All I Need Is a Friend | Teen Ink

All I Need Is a Friend MAG

January 28, 2009
By Ryan Moran BRONZE, Mt. Prospect, Illinois
Ryan Moran BRONZE, Mt. Prospect, Illinois
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

Books fill up my room.
Not baseball cards,
or pictures of girls,
or basketballs.
Maybe a blown up picture of …
… Pam Anderson might help.

Black-framed glasses
and a white,
pale,
lanky
body.
I should start working out.

At least I can read.
I read four books a day last summer.
The librarian,
80-year-old Mrs. Woodsworth,
she knows my middle name.
If only I had a real friend.
I am sick of seeing her old,
bony,
pale body.
Although it resembles mine.

The kids at school laugh.
Is it the way I dress?
Lacoste,
Ralph Lauren,
La Tigre.
I’ve tried every designer out there.
Staying in the house really saves me money.
My stupid rich parents give me $50 a week for lunch.
$50 times 36 weeks …
what is that?
$1,000,
$2,000,
$10,000?
I should probably know.
Straight A’s 12 years in a row
and counting.

With all of this,
or none of this –
it depends how you look at it –
all I need is a friend.



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This article has 1547 comments.


Twilightnme said...
on Oct. 9 2009 at 11:26 pm
Oh my goodness. I really like this story. Its like life in written form...its pleasing...

on Oct. 8 2009 at 8:53 pm
JenniferB. SILVER, Harvey, Louisiana
6 articles 0 photos 88 comments
I really like this poem !!!

on Oct. 8 2009 at 8:41 pm
Kitten111 SILVER, Watanobbi, Other
6 articles 0 photos 48 comments

Favorite Quote:
Knowledge is knowing that tomato is a fruit ..... wisdom is not putting it in fruit salad :P

*hug* my new best friend :P great work

on Oct. 8 2009 at 6:39 pm
cross.fire BRONZE, Monroe, Louisiana
2 articles 0 photos 9 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Love is the fire and hope is what burns."

hahaha. You are never going to believe this but um.... This reminds me of a friend of mine...!

on Oct. 8 2009 at 12:35 pm
Zad Bacha BRONZE, Avezzano, Other
2 articles 0 photos 15 comments
This is a wonderful poem! I coul absolutely relate. Can we be friends?

NeverMind said...
on Oct. 6 2009 at 7:03 pm
Crazy poem man, it made me really think hard...I gotta lay down.

on Oct. 4 2009 at 11:41 am
cheerchick4 SILVER, Beaumont, Texas
5 articles 0 photos 20 comments

Favorite Quote:
All is fair in love and war

Books are wonderful, but sometimes you need a friend. Love the poem. awesome

on Oct. 1 2009 at 11:52 pm
Good theme...The librarian knows my name too!^^; Don't feel down, friends are just people, and in my opinion, books are better. The words are a little plain, perhaps with a bit of editing (?) it could become something far more...Fantastic?:)

I feel as though the poem is relatable, even though I do what people I consider 'friends'. Most of them may as well be the air that we breath. Adilecence is so cliche.

iwantcoconow said...
on Sep. 25 2009 at 3:05 am
iwantcoconow, Bronx,ny, New York
0 articles 0 photos 81 comments
I NEED A FRIEND TOO

on Sep. 17 2009 at 11:09 pm
choirchic101 SILVER, Norwalk, California
9 articles 0 photos 196 comments

Favorite Quote:
in order for God to use all of you you have to be completely broken

wow that was amazing. it makes me feel like wow. i can't even describe it. keep on writing this is amazing

Alice28 said...
on Sep. 16 2009 at 9:00 pm
That poem discribes exactily how i feel almost every day. i try so hard to fit in....and really dont know wat i'm doing wrong...though alteast now i know im not the only one.

amanika said...
on Sep. 16 2009 at 7:51 pm
dont try so much the reason i dont like rich people is cause they try being cool way to hard and they make themselves stupid just dont think about looks or anything (dont make yourself ugly either) just notice the good things and think about how good you look and if your sure about yourself no one will bother u im not rich so i dont know if itll work but since im completly broke and like to prank people a lot and stuff like that i dont really care

_NoAir_ BRONZE said...
on Sep. 16 2009 at 5:11 pm
_NoAir_ BRONZE, Toronto, Other
4 articles 1 photo 463 comments

Favorite Quote:
There are as many ways to live as there are people in this world. Each one deserves a closer look.


–Golly (Harriet The Spy)

I LUV THAT POEM SO COOL! i know just what you feel! i sort of need a friend myself. lonely teenager... :C

on Sep. 16 2009 at 10:48 am
Aro_To_The_Heart PLATINUM, Mandeville, Louisiana
47 articles 7 photos 49 comments

Favorite Quote:
Why is it that, as a culture, we are more comfortable seeing two men holding guns than hands?

-Ernest Gaines.

I really enjoyed this poem because it reminds me so much of how people are. In school you have cliques. In society has "social status". In business you have the "corporate ladder". If we learned how to throw it all away we wouldn't have people like this. bravo. Upon my word as a writer i congratulate you. You have shown me the way.

on Sep. 11 2009 at 9:03 pm
booksarelife4me SILVER, Lutherville, Maryland
6 articles 0 photos 81 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Forgive and Forget and Never Regret."~A old friend

That was really great!!!! Amazing poem!!

I'll be your friend!!!

on Aug. 26 2009 at 3:30 pm
Sydney Klainberg BRONZE, Manhasset, New York
1 article 0 photos 1 comment
This poem is totally relatable. Sometimes, I try as hard as I can, and still feel totally alone. But I see, a lot of people feel that too. Sometimes, I feel like my best friends are book characters- the ones I can trust, the ones that will always be there for me when I need to slip away from reality. It's a beautiful poem, and you have to recognize that if you give your best and are still not accepted, maybe its because you're better than them.

AnnHenn SILVER said...
on Aug. 22 2009 at 1:41 am
AnnHenn SILVER, Falling Waters, West Virginia
5 articles 1 photo 10 comments

Favorite Quote:
The way to gain a good reputation is to endeavor to be as you desire to appear.

totally know where you're coming from.

Sania GOLD said...
on Aug. 21 2009 at 8:19 pm
Sania GOLD, Aroura, Colorado
14 articles 0 photos 14 comments
aww so sad. ill be ur friend how about we talk about it.

Amanda BRONZE said...
on Aug. 21 2009 at 2:01 pm
Amanda BRONZE, Rehoboth, Massachusetts
4 articles 0 photos 16 comments

Favorite Quote:
O God, I could be bounded in a nutshell, and count myself a king of infinite space—were it not that I have bad dreams. {Hamlet}

I'll be your friend.

on Aug. 17 2009 at 7:28 pm
bandmusic101 PLATINUM, Meadville, Pennsylvania
20 articles 4 photos 15 comments
i love this poem so much, i actually searched for it because i just love the reality in it. I know so many kids that fit that exact description. Keep up the good work!