, its perfect place. I thought that's what life wanted me to do. This is what life needed for me to do. Right? Keep it all in sequence? Sometimes, life gets in your way. It gets all up in your damn way. But it doesn't get all up in your damn way because it wants you to just give up and let it take control . Life doesn't get all up in your damn way because it just wants you to hand it all over and be carried along. Life wants you to fight it. Learn how to make it your own. It wants you to grab an axe and hack through the wood. It wants you to get a sledgehammer and break through the concrete. It wants you to grab a torch and burn through the metal and steel until you can reach through and grab it. Life wants you to grab all the organized, the alphabetized , the chronological, the sequenced. It wants you to mix it all together , stir it up, blend it. Life doesn't want you to let it tell you that your little brother should be the only thing that comes first. Life doesn't want you to let it tell you that your career and your education should be the only thing that comes in second. And life definitely doesn't want me To just let it tell me that the girl I met, The beautiful, strong, amazing, resilient girl That I fell so hard for Should only come in third. Life knows. Life is trying to tell me That the girl I love, The girl I fell So hard for? There's room for her in first. I'm putting her first.
I got schooled this year. By everyone. By my little brother… by The Avett Brothers… by my mother , my best friend , my teacher , my father , and by a boy. a boy that I'm seriously, deeply, madly, incredibly, and undeniably in love with… I got so schooled this year. By a nine -year-old. He taught me that it's okay to live life a little backwards.And how to laugh At what you would think is un-laughable. I got schooled this year By a Band! They taught me how to find that feeling of feeling again. They taught me how to decide what to be And go be it. I got schooled this year. By a cancer patient. She taught me so much. She's still teaching me so much. She taught me to question.To never regret. She taught me to push my boundaries, Because that's what they're there for. She told me to find a balance between head and heart And then she taught me how … I got schooled this year By a Foster Kid She taught me to respect the hand that I was dealt. And to be grateful I was even dealt a hand. She taught me that family Doesn't have to be blood. Sometimes your family are your friends. I got schooled this year By my teacher He taught me That the points are not the point, The point is poetry … I got schooled this year By my father. He taught me that hero's aren't always invincible And that the magic is within me.. I got schooled this year by a Boy. a boy that I'm seriously, deeply, madly, incredibly, and undeniably in love with. And he taught me the most important thing of all … To put the emphasis On life.
I used to love the ocean. Everything about her. Her coral reefs , her white caps , her roaring waves , the rocks they lap , her pirate legends and mermaid tails, Treasures lost and treasures held… And ALL Of her fish In the sea. Yes, I used to love the ocean, Everything about her. The way she would sing me to sleep as I lay in my bed then wake me with a force That I soon came to dread. Her fables , her lies, her misleading eyes, I'd drain her dry If I cared enough to. I used to love the ocean, Everything about her. Her coral reefs , her white caps, her roaring waves , the rocks they lap , her pirate legends and mermaid tails, treasures lost and treasures held. And ALL Of her fish In the sea. Well, if you've ever tried navigating your sailboat through her stormy seas , you would realize that her white caps are your enemies . If you've ever tried swimming ashore when your leg gets a cramp and you just had a huge meal of In-n-Out burgers that's weighing you down, and her roaring waves are knocking the wind out of you, filling your lungs with water as you flail your arms, trying to get someone's attention, but your friends just wave back at you? And if you've ever grown up with dreams in your head about life , and how one of these days you would pirate your own ship and have your own crew and that all of the mermaids would love only you? Well , you would realize… Like I eventually realized… That all the good things about her?All the beautiful?
It's not real.
It's fake.
So you keep your ocean,
I'll take the Lake.
