r/OCPoetry • u/ParadiseEngineer • Mar 09 '22
TL;DR You need to give feedback on two other poems before you can share your own poem, and then put links to that feedback in your post. If you don't know how to give feedback, read the guide. Reusing feedback links will result in a ban.
Heyo, welcome to OCpoetry. (That’s “original content” if you don’t know). This is a place for sharing and getting feedback on your own poems. We are the sister subreddit of r/Poetry, which is for sharing and discussing published poetry. Our goal is to create a place where anyone can learn to become a better creative writer, kind of like a free online writer's workshop.
This post is an orientation to the subreddit. If you’re new, read this before sharing your work. If you’re less new, then read this anyways, as it has a few changes to how we've done things in the past. If you’ve still got questions after reading this post, please send a modmail. There are some FAQs at the end of this post which will be updated as we go. We also have a huge and very disorganized wiki containing all of our resources, essays on how to write poetry and historic writing prompts, I recommend you check it out.
So, here’s basically how it works:
This subreddit works on a pay-it-forward system. If you want to share a poem, you need to give feedback to two others from this subreddit. This ensures that everyone gets some readers and hears some response, rather than just shouting their verses into the void. If you don’t think you’re up to writing feedback for others just yet, we recommend you check out r/Justpoetry or r/Poems, where there are no requirements for sharing your work.
1. All posts must include two links to recent feedback.
Every post must contain two unique links to your comments where you have provided feedback on this subreddit within the past two weeks. Feedback links cannot be reused for multiple post or reposts of old poems. All posts without feedback links will be removed, without notice by our subreddit robot so make sure they are included in your initial post -- you cannot post with the intent to add them later.
But, how do I get the links to my feedback comments?
That kind of depends on what platform you're on. If you're on desktop or on a third-party mobile app, there should be a 'share' or 'permalink' link underneath every comment on Reddit. Clicking on that should give you a unique URL to your comment. Just copy + paste that into the body of your post.
If you're on the official Reddit app, you'll have to click 'share' on the comment and choose the 'Copy URL' option, paste that into your notes with the body of your poem. Then copy and paste the entire thing into a new post on the Reddit app.
2. At least one of your comments should be on a poem that has received no other comments.
This ensures that everyone has a chance to get a few reads and hopefully some decent feedback. If for whatever reason you can’t find any lonely poems, then comment on the poem that seems to have received the least amount of feedback. The easiest way to do this is to sort posts by new.
3. Feedback must be high-effort.
High-effort means different things to different people. It does not mean “super long” or “expert quality”. But it does mean doing more than the bare minimum.
You don't have to complement, criticize, or try to figure out the "deeper meaning". You should try to notice your own reactions and explain them as best as you can. If you want to explain your interpretation or summary of the piece, you can and this is often helpful to the writer. If the poem made you laugh or cry, feel bored, confused or nostalgic — say so, and then explain why you think it did. A good rule of thumb is that each of your feedback comments should be at least a short paragraph.
We understand that giving other writers feedback on their creative work can feel a bit artificial or uncomfortable, if you’ve never done it before. That’s why we’ve written a feedback guide for beginners. There are more feedback guides linked in the FAQ below. You should also read some of the other feedback comments around the sub to get a feel for what works for others. Poems that link to low-effort feedback, and low-effort comments themselves, will be removed at mod discretion, or if you report it to us. However, we’re less interested in policing you and more interested in helping you grow as readers and writers. We are more likely to ask you follow-up questions, than remove your work entirely. The mods skulk the comments sections and will ask follow-up questions on comments that seem a little thin, and please answer those questions if you get any.
4. Please Be Kind.
Treat each other with kindness and respect. The mods have an incredibly strict definition for each of these concepts. We will proactively remove comments and poems and ban users that make others feel unwelcome or unsafe. Your right to creative expression does not extend to poetry that promotes misogyny, homo/trans/queerphobia, racism, etc. If your poetry’s especially violent or covers sensitive subjects, please label it with the NSFW tag or a content warning in the title. Harsh criticism is allowed -- encouraged, really -- as long as you’re being harsh on the poem, not the person. Remember that the narrator (or the “speaker”) of the poem is not necessarily the author.
