Distraction
the little things that undo us
The presence of your absence
lingers on the periphery,
like a leaf stuck under a wiper blade,
skittering against the windshield in a frenzy
at high speeds, refusing to let go
and be free in the wind,
questions revolving around it:
hows and whys, whens and wheres.
Everyone knows the whos.
The leaf is right there
in the bottom left corner of my vision,
lower and farther off-center
than the nick on the passenger side
where a piece of gravel, shrapnel
a passing dump truck
spewed onto my widshield
like an argument
chipped the glass,
the loud crack splintering
the cadence of the song playing.
I can still hear the sound
of the flake of glass separating
from the windshield,
still see that damn leaf
everyfuckingtime I get in the car.
I could lift that blade,
remove the leaf,
and give myself some peace.
About the Creator
Harper Lewis
I'm a weirdo nerd who’s extremely subversive. I like rocks, incense, and all kinds of witchy stuff. Intrusive rhyme bothers me.
MA English literature, College of Charleston
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insights
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
Easy to read and follow
Well-structured & engaging content
On-point and relevant
Writing reflected the title & theme
Eye opening
Niche topic & fresh perspectives
Compelling and original writing
Creative use of language & vocab
Expert insights and opinions
Arguments were carefully researched and presented
Masterful proofreading
Zero grammar & spelling mistakes
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
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Comments (30)
Back to say congrats on the TS AND leaderboard. Well done
Wooohooooo congratulations on your Leaderboard placement! 🎉💖🎊🎉💖🎊
Amazing symbolism!!! Excellent poem. Congratulations on top story!!!
Excellent work
Returning to congratulate you, Harper, for making the leadership board this week❣
See the bastids didnae forget ye. Johann came through. Well done lass
Love it. Such a ring of truth
Should you run into anyone on this site who knows me they will tell you that I never read poetry. There is just something about it that annoys me. That being said, congratulations on your top story and good luck with the leader board! The only poems I’ve ever posted are The Euuúgultis They and 50 Years
LOVE IT! Congrats on your top story.
I agree with Bolt, Harper; this is art. Congratulations on your top story❣ And yes, please do remove the leaf! 😉
Your view of the world is so unique and poignant...everyfuckingtime. It's great to see they awarded this a top story. Magnificent art. ⚡💙Bill ⚡
I enjoyed your analogies and symbolism. It’s evident you put some time and thought into sculpting this one minute masterpiece. The last three lines add an unexpected humor to the chaos and confusion. I love it.
Fantabulous writing Harper! 💕
Your poem perfectly encapsulates how we needle ourselves with annoyances and pain as a form of holding on to a relationship - we convince ourself subconsciously it’s better than forgetting, don’t we? I really love how you tie this universal experience to the absence of someone - creative and original!
Great image (verbal).
Thank you, everyone, for reading and supporting me. I enjoy the comment threads as much as everything else here. Please direct me to a piece or two of yours you’re proud of.
This got me deep. Awesome! Congratulations on your top story. I love it.
we need the perspective of the leaf. Is there a reason it's stuck...is it trying to tell you something...is it testing your human nature...what exactly doe the universe want you to do. Congrats on this top story.
This is a beautifully written poem about memory and the things we let bother us. Your use of imagery is very strong and moving. Congratulations on your well-deserved Top Story.
Congrats on Top Story—this one hits with a quiet force. You capture that stubborn, lingering ache so well, and that leaf metaphor is definitely going to stick with me.
Congrats on top story. Keep that leaf right there.
Congrats on top story! Also, the poem was very well written. Oftentimes there is something lingering off to the side that we try to ignore, but it doesn't seem to go away.
Hey hey hey!! Back to say, Congratulations on your Top Story.♥️🤗🖤🎊🎉🎊
This captures the ache of lingering thoughts so vividly. It stays with the reader long after the last line.
Well she's done it again. Another classic. Congrats on Top Story for this. Glad to see you getting more visibility on here. This is quite relatable and by quite im being rather sheepish lol.