My name is Olivia King I am five years old. My mother bought me a balloon . I remember the day she walked through the front door with it. The curly hot pink ribbon trickling down her arm, wrapped around her wrist . She was smiling at me as she untied the ribbon and wrapped it around my hand. “ Here Livie, I bought this for you.” She called me Livie. I was so happy. I’d never had a balloon before. I mean, I always saw balloons wrapped around other kids wrists in the parking lot of Wal-Mart , but I never dreamed I would have my very own . My very own pink balloon. I was so excited! So ecstatic! So thrilled! I couldn’t believe my mother bought me something! She’d never bought me anything before! I played with it for hours . It was full of helium and it danced and swayed and floated as I drug it around from room to room with me, thinking of places to take it. Thinking of places the balloon had never been before. I took it in the bathroom, the closet, the laundry room, the kitchen, the living room . I wanted my new best friend to see everything I saw! I took it to my mother’s bedroom! My mothers Bedroom? Where I wasn’t supposed to be? With my pink balloon… I covered my ears as she screamed at me, wiping the evidence off of her nose! She slapped me across the face as she told me how bad I was! How much I misbehaved! How I never listened! She shoved me into the hallway and slammed the door, locking my pink balloon inside with her. I wanted him back! He was my best friend ! Not hers! The pink ribbon was still tied around my wrist so I pulled and pulled, trying to get my new best friend away from her. And it popped. My name is Eddie. I’m seventeen years old. My birthday is next week. I’ll be the big One-Eight . My foster dad is buying me these boots I’ve been wanting. I’m sure my friends will take me out to eat. My boyfriend will buy me a gift, maybe even take me to a movie. I’ll even get a nice little card from my foster care worker, wishing me a happy eighteenth birthday, informing me I’ve aged out of the system . I’ll have a good time. I know I will. But there’s one thing I know for sure. I better not get any shitty ass pink balloons!
One million, fifty one thousand and two hundred minutes. That's approximately how many minutes I've loved you, It's how many minutes I've thought about you, How many minutes I've worried about you, How many minutes I've thanked God for you, How many minutes I've thanked every deity in the Universe for you. One million Fifty one thousand And Two Hundred Minutes… One million, fifty one thousand and two hundred times. It's how many times you've made me smile, How many times you’ve made me dream, How many times you’ve made me believe, How many times you’ve made me discover, How many times you’ve made me adore, How many times you’ve made me cherish, My life. (Gavin walks toward the back of the room where Eddie is sitting. He bends down on one knee in front of her as he reads the last line of his poem.) And exactly one million, fifty one thousand and two hundred minutes from now , I'm going to propose to you, and ask that you share all the rest of the minutes of your life with me.
Death . The only thing inevitable in life. People don’t like to talk about death because it makes them sad. They don’t want to imagine how life will go on without them, all the people they love will briefly grieve but continue to breathe . They don’t want to imagine how life will go on without them , Their children will still grow Get married Get old … They don’t want to imagine how life will continue to go on without them, Their material things will be sold Their medical files stamped ‘closed’ Their name becoming a memory to everyone they know . They don’t want to imagine how life will go on without them, so instead of accepting it head on , they avoid the subject altogether , hoping and praying it will somehow pass them by. Forget about them, moving on to the next one in line. No, they didn’t want to imagine how life would continue to go on… without them. But death didn’t forget. Instead they were met head-on by death, disguised as an eighteen-wheelerbehind a cloud of fog. No. Death didn’t forget about them . If they only would have been prepared, accepted the inevitable, laid out their plans , understood that it wasn’t just their lives at hand. I may have legally been considered an adult at the age of nineteen, but I still felt very much all of just nineteen. Unprepared and overwhelmed to suddenly have the entire life of a seven-year-old In my realm. Death. The only thing inevitable in life .