5. Audio, video, and image poems are allowed; but the text of the poem must be included in the body of the post.
This is so that people can still enjoy your poem if they're unable to view or listen to your link for whatever reason.
6. You may include a link to your poetry blog at the end of your post.
Or your instagram, or your personal creative project, or your soundcloud, or your Etsy page. As long as it's poetry-adjacent that's cool with us. Just don't get spammy.
Attempting to dodge any of these rules, or abuse directed towards moderators enforcing these rules, will earn you an immediate ban.
FAQs
What do the Poem & Workshop flairs do?
They simply allow you to show your intentions and expectations for the piece you are posting. The Poem flair is for sharing a piece, with the expectation of receiving mostly surface-level feedback and general advice. The Workshop flair is for a piece that you really want to work on, something you want to pick apart and analyse. It signals that you are open to discussing the piece, and that you invite strong critique.
How do I format my poetry on Reddit?
The following is advice for formatting in Markdown.
Two spaces at the end of a line gives you a line break.
Type two spaces at the end of a line, then hit enter twice for a stanza break.
Three dashes "___" will give you a line through the post.
Type two spaces to create an empty line,
so you can get lines
that look like this.
Four spaces before each line will allow you
to format however you like, this is 'code block'
in the Fancy Pants editor.
one asterisk before and after a piece of text will give you italics, two asterisks for bold.
Can I print one of these poems out/use it on my instagram with my art/put it in my book?
Ask the author. Part of what makes this space a useful workshop space is that everyone feels safe to share their stuff; if people start using poetry without the author's permission, or god forbid, trying to pass off another artist's work as their own, the userbase of this sub will feel less safe to do so. Please, ask the author, and then do what they say.
I'm thinking about trying to get my poem published somewhere. What should I do?
The standard thing is to find a literary journal. There are a zillion literary journals and magazines all over the world. They have different themes, tastes, styles, audiences, readerships, levels of prestige. Some charge fees for submission, some do not, some will pay you if you get accepted, some don't, some will give you feedback, some won't let you know anything for months. So first you'll want to pick a few of your poems, get some feedback from some trusted readers (or from here, of course) and then start looking for a journal that's a good home for your work. Most lit journals have submissions periods where they accept all the work for their next issue, and then sift through everything they get.
You will probably get a lot of rejections. This is normal. It's kind of a numbers game. You can submit the same poem to multiple journals as long as the journal says something like "simultaneous submissions are allowed". If you do get accepted, congrats! Most journals want 'first publication rights' or 'first serial rights' or something similar, so that means you'll have to tell all the other journals you submitted that poem to that you've been published elsewhere. (For that reason we strongly recommend deleting your poem from reddit if you want to submit it to a journal -- technically and legally speaking, writing a post on reddit is still considered publishing your work, and reddit owns all the text on the site.)
Here are some places to get you started looking for journals:
Duotrope and Submittable are two apps that help you search for journals, and help you track what poems you've submitted to which places. Submittable is free, Duotrope is not. They are GREAT.
Poets & Writers has a list of lit journals, small presses, and writing contests. This is a great place to start. They also have a newsletter listing all the presses and journals going into their submissions period.
I'd also check out r/literarycontests, if you fancy yourself as a prize winning poet.
A few poetry podcasts
I thought I might include a few podcasts that helped me learn a little more about the history and craft of poetry, as well as find some good poets to read. All of these are available on Spotify, as well as many other platforms.
A poet reading and discussing a poem from the New Yorker archives, as well as one of their own pieces. A great place to find good poetry and hear some discussion of craft. The earlier episodes are with Paul Muldoon, who is delightful.
Two poets read and discuss their work, with plenty of talk about craft. As well as lots of poems sent in from authors across the world. They really get shoulder-deep into it, which is always wonderful to hear.
A group of experts are brought together to discuss a subject over forty-five minutes. This isn’t strictly a poetry podcast, but there are hundreds of episodes on poets and poems of the past. I highly recommend the episode on The Green Knight with Simon Armitage.
