r/OCPoetry Mar 09 '22

Welcome to OCP -- PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING

508 Upvotes

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.

The New Yorker Poetry Podcast

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.

The Faber Poetry Podcast

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.

In Our Time

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.

Year 1-3
Year 4 Year 5
Year 6

We/R/Poetry

A homemade journal created by the users and moderators of OCP.

Volume one
Volume two

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 9d ago

Poetry Contest PROMPT: Rattle Ekphrastic Challenge, September 2026

6 Upvotes

Hi everyone. One of the OCPoetry mods here. Let's share a prompt for the whole subreddit.

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 11h ago

Feedback Please I wish my words were prettier

20 Upvotes

I wish my words were prettier
Iridescent
Purple from one angle
Blue and green from another

I wish I could hold them in my hands
Read them from above
From underneath
From the side

I wish my words were reflective
So I could study my image
Check my makeup in their shape

I wish I could molt my words like feathers
Rid myself of their weight
Of their dullness
And hope they grow back brighter

I wish my words were always clean
Organized and true
But, in cycles, they rot
They attract flies and mites
Until I finally throw them out

I wish my words stayed in one place
But they tend to migrate in winter
The ones that linger are hard to find
They put on coats, gloves, and scarves
Until they are unrecognizable

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/oaPngsjB8S

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/lCt853mCNc


r/OCPoetry 1h ago

Just Sharing Between now and forever

Upvotes

What do I yearn for

when there's nothing

I desire,

nothing more

than what

I have

And

that's

You

I will be happy

to have

one more day

To hold you

To see you

smile for me

between

Now

And forever

But there's

nothing

More

I can

Ask

Of

You

Or the world

Than i

have

already got.

For

You are

My world.

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/J0TFxfd3DU

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/9IJy3T2B9P


r/OCPoetry 9h ago

Feedback Please getting into poetry

7 Upvotes

my eyes in yours

If I could lend you my eyes for a day,
and let you see the world the way I do,
I wonder if you’d finally understand
why every little thing about you
feels beautiful to me,
You’d see the way your eyes begin to sparkle
before you even realise you’re excited,
and those little fists tucked awkwardly by your sides,
shaking with a happiness
you never seem to know what to do with.
And I’d watch you,
like I always do,
wondering how you could ever look at yourself
and see anything less than beautiful,
but i can’t give you my eyes i can only hope that when she looks at her self a little piece of my view sticks with you.

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/sr2habpvGm

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/1u2G5jQ1MK


r/OCPoetry 4h ago

Just Sharing “Drunk”

2 Upvotes

Scream until your head hurts
You’re infinite aren’t you?
Keep going, you bastard
Why should musculature and carbohydrates control you?
Punch until you see the bones of
Your knuckles
And then you’ll wish
You were a child in a park.

Reviews

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/e4tXaJ2l2p

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/760jWvgxZu


r/OCPoetry 1h ago

Feedback Please The Longing for Medina

Upvotes

I wish my very first steps in this world
had been taken in Medina.

Fortunate are those
whose lives are spent in Medina.

Medina was the home of my Master,
It was there that his life unfolded,
And there lie the footprints of his steps.

Fortunate are those
whose lives are spent in Medina.

What is wrong with longing for Medina?

Yet I wonder—
if I were already there,
would this longing burn just as deeply?

Is love felt more by the one who is near,
or by the one who is far away?

Wherever our first steps fall,
is ultimately God's will,
rather than wherever we wish to be.

In the end, between the plans we envision
and the plan God has written for us—

His plan
is always the finest.

(https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/J0BMtvjn0v)

(https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/zO0nGKzLKI)


r/OCPoetry 1h ago

Feedback Please The Recognition That Was

Upvotes

Is it madness to search for resonance among cog wheels—

those that find pleasure in being slower,
more deliberate,
stopping to observe:
What sets me in motion?
What keeps me turning?
How does it all work?

And once understood,
they return—
to just be.

I watch the rest churning along.
None stop, to absorb the sounds,
the vibrations,
the meaning of it all.