could poke my thumbs through when it was cold but I didn't feel like wearing gloves ? It was the same sweater you said made my eyes look like reflections of the stars on the ocean . I told you I was three weeks late . You said it was fate. You promised to love me forever that night… and boy did you ever ! It was the first day of May. I was wearing my blue sweater, although this time the double stitched hem was worn and the strength of each thread tested as they were pulled tight against my growing belly. You know the one. The same one I bought at Dillard’s ? The one with holes in the ends of the sleeves that I could poke my thumbs through when it was cold but I didn't feel like wearing gloves ? It was the same sweater you said made my eyes look like reflections of the stars on the ocean . The SAME sweater you RIPPED off of my body as you shoved me to the floor, calling me a whore ,telling me you didn't love me anymore. Bom Bom... Bom Bom... Bom Bom... Do you hear that? That's the sound of my heart beating. Bom Bom... Bom Bom... Bom Bom... Do you hear that? That's the sound of your heart beating. (There is a long silence as she clasps her hands to her stomach, tears streaming down her face) Do you hear that? Of course you don't. That's the silence of my womb. Because you RIPPED OFF MY SWEATER!
another amazing book from colleen hoover like you can't put down the book, it would be hard because you wanna know every detail about the character life amd that what keeps you hanging through the book l, the connection between the past and the present and how it affects everyone, coolleen is amazing with this aspect.
lets go back to the book this book talks about death and the shock that comes with it, the responsibility the comes after it, the pain that keeps hunting you over and over again, until you find the pick of the light (love) that would hwlp you to go through all of this but having the shock of your life because of this love unable to let go of it cz you're breathing because of it and you have to leave it because of the reality of your life, like this books teaches you alot about appreciation, love, sacrifice, alot more.. just loved Will character and the way he thinks and how responsible he can be and the sacrifices that he made that tore him apart just prefect.
and lake's character that made me feel weak, and how weak she was for the whole journey and that the only wall she can relay on, was breaking into tiny little pieces leaving her with the pain and the shock of life, she is tough though even after all the things she is being through.
REMARK all the poems are inserted here so be carful not to read them until you finish the book
I'm as nowhere as I can be, Could you add some somewhere to me
"It won't take long for me To tell you who I am. Well you hear this voice right now Well that's pretty much all I am." -The Avett Brothers, Gimmeakiss
Does he treat you with respect at all times? That’s the first question. The second question is, if he is the exact same person twenty years from now that he is today, would you still want to marry him? And finally , does he inspire you to want to be a better person? You find someone you can answer yes to all three, then you’ve found a good man."
But I can tell by watching you That there's no chance of pushing through The odds are so against us You know most young love, it ends like this." -The Avett Brothers, I Would Be Sad
"I am sick of wanting And it's evil how it's got me And every day is worse Than the one before." -The Avett Brothers, Ill With Want
Expectations , evaluations, internal evasions Fly out of me like puddles of blood from a wound A fetus from the womb of a corpse in a tomb Withered and strewn like red sheets on the bed Of an immaculate room. I can't breathe , I can't win, From this indelible position I'm in It controls the only piece of my unfortunate soul Left to fend for itself in this hollowed out hole That I dug from within, like a prisoner in An unlocked cell sitting in the deepest pits of hell Unencumbered he's not in his sweltering spot He could open the door 'cause he don't need a damn key But then again, Why would he? Circumlocution is his
I don't know if he's being 'Will' right now. I don't understand the angle he's coming at me from. I don't know whether or not to obey him, or punch him. I don't walk very far into his room. I fold my arms across my chest and attempt to look annoyed.
I don't know if he's being 'Will' right now. I don't understand the angle he's coming at me from. I don't know whether or not to obey him, or punch him. I don't walk very far into his room. I fold my arms across my chest and attempt to look annoyed.
I somehow fell asleep in Will's bed again. I know this, because when I opened my eyes, I was no longer crying. See? People can't cry forever. Everyone eventually falls asleep.
I look at all the houses along the street. They're all so similar and I can't help but try to imagine the differences of all the families inside the homes. I wonder if any of them are hiding secrets? If any of them are falling in love? Or out of love? Are they happy? Sad? Scared? Broke? Lonely? Do they appreciate what they have? Do Gus and Erica appreciate their health? Does Scott appreciate his supplemental rental income? Because every bit of it, every last bit of it is fleeting. Nothing is permanent. The only thing any of us have in common is the inevitable. We'll all eventually die.