Homemade projects and useful links to our Wiki
The best of OCP
Collections of work from OCP, selected from the top karma earners of that year.
We/R/Poetry
A homemade journal created by the users and moderators of OCP.
Guides on the craft from our Wiki
Created by moderators of OCP through the years.
Poetry Primer
Bad Poetry
The Body Poetic
Poetry Hacks
A Brief History of Rhyme
r/OCPoetry • u/neutrinoprism • 18d ago
Hi everyone. One of the OCPoetry mods here. Let's share a prompt for the whole subreddit. (If this looks familiar, we did it last month too.)
Every month Rattle, a leading poetry magazine, presents a visual work of art and asks poets to respond to that artwork in poetry. This is called ekphrastic poetry. I thought it would be fun to post that here for anyone looking for inspiration or a challenge.
Here is this month's artwork. Your challenge is to write a poem in response to that art.
Normal feedback rules do not apply to this thread. Write and share as many poems in response to that artwork as you'd like.
Also, if you feel like you've written something really excellent, you should know that Rattle DOES allow you to submit poems to them for publication that have appeared in online forums. (Most magazines consider those already published; Rattle allows internet-shared poems as long as they're "uncurated," i.e., haven't gone through an editorial process. I can assure you that here on OCPoetry we do not have any kind of editorial process.) So if you're feeling particularly ambitious, you can use that link above to submit your poem to them. It's a long shot — they get hundreds of entries every month, maybe thousands at this point idk, and only two are selected — but it's good practice if you're thinking about getting into publication and can manage the mixture of pride in your work and almost certainty of rejection that goes into the literary magazine publication process.
Anyway, enjoy the challenge! I hope you have fun. If enough people enjoy this I can make it a regular thing.
r/OCPoetry • u/nimajnebula • 7h ago
Quiet.
The birds are speaking.
Their whispers carried by the evergreens’ breeze.
Can you hear them?
Whispering away—
Waking pines from slumber.
Listen.
They are speaking to you.
Humming dawn into your dreams.
Can you hear them?
Whispering away—
As the morning learns to breathe.
Quiet.
The birds are speaking.
r/OCPoetry • u/fluffyvoidcat • 1h ago
Isn't bad that I missed that
old house in that
haunted forest of
nowhere,
those old pipes that rattle as
afraid Snakes throughout the night,
that would sing me to
sleep.
Oh, how I missed that glazed face of
interest from an
old but yet so wise lady, with
Her naive friendly of a coal cat.
That she would invite me to hang out
as much as possible.
I wish I could bring that creepy smile
that lit so brightly in my darken bedroom that would burn my soul
but yet
that smile would only let me now
that I was welcome
for whom I am in a
old house in
a haunted forest
r/OCPoetry • u/104wpm • 3h ago
I wonder if its the cigarettes
That are the reason for this mess
This weight on my head
And neck, and shoulders
That keep me from getting rest
I wonder, did I betray myself?
When I smoked my first, at last
Never would I, as I promised
To a younger man, in the mirror
With thick hair and a cheery smile
How much have I said I'd do
And never did, I wonder?
All that I didn't get around to, and
What I didn't bother to try at
I would like to see the ledger
Who is signing these contracts anyways?
If it was me, wouldn't I deliver?
Wouldn't I make every effort, and
Stop at nothing, yielding never,
So that every sleep is earned?
I wonder, can I trust myself?
Into sharp pieces my word has shattered
Smoke billows out of my broken window
From the mouth of the liar who fooled me
With his cigarette alight
r/OCPoetry • u/The_Funkefizer • 4h ago
Was it a dream and have I awakened?
Or was it reality, playing its game.
Were my thoughts a desire for love and fullfilment?
Or have they arisen by threading on unknown terrain.
How can we know the secrets of nature.
If we keep our distance and move towards pain.
For a brief moment, life seemed so simple.
