Becoming a Young Cynic
By Jen Selinsky
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About this ebook
"Becoming a Young Cynic" was written during a time when the author was cynical about certain aspects of her life, though there are a few poems contain happier themes.
Jen Selinsky
Jen Selinsky was born in Pittsburgh, PA. In 2003, she earned her bachelor's degree in English from Clarion University of Pennsylvania. In 2004, she earned her master's degree in library science from the same school. Jen has worked as a professional librarian for over twelve years. She has published more than 170 books, most of which contain poetry. Her work can be found on the following sites: Lulu, Amazon, iTunes, Kobo, Barnes & Noble/Nook, Smashwords, and Pen It! Publications. She has also been featured in publications such as: The Courier Journal, Explorer Magazine, Liphar Magazine, and Indiana Libraries. Jen lives in Sellersburg, IN with her husband.
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Becoming a Young Cynic - Jen Selinsky
Becoming a Young Cynic
Jen Selinsky
Copyright © 2007 by Jen Selinsky
All rights reserved by the author. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission of the copyright holder.
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Cover Art Copyright © 1992, 2014 by Jen Selinsky and Travis Potts
ISBN: 9781370985944
*Not every poem included in this book is dated in chronological order. This is not an oversight on my part. Rather, I have made changes and substitutions over the years.
-J.L.S.
The distance between us
Is far too great.
I wish you were by my side
So that I could hold you
In my arms.
It seems that ages have passed
Between the time during which
I saw you last.
A tide will ebb somewhere
Across the world,
And watches will be drawn in the sand.
Right now, I’m desperately in need of
Your hand.
Seagulls fly overhead,
And I am so lonely.
(And) nothing provided here
Will make the void disappear.
I hope the situation becomes
Better in the end.
7/10/00
Farewell, my friend,
I hope this journey does you good.
Farewell, dear one,
May the rest of your days be filled with bliss.
Even though you’re leaving,
Never fear, for I shall keep you
In my heart—a place where you
Are safe from all harms.
And, with a mere beat,
A connection is made.
You and I shall become the same,
With our pulses running together.
Blood and veins make the thick
Transportation available for everyday use.
Love is going to come our way,
No matter how much others try to discourage
Its presence.
It’s coming…
7/10/00
The night is dark and desolate.
No stars are seen on the street—
Looking up at the cloudless sky.
Here I am waiting on the street
Corner; I’m waiting to see what
Happens.
I gladly inhale the fresh, night air.
That’s one thing that makes everything
So peaceful and serene,
And it’s the only thing that makes me
Feel secure.
A light breeze picks up,
And my hair floats loosely in the wind.
I am standing on the corner, waiting,
And I know that something is bound to
Happen soon…
7/10/00
Just like an Adonis,
You have the build of a great statue,
And your heart, most likely,
Is made of pure gold.
Whose voice doth sound sweeter
Than any tune played on a lyre?
And I must confess he makes
Better music than the lute.
Even though he’s sometimes mute,
I enjoy the silence as it is stifled
From within.
Oh, can it be such a sin to admire
Such qualities
Fit only for a god?
How odd it is, you say, to consider
Quite an idea.
Yet, I take my own advice
And keep my head up in
The clear
Until something new and interesting
Breaks for the with the dawning of the day.
7/10/00
I am starving for affection,
But my pride is on the other side of the room.
I came here for what I need,
And something is not fitting into my regime.
What’s wrong with this picture,
Nothing seems to be going the way I planned
(For it all to be).
The attention that I receive
Could lead to my downfall.
Strangling and stifling,
You let me go this one time.
Kicking and screaming all the way,
You can tell I don’t want to leave.
The air molecules get thicker,
And I find myself being unable
To breathe.
I am starving for affection.
7/10/00
How much of this is going to last?
My youth and beauty
Are going to be wasted.
All these years, I have come short
In my trying.
I should have kicked myself harder
Instead of finding comfort in crying.
I’m at a loss for words
Because I know not what to say.
Oh, no one’s here to comfort me,
And Time’s ticking off
The hours, while others
Laugh in my face.
Along with the loss of my youth and beauty,
I have the loss of innocence and freedom.
Decisions are coming up in my direction
And begging for me to let them be made.
7/10/00
Where are you going to be when
I decide to call upon you?
No sense in asking now
Because neither one of us
Knows the answer.
Oh, I hope that you will
Be near so that we can go through
The process together.
What are friends for if they
Can only share
The good times and lose interest
In you when up come the bad?
That’s some kind of
Shallow relationship,
But the point is that
I need you in my life,
And you need me just as much .
Besides the fact that we’ve known
Each other for years,
Our love has grown
A tremendous amount.
So many obstacles presented themselves
To us, but they have failed
Because of our
Undying devotion to love.
Nothing shall ever stand between us
And how we feel for each other.
9/20/01
Undermining Success
We all should smile more
At your victories,
For failure is not a word
Listed in your vocabulary.
Some may take you for granted,
And others may erect a shrine
In your name.
Whatever the case,
They all have to know that you exist.
There’s no deciding,
Unless you’re right by my side.
Oh, failure is no match for you
Because you always prevail;
Decorate your halls
With the finest gold—
A treasure fit for a queen.
You will guide me through to the
Right path so that I will never get lost
Again.
And, I will never undermine
You as long
As I shall live.
Come with me now so
That we can be together,
So that nothing can tear us apart.
9/20/01
Who was that man walking along the shore,
Bottom clad in black leather,
Body as thin as a rail?
His bare feet are kicking up sand
And they look like the diamonds
In the western, setting sun.
On Venice Beach in 1965,
The young man is about to meet
His friend upon his recent return
From a bummer
acid trip.
Now, he is about to share his works
With this man—then the world,
Thus allowing a space to open up
For his name.
Oh, little does he know
That his face will be remembered
For years after he’s gone.
Desired by pretty, young women
Jealousy in handsome, young men.
It all reminds me of A.E. Housman poem,
To an Athlete Dying Young.
He maintained his youth in the
Harshest way.
He (shall be) loved and hated
Throughout the world at different times,
And nothing else will be