I look at all the houses along the street. They're all so similar and I can't help but try to imagine the differences of all the families inside the homes. I wonder if any of them are hiding secrets? If any of them are falling in love? Or out of love? Are they happy? Sad? Scared? Broke? Lonely? Do they appreciate what they have? Do Gus and Erica appreciate their health? Does Scott appreciate his supplemental rental income? Because every bit of it, every last bit of it is fleeting. Nothing is permanent. The only thing any of us have in common is the inevitable. We'll all eventually die.
People don't like to talk about death because… it makes them sad
If they only would have been prepared, accepted the inevitable, laid out their plans ,
I'm starting to accept it. That we won't be together. That we can't be together. Especially the last two nights he's been here. It really feels like we've finally transitioned. There are definitely still moments, but none we're not able to overcome. It's only October and he'll be my teacher until June. That's still eight long months. When I look at the shift my life has made in the past eight months, I can't fathom what my life will be eight months from now. When I lie down and close my eyes, I make a resolution. Will is not going to be my first priority anymore. I'm putting my mother first, Kel second and life third. Finally. He no longer has a hold on me.
-Don't stop making basagna. Basagna is good. Wait until a day when there is no bad news, and bake a damn basagna. -Find a balance between head and heart. Hopefully you've found that Lake, and you can help Kel sort it out when he gets to that point. -Push your boundaries, that's what they're there for. -I'm stealing this snippet from your favorite band, Lake. "Always remember there is nothing worth sharing, like the love that let us share our name." -Don't take life too seriously. Punch it in the face when it needs a good hit. Laugh at it. -And Laugh a lot . Never go a day without laughing at least once. -Never judge others. You both know good and well how unexpected events can change who a person is. Always keep that in mind. You never know what someone else is experiencing within their own life. -Question everything . Your love, your religion, your passions. If you don't have questions, you'll never find answers. -Be accepting. Of everything. People's differences, their similarities, their choices, their personalities. Sometimes it takes a variety to make a good collection. The same goes for people. -Choose your battles, but don't choose very many. -Keep an open mind; it's the only way new things can get in. -And last but not least, not the tiniest bit least. Never regret. Thank you both for giving me the best years of my life. Especially the last one. Love, Mom
met a girl in a U-Haul. A beautiful girl And I fell for her. I fell hard. Unfortunately, sometimes life gets in the way. Life definitely got in my way. It got all up in my damn way, Life blocked the door with a stack of wooden 2x4's nailed together and attached to a fifteen inch concrete wall behind a row of solid steel bars , bolted to a titanium frame that no matter how hard I shoved against it - It wouldn't budge. Sometimes life doesn't budge. It just gets all up in your damn way. It blocked my plans , my dreams , my desires , my wishes , my wants , my needs. It blocked out that beautiful girl That I fell so hard for. Life tries to tell you what's best for you What should be most important to you What should come in first Or second Or third. I tried so hard to keep it all organized, alphabetized, stacked in chronological order, everything in its perfect space, its perfect place. I thought that's what life wanted me to do. This is what life needed for me to do. Right? Keep it all in sequence? Sometimes, life gets in your way. It gets all up in your damn way. But it doesn't get all up in your damn way because it wants you to just give up and let it take control . Life doesn't get all up in your damn way because it just wants you to hand it all over and be carried along. Life wants you to fight it. Learn how to make it your own. It wants you to grab an axe and hack through the wood. It wants you to get a sledgehammer and break through the concrete. It wants you to grab a torch and burn through the metal and steel until you can reach through and grab it. Life wants you to grab all the organized, the alphabetized , the chronological, the sequenced. It wants you to mix it all together , stir it up, blend it. Life doesn't want you to let it tell you that your little brother should be the only thing that comes first. Life doesn't want you to let it tell you that your career and your education should be the only thing that comes in second. And life definitely doesn't want me To just let it tell me that the girl I met, The beautiful, strong, amazing, resilient girl That I fell so hard for Should only come in third. Life knows. Life is trying to tell me That the girl I love, The girl I fell So hard for? There's room for her in first. I'm putting her first.