I saw light at the end of the tunnel, but got hit by a train.
r/OCPoetry • u/Infinite_Permit_7145 • 22m ago
Now I sit and think, consumed I am with wonder
My aching for a we, how do I drown this hunger
Only a kiss from your lips could carry that that much water
Eye to eye, my hand your thighs, this steak needs no butter
It has grown its muscles firm with the labour of my love of you
Opposing forces enhance muscle growth, so you’re fighting for me too
The dish is far too much for me alone to have on my menu
Come cut into the flesh let’s grill it on forever’s barbecue
Spicy isn’t it, with a tangy taste, the flavour of our love
I take my time ,when I am eating it, couldn’t savour this enough
Must be the labour of our push and pull, the meat is melting soft
That why whenever I’m without it, I think about it oft
I get it I get it a simple I miss you would do
I simple I can’t wait to see, kiss and hug you
There’s nothing simple about my feelings for you
3 words could never express my feelings to you
r/OCPoetry • u/Nonsensical_Genius • 24m ago
50 days of summer—
I spent them all
sitting in.
Headphones in.
Shutters closed.
50 days of summer—
I spent them all.
.
I could have finished 1.2 marathons
if I ran a kilometer every day.
I could have been dwarfed by mountains, skyscrapers,
electric poles and people taller than me.
I could have swum in lakes, pools or any
other unpolluted water body.
I could have just sat in the park outside,
got my yearly dose of vitamin-D.
.
But I chose to stay in
every single day of this summer—
the greatest 50 days of my life until now
listening to chopin.
.
How do I go back to the ordinary world of
mountains, buildings, poles, humans, water and the sun?
The birds just aren't good enough musicians.
.
r/OCPoetry • u/Jazz_Bandicoot • 40m ago
And then, a gull’s cry.
A should-be foreign shriek
Pierces.
And through the wound
floods seafood: oysters,
tabasco, citrus, onions,
the steam from the mussels
that was wicked away
by the same gust
that smashed the glass
on the table
next to us,
the plane
that flew overhead,
the way you
laughed at me
for the joy on
my face,
the way I
laughed too,
the waves
that we watched
as we spoke about
the future,
our future,
the place we
always said
we’d come back to,
the place
we could live
in forty years,
I inhale, and resume my work.
There’s no time now.
----
r/OCPoetry • u/Zackadoob • 4h ago
Context: this was literally written in 5 minutes while drinking a beer & waiting to board a plane - so each time a minute finished I wrote that in.
5 minutes
So here I spill my soul
It’s old though I’ve only lived a few decades
Sounds dramatic
I’ve got a beer in hand
Like many times before
Four minutes
& I haven’t found any meaning
I’m a dreamer & a lover
Love to be loved & cozy under covers
Three minutes
I’m sad often
But I live for hearing out every story
From every walk of life
Always make time for another’s troubles
Two minutes
With all this sadness & love
I’ve covered the spectrum without anger
Always felt it’s better that way
One minute
Whatever’s in the past I let it be
Though I ruminate, reminisce, remember
I’ve never dwelled
And
Although sometimes I’m proud of me
I always wondered
Why that’s never felt like enough
Times run out
Beers finished
Another flight to catch
Further from the past
Closer to the future
I’m always
Somewhere in between
r/OCPoetry • u/Greedy_Entry2713 • 5h ago
They say eyes don't lie,
But the most beautiful eyes to me, have lied.
A conversation of no words, only expressions,
As if it were two souls having soothing confessions
My heart raced whenever our eyes met,
But I know now, it was something you never felt.
My eyes saw a future together, while yours saw attention,
And now my feelings are subjected to oppression.
Go back to your lover and say,
"A fool had held a circus to make me sway."
I do not need your condolence,
Because I was the joker, and you were my audience.
Links:
r/OCPoetry • u/engineer_in_process • 2h ago
Is death the carrier of my dream,
or is it the dream?
Is it in my hands
what becomes of me,
or is fate already on display?
Maybe I'm moving forward
just to run away
The world carries on—
but I am in pause,
frozen.