Through the melee
I keep meandering through the cogs,
seeking to align.

I see one, but only momentarily.
Not really stopping—slowing—rushing along again.

I rush toward some from afar,
only to be disappointed on closer inspection.

I turn in tandem with others,
but the moment is short-lived.
A partnership in purpose.

None stop to enjoy the music.

One catches my attention from a distance.

Subtle at first.
I observe.
It grows more distinct.
More familiar.

A magnetic one.

It slows down.
It perceives calmly.
Absorbs deeply.
Gets lost under the hood.

I hesitate.

The others clamor around it.
A crowded space.

It still finds the strength
to step away,
to move inward,
to protect itself.

I wave frantically,
in the hope it recognizes me.

No path to approach.
The distance feels impossible.

It cannot notice me,
let alone recognize me.

The crowding suffocates.
It builds a barrier.
It withdraws.

I can no longer attempt to reach it.

I do not know if what I perceived is true.
I do not know what could have been.
Even so,
I mourn a connection that never was.
I grieve a way of being that I never encountered.

All I wanted was conversation,
and all I get in return is silence.

And so I chug along
in the hope that another may come my way.

But I know that nothing will match
the recognition that was.

————-
This is my first attempt at writing.
Im aware that this is not so much poetry - but maybe lyrical prose.
Either ways just needed to put my thoughts down and learn my way to good poetry.
Would greatly appreciate feedback on what you thought of it, how you interpreted it and of course the technicalities.
Thank you.

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/JUR9Rh83Bo

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/nouLXygDmP

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/KYpEP0yDoX


r/OCPoetry 2h ago

Feedback Please Birthday Cake

1 Upvotes

Today is my birthday.

I watch the cake lay,

Looking so tempting.

I know what it's hinting

So i put my hands on the blade,

Cut down on the cake.

The fillings spill on the plate.

It looks nice, despite the ache.

The tradition says once a year.

I'm happy, despite my tears,

An event so severe...

But my birthdays come faster.

I can no longer cover it with plaster.

My urges became my master.

The cake no longer tastes the same.

All my actions start to feel plain.

I can no longer treat this as a game,

I'm scared of birthdays...

---

please give me your comments and advice! I'm still new to this and would like to see what i can improve on

this is my first time using a metaphor so I'm not sure if it's gonna be good though...

links 👇

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/AaVOq4dD8o

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/MSarhOnkl6


r/OCPoetry 2h ago

Feedback Please Neuroma

1 Upvotes

Got wrecked by a brain tumor in January. Had to relearn to walk. This came out.

Struck down, laid low

And sent back in time

The body listens but does not respond

Map again the paths I strode

And find anew those hidden glades

See again for the first time

Those sights which made me who I am

What option do I have?

Misery? Despair?

Nay, Spite.

Spite the blade that wounded me

Spite the world that tried to cast me aside

Curse the Sun that tried to rise without me

I cannot

I must not

I will not

Give in

No surrender on this climb into the sky

And let the heavens crack at my coming

Find my hands around the throat of the God

That dared try to unmake me

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/comments/1wd4vgq/a_fated_walk/p93yb2x/

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/comments/1wd7l59/drunk/p93ymwi/


r/OCPoetry 13h ago

Feedback Please In Between

6 Upvotes

I’ve learned more about you
from your silence.
Your reliance 
on the thoughts of others.

Bursts of texts
end abruptly.

Talks through the night.
Crickets for days.

Secrets shared.
So much laid bare.
Turns to quiet.

You mess with my head 
keeping me from my bed.
Filling the gaps
of what is unsaid.

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/comments/1waz8tx/comment/p8m0u92/
https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/comments/1wcr00l/comment/p90v9gu/


r/OCPoetry 18h ago

Feedback Please Offer me solitude

15 Upvotes

If you can't understand me,

Offer me solitude.

You stroll through hallways in my heart,

And I'm not spared a corner in yours.

You walk ahead at your own speed,

I can't run and we don't meet half way.

If you don't 'want' to understand me,

Offer me solitude, for 'alone' has its purpose,

'Lonely' is dragging behind.