I got schooled this year. By everyone. By my little brother… by The Avett Brothers… by my mother , my best friend , my teacher , my father , and by a boy. a boy that I'm seriously, deeply, madly, incredibly, and undeniably in love with… I got so schooled this year. By a nine -year-old. He taught me that it's okay to live life a little backwards.And how to laugh At what you would think is un-laughable. I got schooled this year By a Band! They taught me how to find that feeling of feeling again. They taught me how to decide what to be And go be it. I got schooled this year. By a cancer patient. She taught me so much. She's still teaching me so much. She taught me to question.To never regret. She taught me to push my boundaries, Because that's what they're there for. She told me to find a balance between head and heart And then she taught me how … I got schooled this year By a Foster Kid She taught me to respect the hand that I was dealt. And to be grateful I was even dealt a hand. She taught me that family Doesn't have to be blood. Sometimes your family are your friends. I got schooled this year By my teacher He taught me That the points are not the point, The point is poetry … I got schooled this year By my father. He taught me that hero's aren't always invincible And that the magic is within me.. I got schooled this year by a Boy. a boy that I'm seriously, deeply, madly, incredibly, and undeniably in love with. And he taught me the most important thing of all … To put the emphasis On life.
I used to love the ocean. Everything about her. Her coral reefs , her white caps , her roaring waves , the rocks they lap , her pirate legends and mermaid tails, Treasures lost and treasures held… And ALL Of her fish In the sea. Yes, I used to love the ocean, Everything about her. The way she would sing me to sleep as I lay in my bed then wake me with a force That I soon came to dread. Her fables , her lies, her misleading eyes, I'd drain her dry If I cared enough to. I used to love the ocean, Everything about her. Her coral reefs , her white caps, her roaring waves , the rocks they lap , her pirate legends and mermaid tails, treasures lost and treasures held. And ALL Of her fish In the sea. Well, if you've ever tried navigating your sailboat through her stormy seas , you would realize that her white caps are your enemies . If you've ever tried swimming ashore when your leg gets a cramp and you just had a huge meal of In-n-Out burgers that's weighing you down, and her roaring waves are knocking the wind out of you, filling your lungs with water as you flail your arms, trying to get someone's attention, but your friends just wave back at you? And if you've ever grown up with dreams in your head about life , and how one of these days you would pirate your own ship and have your own crew and that all of the mermaids would love only you? Well , you would realize… Like I eventually realized… That all the good things about her?All the beautiful?
It's not real.
It's fake.
So you keep your ocean,
I'll take the Lake.
My name is Olivia King I am five years old. My mother bought me a balloon . I remember the day she walked through the front door with it. The curly hot pink ribbon trickling down her arm, wrapped around her wrist . She was smiling at me as she untied the ribbon and wrapped it around my hand. “ Here Livie, I bought this for you.” She called me Livie. I was so happy. I’d never had a balloon before. I mean, I always saw balloons wrapped around other kids wrists in the parking lot of Wal-Mart , but I never dreamed I would have my very own . My very own pink balloon. I was so excited! So ecstatic! So thrilled! I couldn’t believe my mother bought me something! She’d never bought me anything before! I played with it for hours . It was full of helium and it danced and swayed and floated as I drug it around from room to room with me, thinking of places to take it. Thinking of places the balloon had never been before. I took it in the bathroom, the closet, the laundry room, the kitchen, the living room . I wanted my new best friend to see everything I saw! I took it to my mother’s bedroom! My mothers Bedroom? Where I wasn’t supposed to be? With my pink balloon… I covered my ears as she screamed at me, wiping the evidence off of her nose! She slapped me across the face as she told me how bad I was! How much I misbehaved! How I never listened! She shoved me into the hallway and slammed the door, locking my pink balloon inside with her. I wanted him back! He was my best friend ! Not hers! The pink ribbon was still tied around my wrist so I pulled and pulled, trying to get my new best friend away from her. And it popped. My name is Eddie. I’m seventeen years old. My birthday is next week. I’ll be the big One-Eight . My foster dad is buying me these boots I’ve been wanting. I’m sure my friends will take me out to eat. My boyfriend will buy me a gift, maybe even take me to a movie. I’ll even get a nice little card from my foster care worker, wishing me a happy eighteenth birthday, informing me I’ve aged out of the system . I’ll have a good time. I know I will. But there’s one thing I know for sure. I better not get any shitty ass pink balloons!