It feels frivolous, after all,
when you are caught
in a deadlock.
r/OCPoetry • u/Melodic-Aardvark3649 • 2h ago
It’s a special kind of girl who dislikes roses
Occasionally dandelions
Who believes that I’m a lion
But loves her hydrangea doses
She made me a lover of Thai Treasure
Even put me on to South Block
Then has a sweet treat around 8-9 o clock
She would be 5’4 if she could custom her measure
Has the prettiest blue eyes
Even though her colors are purple or violet
Gives me a look when I’m talking too much….silence
Knows something’s wrong with my heavy sighs
She’s the greatest planner I’ve ever known
Great cook even if one time the soup needed a bit of salt and basil
Has the sweetest sister in a dog named Hazel
DCA to Midway with her was the best flight I’ve ever flown
Gets special made drinking glasses for her mom
Un afraid to return items in an instant
In stressful times she brings me calm like she’s heaven sent
Puts on my bama hoodie like that’s where she’s from
Knows all of her friends allergies like they’re hers
We’re so lucky enough to cheer for the same team
And in any environment she’s the prettiest girl on the scene
Hopefully one day I can give her the world
Her strawberry blonde hair gets in my beard from time to time
She loves her cuddles especially from Mr Bear
When it’s bedtime they make an adorable pair
Her peak Friday night comes with glasses of wine
She sticks up for her closest of friends
Isn’t afraid to speak up when things aren’t right
Outside she seems small but inside she’s full of fight
To see her brings me joy to no ends
So for the lady
I not only love you but cherish our time together
Cause even when it’s raining outside if I’m with you it’s the perfect weather
r/OCPoetry • u/nimajnebula • 15h ago
There is a stranger in my house.
That looks a lot like me.
It tears my clothes and cuts my shoes
before I get the chance to wear them.
It sits in the corners of my eyes.
It eats my food until the plate is clean.
It leaves me with the mess.
It sleeps in my bed.
It blocks my door
and watches while I dream.
It is tugging at the sheets.
It stands over me
while its fingers rummage through my brain.
It has taken my vocal cords,
laughing as it decides my day.
It eclipses my mirror,
so I can no longer see myself.
I can’t recognize the walls.
Are they familiar to you?
I am a stranger in your house.
Who looks a lot like you.
https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/cEpEvtnWWT
https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/uU6htIFGh0
r/OCPoetry • u/Relative-Ship-7513 • 4h ago
Coiling serpent, roaring dragon
Light stealer, blight of the heart’s sight
Ostentatious, thou dark and self-appointed Helios
O joyous gleam—how thy many crowns elate thee
Oh spit thy venomous rebuke
Night and day bend beneath thy prowling
Staying is but an offer of joy - a tithing
Yet, the Den is now void, feet to soil - we have forsaken your estate
O Light- BRIGHT AND MORNING STAR
Heal this charred and twisted visage
May I Ascend to the Father?
Joy descending - Jacob’s ladder!
Mind- rent asunder, saved was the soul from plunder
Smite this worm's depravity, seal this heart’s cavity
The Mother Part 1:
https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/b5beI4KJxv
Commentary:
1. https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/comments/1x57bb7/comment/phwat1t/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
2. https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/comments/1xat0v7/comment/phwctyi/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
Oohh, please come read more (substack - free!)
https://adrainkallis.substack.com/p/enten-scorching-heaven?r=87ijax&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=post%20viewer
r/OCPoetry • u/cyt0kinetic • 12h ago
To you, I am, half seen.
the spectral stepped through.
I ache to exist fully in your wavelength.
diminish those lower frequencies.
The attempt at holding color, left diffracted.
Love me with confusion, words cannot barter to
the pale side of the moon, tidally locked to the living
this looser orbit, blue turned out of view.
The familiar lost, I rend to the expanse.
until captured by the light
the furthest a witnessed remnant
of what's burned, fruition spent.
Passed back to life, the momentum
to look further perpetuates to the particles that
never touch, the lonely existent at all scales.
Where I am most alive, bends out of your range.
You gravitate to the frame's middle complexity.
That place I wonder at, and slide past;
a trajectory always stranger to you.
I leave, our paths divorced.
https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/0EnH8ZWJmh https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/hnJWLKDrtj
r/OCPoetry • u/No_Charge_7816 • 9h ago
If only I had one more second
I would tell you that I love you and squeeze your hand.
If only I had one more minute
I'd hold you close and wish the moment had no end.
If only I had one more hour
I'd listen to your stories and remember every word.