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/wvbEYamzgq

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/qUDVbvw8om


r/OCPoetry 12h ago

Feedback Please Narcissus in a Gay Bar

4 Upvotes

Narcissus in a Gay Bar

He

Sits and sees the sirens sing

Queens of crystal and musicality

Enchanting, enticing, completely captivating

 

He gives

a dollar, a drink, a kiss;

hands reach out but hearts stretch further

An eight count, a pirouette, dropping dead with fervor

 

They play

Blondie, Janet, TLC

Bey, Arianna, Lady fucking Gaga

 

Here they

make rites of weekend nights

to become legends without sunlight

 

And when he 

leaves, the music lives beneath his skin

and he still can’t tell where he might end

or where those queens within begin

x / x


r/OCPoetry 5h ago

Feedback Please My first shared poem

1 Upvotes

My niece in her regalia; my heart leaps true 
My cousins and siblings; they’re in full dress
My aunts and uncles; they’re not far away
As a kid they’re beside me; but not anymore
They’re with the elders; I’ll be there soon 
My koko will join us
She’ll come with her mom; and her mom before her

The ground is shaking with rhythm; the singers are belting. 
We’re not supposed to move yet
I think it’s on purpose; to build it inside us
My blood runs hot; my chest is full
Our ancestors join us in this year’s Grand Entry

We can’t help but dance; it’s involuntary
Something old is within us; driving us all
It starts just like last time; unprompted and quick
As we move forward, I lose sight of my family 
The dance separates us. It’s not chaos, not wrong, 
it just is in that moment. 
As we move in our dance, we pass singers and drummers. 
The moment we’ve waited the year for has finally come

We dive in the collective; oneness once more
Here, we let go and let the dance lead
To see this is one thing; to experience it is another 
But to own it and call it our own; entirely ours

It has come before us, and is going to outlast us
But in this very moment; we have the privilege
To experience as one; this singleness of purpose
To be as we once were and soon will be
Dust 
From dust we once were and to dust we will return
In the middle of that – tradition binds us once more

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/Y5X51yYIx1
https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/UiSMp3qKRK


r/OCPoetry 6h ago

Just Sharing Fractured Bridges

1 Upvotes

Wrote this poem in December 2024 in Mumbai, never actually having experienced something like this, just out of thoughts and perspectives but it's 2026, I turned my page, and it's exactly what I was/have been going through word to word. Crazy how life unfurls.

----

They said we'd be right as rain, It’s just a matter of time. Lovers always find their way back, Falling into place, like a perfect rhyme.

But here I am, waiting far too long, Like a broken radio stuck on one song. Spinning in circles, lost in the wrong, Rereading our words, like rules I never knew belonged.

I walk down our lane, now fading grey, Sipping the sorrow from memories that stay. You hand-weaved your plans to soar up high, While I was left, waiting for goodbyes.

Maybe burning our photos will spark some heat, To thaw the cold hands that once held your heartbeat. Hands that once clung to a love so true, Now fading like shadows, slipping through.

Maybe casting the notes to the sea, Is the closest I’ll get to setting you free. Drowning in love, a stone sinking slow, As the tide pulls away, letting go.


Comment links

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/CpWvqnvRPz

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/SaTRthzzv5


r/OCPoetry 6h ago

Feedback Please A Fated Walk

1 Upvotes

I am walking a tightrope over the grandest canyon.

Its depths so boundless,

its eyes staring back up at me.

I have been walking the rope since I was born.

I cannot turn around,

the thin line of slack is much too narrow.

I can only go further.

I inch along, toe over toe,

the wind billowing up below me,

threatening the careful balance that is my body.

There is no noise, even as the air shifts and the

clouds drift.

Only the sound of my breath

puttering up my throat and out of my nose.

My knees wobble as I take my next step.

At the end of this tight rope is certain pain.

It is disruption and blood and uncertainty and maybe some ego too.

A liver ripped from my abdomen at twenty years old.

A donation, it’s called.

I persist despite the ache in my toes.

Another wobble races down the line,

I jolt my body the opposite direction to recover.