One million, fifty one thousand and two hundred minutes. That's approximately how many minutes I've loved you, It's how many minutes I've thought about you, How many minutes I've worried about you, How many minutes I've thanked God for you, How many minutes I've thanked every deity in the Universe for you. One million Fifty one thousand And Two Hundred Minutes… One million, fifty one thousand and two hundred times. It's how many times you've made me smile, How many times you’ve made me dream, How many times you’ve made me believe, How many times you’ve made me discover, How many times you’ve made me adore, How many times you’ve made me cherish, My life. (Gavin walks toward the back of the room where Eddie is sitting. He bends down on one knee in front of her as he reads the last line of his poem.) And exactly one million, fifty one thousand and two hundred minutes from now , I'm going to propose to you, and ask that you share all the rest of the minutes of your life with me.
Death . The only thing inevitable in life. People don’t like to talk about death because it makes them sad. They don’t want to imagine how life will go on without them, all the people they love will briefly grieve but continue to breathe . They don’t want to imagine how life will go on without them , Their children will still grow Get married Get old … They don’t want to imagine how life will continue to go on without them, Their material things will be sold Their medical files stamped ‘closed’ Their name becoming a memory to everyone they know . They don’t want to imagine how life will go on without them, so instead of accepting it head on , they avoid the subject altogether , hoping and praying it will somehow pass them by. Forget about them, moving on to the next one in line. No, they didn’t want to imagine how life would continue to go on… without them. But death didn’t forget. Instead they were met head-on by death, disguised as an eighteen-wheelerbehind a cloud of fog. No. Death didn’t forget about them . If they only would have been prepared, accepted the inevitable, laid out their plans , understood that it wasn’t just their lives at hand. I may have legally been considered an adult at the age of nineteen, but I still felt very much all of just nineteen. Unprepared and overwhelmed to suddenly have the entire life of a seven-year-old In my realm. Death. The only thing inevitable in life .
could poke my thumbs through when it was cold but I didn't feel like wearing gloves ? It was the same sweater you said made my eyes look like reflections of the stars on the ocean . I told you I was three weeks late . You said it was fate. You promised to love me forever that night… and boy did you ever ! It was the first day of May. I was wearing my blue sweater, although this time the double stitched hem was worn and the strength of each thread tested as they were pulled tight against my growing belly. You know the one. The same one I bought at Dillard’s ? The one with holes in the ends of the sleeves that I could poke my thumbs through when it was cold but I didn't feel like wearing gloves ? It was the same sweater you said made my eyes look like reflections of the stars on the ocean . The SAME sweater you RIPPED off of my body as you shoved me to the floor, calling me a whore ,telling me you didn't love me anymore. Bom Bom... Bom Bom... Bom Bom... Do you hear that? That's the sound of my heart beating. Bom Bom... Bom Bom... Bom Bom... Do you hear that? That's the sound of your heart beating. (There is a long silence as she clasps her hands to her stomach, tears streaming down her face) Do you hear that? Of course you don't. That's the silence of my womb. Because you RIPPED OFF MY SWEATER!