If only I had one more day
I'd spend it making memories that would never fade away.
If only I had one more week
I would spend all my time with you, just to speak.
If only I had one more month
I'd fill each day with laughter, love and all the things we'd done.
If only I had one more year
I'd treasure every moment and hold you ever near.
If only I had one more lifetime
I'd choose to spend it all with you, time after time.
But seconds turn to minutes,
And hours turn to days,
And time is never promised,
No matter how much we pray.
And though I cannot have you back,
Or change the way things are,
I'll carry you within my heart,
No matter how near or far.
If only I had one more moment,
There's just one thing I'd do,
I'd hold you close, look in your eyes,
And say, "I love you."
If only...
https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/comments/1xahsi3/comment/phuzcsu
https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/comments/1xaehln/comment/phuzny8
r/OCPoetry • u/underpant_pioneer • 5h ago
I don't remember when I hit the deer
just that I was speeding through the thick
blanket of greens and olives; every raindrop
ricocheting off the hood
swerving, my headlights focused
on the corpse to be
the deer stood, knowing the calamity
--
I don't remember when I hit the deer
just that the night was sober, not me
brakes screech in agony
wind bearing down on the scene
with animosity
the deer morphs into a dream
--
I don't remember when I hit the deer
just that it wasn't one
dragging the lifeless bag of bones
and catastrophe
I throw the body of a woman
over the ledge; breath in her lungs
calls moonlight for help, still
and I move on from the roadkill
--
r/OCPoetry • u/QuartzFox • 12h ago
I said
there was no cathedral
large enough
to hold us.
So we built one
out of breath,
out of heat,
and skin.
Watched the gilded vessel
swing
left to right,
heaven to hell,
the smoke
clinging to our skin
like holiness
had burned
its way in.
I could feel
the air
getting thin.
Still,
we breathed deeper.
When we spoke
there was hunger.
The kind
that made gluttony
feel insufficient
the way
we devoured.
Everything
laid open
upon the altar.
Knees shaking
beneath the weight
of confession,
prayer pulled
from us
until it bled.
There were things
neither language
could hold.
So you taught me
another
constellations
drawn between us,
sign after sign
repeated back
until I could speak
without translation.
Until your hands
became fluent
where words failed.
Until I stopped
caring
where desire ended
and devotion
began.
You fed me
sacrament
from your own hands.
Then told me
I had taken it wrong.
As though I had
taken a bite
of something forbidden.
As though you
had not placed it
on my tongue.
By the end,
I was standing outside
the very thing
I had once
been summoned into,
listening to you
call my presence
desecration.
The same skin
you had covered
in smoke.
The same mouth
you had taught
to pray.
The same body
you once held
like reverence
suddenly something
to lower your eyes from.
And
that was the most
careless part
not that the ritual ended,
but that you looked at me
as though I had performed it
alone.
As though
the ash in our mouths
belonged only to me.
So I swallowed it.
Every confession
Every decision
Every word
I could no longer return
to its original language.
And somewhere
beneath the anger,
the smoke
is still there.
Caught in my lungs.
Proof
that something burned.
Proof
that once,
you were burning too.
——————————————
r/OCPoetry • u/Bonbonjournonon • 11h ago
Voidkiss
Disrupting a field
by sitting in it
Stagnating lover
looks up to the sky
crushed onward
and downward
becoming Axı
r/OCPoetry • u/Proper-Enthusiasm201 • 14h ago
The lights are warm and her voice is soft,
Her hands are crooked and twisted as they pass over my own,
The rain starts pouring and splashing and mushing
And then... its quiet
Laughter is frequent and their voices are free,
Their hands welcome mine and give them something to own,
The crowds are always roaring and smashing and pushing
And then... it's quiet
Thinking is cold and the voice is choking,
My hands are crooked and twisted all on their own
The world is soaring and amazing and whooshing
And then... it's never quiet
If there was no twist no creak and nothing bleak
That's a world that has been tempting me
There's colourful visions of music and calming sounds of ink
Its really not much
But if i could... If I could give it to you and her and every beautiful free soul
Would you please take it from me?
