A Smiling Face

Kristen Marie Rushlow 1989 (Saint Joseph, MI) – 2015 (Los Angeles, CA)

Free verse

I'm taking it easy if it comes to fate
But for the time I've gotta wait
If you stay to long, inside my memory,
I will trap you in a song tied to a melody.
And I'll keep you there so you can't bother me
And I sat watching a flower
As it was withering
I was embarrassed by it's honesty
So I'd prefer to be remembered as a smiling face

About this poem

The poem, first published via Xanga in 2006, captures a sense of resignation and acceptance, tinged with a hint of longing and introspection.

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Written on August 14, 2006

Submitted by ammiemarie on March 22, 2024

: 23 sec read
: 86 Views

Quick analysis:

Scheme	AABBBCDBE
Closest metre	Iambic pentameter
Characters	332
Words	73
Stanzas	1
Stanza Lengths	9

Full analysis for A Smiling Face »

Kristen Marie Rushlow

Kristen Marie Rushlow was born December 12, 1989 in St. Joseph, MI to Michael & Terri (Frobel) Rushlow. She graduated from St. Joseph High School in 2008 and went on to receive her Bachelors in Education from Western Michigan University in 2013. Kristen worked as a Teacher’s Assistant at Mirman School for Gifted Children in Los Angeles. She loved spreading the joy of Latin and Greek language and culture to others, both students and friends. She passed away in Los Angeles, CA on Tuesday, April 21, 2015. She brought joy into the lives of all she touched sharing her bright smile and hugs making the world a beautiful place by her presence. Kristen saw the beauty in everything and everyone for exactly who and what they were. Remember her by sharing a piece of her light with each other. more…

All Kristen Marie Rushlow poems | Kristen Marie Rushlow Books

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alanswansea18
Beautiful piece of work.
LikeReply29 days ago
Nebula7693
The first time I read this poem, I fell in love. The second time, I began to better understand why I fell in love. The third time, I was, well, embarrassed by this poem's honesty. Kristin hit it out of the ballpark with this one.

It is evocative in its simplicity. Yet, it contains a complexity that challenges the spirit to "betterness."

My favorite lines:
"If you stay to long, inside my memory,
I will trap you in a song tied to a melody."
While I cannot even begin to guess what she had in her mind at the time she wrote this, I can say, I imagined the face of a former lover or friend floating in nothingness encircled by golden glowing musical notes orbiting it in random patterns playing melancholy tunes. It was a beautiful, if a bit sad, vision.

I cannot say enough good things about this piece. I am truly a fan. more »
LikeReply1 month ago

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"A Smiling Face" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 27 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/183544/a-smiling-face>.

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