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Shotgun Slumber MAG

April 22, 2009
By Megan Buckner BRONZE, Gilford, New Hampshire
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Megan Buckner BRONZE, Gilford, New Hampshire
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My face is smushed against the glass –
cheekbone and jawline numb from
the cold, and long hours spent pressed
against the window. Rhythmic breaths
create patches of fog along the contours of my nose and lips.

Out of the corner of my right eye
I catch glimpses of the landscape we
pass by, but I’ve seen it all before.
Concrete barriers and painted lines
keep my driver on course.

Beyond the asphalt and wildflower medians
sprawl cornfields, suburban neighborhoods,
vast parks. Perpetual movement fools me
and for a moment, I am stationary –
free to view the passing still frames
of others’ lives.

Another mile marker and tired eyes flutter –
the endless strings of telephone lines,
cow pastures and landfills blur together
as the lullaby resonating from the spinning
axles beneath my feet sings me to sleep again.

© Cassandra Y., Williamsport, PA

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JOIN THE DISCUSSION

This article has 158 comments.

JMThe-one GOLD said...
on Jan. 21 2011 at 12:19 pm
JMThe-one GOLD, Enfield, Connecticut
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Favorite Quote:
Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art... It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival.<br /> C. S. Lewis

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Me Too. lol
JMThe-one GOLD said...
on Jan. 21 2011 at 12:19 pm
JMThe-one GOLD, Enfield, Connecticut
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Favorite Quote:
Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art... It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival.<br /> C. S. Lewis

View profile
What would be the point in writing something if there was absolutely no purpose to it? Whether that purpose is to simply express emotion or something reater than that, there is still a purpose.
K.H.D. PLATINUM said...
on Jan. 20 2011 at 7:30 pm
K.H.D. PLATINUM, Fort Wayne, Indiana
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And to clarify... by "this," I meant my previous comment.
K.H.D. PLATINUM said...
on Jan. 20 2011 at 7:28 pm
K.H.D. PLATINUM, Fort Wayne, Indiana
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LMThe-one, please do not call me dumb...

If everything has meaning, what is the meaning to life in general?

I only wrote this to be heard. And heard I was. So thank you for reading.
And that last question was in no way meant to offend; I do appologize if I have.

jeanwolf GOLD said...
on Jan. 16 2011 at 7:42 pm
jeanwolf GOLD, Lodi, California
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good, keep it up!!

take a look at my work plz!!

josephdamian SILVER said...
on Jan. 16 2011 at 7:42 pm
josephdamian SILVER, Brampton,
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That was amazing
BeYOUtiful_13 BRONZE said...
on Jan. 16 2011 at 7:17 pm
BeYOUtiful_13 BRONZE, Tinley Park, Illinois
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i like it :)
foreverpoetryguy said...
on Jan. 16 2011 at 12:23 pm
Amazing poem.
JMThe-one GOLD said...
on Jan. 16 2011 at 11:46 am
JMThe-one GOLD, Enfield, Connecticut
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khD--- you are dumb. Everything has a meaning, and this poem is actually pretty good. It s full of symbolic meaning, and makes a lot of sense. Even if it wasn't meant to be interpreted that way.
JMThe-one GOLD said...
on Jan. 16 2011 at 11:43 am
JMThe-one GOLD, Enfield, Connecticut
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Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art... It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival.<br /> C. S. Lewis

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The title is good. It makes sense. If people don't get it(they might not be the most intelligent). It is obviously reference to riding shotgun in a car and falling asleep. Although it has more symbolic meaning than that.
JMThe-one GOLD said...
on Jan. 16 2011 at 11:41 am
JMThe-one GOLD, Enfield, Connecticut
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Favorite Quote:
Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art... It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival.<br /> C. S. Lewis

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Best I've seen on here in a while. Says a lot since I'm really critical.
Love4All SILVER said...
on Jan. 16 2011 at 10:58 am
Love4All SILVER, Hudson, Massachusetts
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i hadnt thought about it that way but now that you point it out, it makes a lot of sense
alymarie3 PLATINUM said...
on Jan. 12 2011 at 11:43 am
alymarie3 PLATINUM, Leavenworth, Kansas
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i'm a little confused, but i do like ur choice of words
Maxwell said...
on Dec. 25 2010 at 5:27 pm
Maxwell, Rochdale, Massachusetts
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I believe the title is referring to where the narrator is sitting: in the passenger's seat of the vehicle (shotgun).
Kingkhaos GOLD said...
on Dec. 3 2010 at 4:44 pm
Kingkhaos GOLD, Prosser, Washington
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Ama-za-zing

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could be too that the sleep was "sudden", so it was likened to a shotgun blast
CanNeverHoldMeBack GOLD said...
on Dec. 3 2010 at 1:57 pm
CanNeverHoldMeBack GOLD, Manhattan, Kansas
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friendships are like glass. sometimes it&#039;s better to leave them broken then hurt yourself trying to put them back together again.

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i liked it! great use of imagery! Good Job!!!
CanNeverHoldMeBack GOLD said...
on Dec. 3 2010 at 1:56 pm
CanNeverHoldMeBack GOLD, Manhattan, Kansas
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Favorite Quote:
friendships are like glass. sometimes it&#039;s better to leave them broken then hurt yourself trying to put them back together again.

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its like in the seat beside the driver is called 'shotgun' and they're fallign asleep, so the tittle makes sense.
silentvocal SILVER said...
on Dec. 3 2010 at 11:32 am
silentvocal SILVER, Chicago, Illinois
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im tryin to figure the title out aswell. lol-maybe its just a title open for interpretation-it seems sybolic in relation to the poem to me... :)
Savanne BRONZE said...
on Nov. 25 2010 at 2:41 pm
Savanne BRONZE, Colfax, California
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I really loved this poem, but I don't get the title?
K.H.D. PLATINUM said...
on Nov. 11 2010 at 8:28 pm
K.H.D. PLATINUM, Fort Wayne, Indiana
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To soontobe12, do not speak in place of God. Also, bmmspm was stating an opinion, not being mean. If they really wanted to be mean, they would have completely bashed it with a few choice words. They did not. The term "ok" is neither a negative nor positive comment; it's neutral.