https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/comments/1xahsi3/comment/phu313o/?context=3
https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/comments/1xa8sq9/comment/phu3oe6/?context=3
r/OCPoetry • u/Foreign_Degree160 • 21h ago
I feel like you don’t see me the way I see you
Like I’m the bread they bring out while you wait for them to replace your food
I feel like you don’t love me or care for me the same
Cause the way my heart burns for you
It’s a flame I can’t contain
I need you in every way
I wanna learn everything there is to know
And I want to do what I can so I can grow
I need you
And I don’t know what I would do without you
Me without you is like a room with water but no fountain
I need you
And not just the dream you
The you I can hold and cherish
The good you
The bad you
Even the in between you
I need you
But you don’t need me the same
And the love you have for me ain’t even something you claim
But I need you
I want you in every way
And even if you don’t feel the same
I love you any ways
r/OCPoetry • u/OldHorizons • 14h ago
Now that I'm at the end of my journey,
I'd like to say "thanks for my life."
I had a great time in this body,
and often felt things that were nice.
My favourite was walks in the morning,
or maybe the wind on my nose.
I think maybe I just liked everything
from my head to the tips of my toes.
You've held me and loved me and kept me
alive for so many good years.
Though I'm sorry I can't stay forever,
I love you. I'm glad I was here.
(inspired by this picture frame. comments x x)
r/OCPoetry • u/leftupside • 10h ago
9 days apart and I’ve forgotten to feed your fish.
Silver coffee beans electrified in water
flakes falling from my palm’s fishing line
into their open mouths.
I got a hand reading done yesterday
and they told me not to wish
upon the first golden eye of dusk’s
turn in this rhyme-
you once taught me
/ insert degrees of separation /
as if I were so bright…
-but they didn’t speak of comets.
I saw one and uttered your name,
asking you to not die in New York City.
You’re under a foreign sun now and
it’ll shoot right past ya.
After a blink, so they say, Miss will follow time.
Or to put it plain; ‘Blink and you’ll miss her’
I wish the people with her now blinked (I’ll throw pepper at them)
Squint.
‘Till the mirage of her
arms wrap around me and this time there’s no reason for it.
But I’ve had my eyes shut for a while now and a feeble eyelash’s stuck there
right between us and the hard place where I have to let go.
Tell me what’s the reason for it please mum please once more?
You’re falling through the sky now and you’ve never dived before
from such a height you’ve always said you’d be too terrified to try
and you’re also in the kitchen cause I own the
places you are with me here in my typing typing hands.
Come back now twice written
and let’s rehash a fight.
Under the washing line
streaking a grid amongst that satellite’s
search for some cosmic encore.
Thinking of all the robots sent off
with a push of a human’s hand
and if we’ll ever hold them again.
And I’m doing the dishwasher wrong
and the laundry’s inside out.
Until you’re up and gone
then I’m the woman of this house.
r/OCPoetry • u/Feisty-Procedure-413 • 18h ago
In famished depths, I pine upon my bed,
Sweet thoughts of thy most holy meat and bread.
Drift through my mind like a beauty newlywed,
So near yet so far be my true desire
The fridge stands there, nary ten feet away,
Yet here I sprawl in lazy disarray,
Too tired to move, I fall into dismay
My lust a tempest to my course most dire.
O mustard bright! O pickles, crisp and tart!
Thy sumptuous flesh a wonder of art!
Thick cheddar slices beg my lips to part,
Of thy essence never shall I tire.
Ne’er to be surpassed in my inner heart
Thy taste alone doth lift me higher.
Yet what are dreams of bread to limbs of lead?
I bid them rise; they nestle down instead.
My stomach cries; I turn upon my bed,
A martyr to the feast I might acquire.
O cruel ten feet! O vast and bitter sea!
What strength have I to cross the room to thee?
I stretch one hand, then let it fall to me;
Thus dies the brief rebellion of desire.
No lock nor guard denies me bread and cheese,
No dragon waits to bring me to my knees;
Mine only foe, a wish to lie at ease.
Hath conquered all my hunger’s holy fire.
So lie I here, by mine own sloth betrayed,
And mourn the sandwich I have never made.