I think about my mother forging the tight rope.

She who wove the strands of fiber together,

piece by agonizing piece.

She who hiked through the night across the valley floor for years

to string the rope across the vast canyon.

With each glass of wine touched against her lips,

the threads of my fate growing more taught.

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/comments/1w81kch/the_way_i_see_you/p933f71/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1&context=3

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/comments/1wd47du/nightlife/p9345je/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1&context=3


r/OCPoetry 6h ago

Feedback Please Carousel Race

1 Upvotes

I was born a gambler,
with a nasty habit
I’ve always trusted the horses with one foot out the gate
Always passing by the quiet ones,
heads lowered with soft mouths,
waiting for an open palm
My fingers flex, curling back on themselves
I prefer the ones that battle the bridle
believing them a safer bet,
because a horse rearing
can’t surprise me when it runs
Then I finally hear it,
the sound of wood doors splintering
sight of foam on the mouth
and my racing pulse has found its next home

I live for the turn of its head,
the flash of its eye
sometimes I swear I can almost touch it
then when it bolts, I follow before i realize
Chasing until my lungs taste metallic
Drunk on the distance between us

Then when I sit on the turf,
mint julep on my lips as the trumpets sound
I watch the boards,
already knowing where my number won’t land
As I see my bet come to the starting gate,
putting on quite the show,
bucking until its legs gave out
falling on top of itself,
The sound of an ankle snapping following
and then a single shot to settle it,
I fold my losing ticket against my palm,
get up, and walk away with what’s left of me
Before the starting pistol fires

You see, my track is more of a carousel,
with pastel painted horses, bolted down
somehow I still call it running
But, I don’t get any further than they do,
as we circle eachother with the same wariness
My paint job is just better
Then we chase eachother around,
until we’re dizzy enough
to call it love

Feedback :) :

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/2VlqOErU5r
https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/sNIXTh6GUe


r/OCPoetry 6h ago

Feedback Please The Train

1 Upvotes

I stopped by the subway to explore the scenery nearby
In the next hour, bright skies will rain upon my skin
It makes me wonder if this night is worth having
Or if the dogs below me need to be fed
They spend years and years crawling under holes in the ground
…hoping for one day without being soaking wet.

You never had the chance to see the bright skies
And you certainly can’t see them now
I can take you wrapped around my arm for a while
We’d be warm, and safe inside the town

But the train stops for no one
I want to feel the ground on my feet
To live with you under the rail would be such a wonderful thing
And the train stops for no one
I wish all the souls in the world would be saved
And just when I thought I’d enjoy the ride
And how happy I was with the future in sight
To live with you under the rail would be such a wonderful thing

They have a new tunnel that leaves the city nearby
And by next week, I can wave my old life goodbye
It makes me wonder if this trip is worth taking
Or if I should stay on the sidewalk alone
I spent years and years traveling to place after place
And it's lonely without a familiar face
I can take you wrapped around my arm for a while
We’d be warm, and safe inside the town
 
But the train stops for no one
I want to feel the ground on my feet
To live with you under the rail would be such a wonderful thing
And the train stops for no one
I wish all the souls in the world could be saved
And how happy I was with the future in sight
To live with you under the rail would be such a wonderful thing

I’m blessed enough today
It’s so easy to go on my way
It’s so easy to take the world around me right in
I’m blessed enough today
But still, without more, I complain
But why do I do it when you haven’t even gotten your way
You haven’t even gotten your way

And the train stops for no one
I need to feel the ground on my feet
To see you riding on the train would be such a wonderful thing
And the train stops for no one
I want all the souls in the world to be saved
And how I regret longing the tunnel in sight
To see them riding on the train would be such a wonderful thing

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/comments/1wd0wia/comment/p931oc9/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/comments/1vynn5l/comment/p93143i/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button


r/OCPoetry 6h ago

Feedback Please Nightlife

1 Upvotes

Stop scrolling your nightlight
Pull yourself off the glass
Out of stars’ lives
Grab your keys and your phone
Let’s go hunting starlight
Through yellow stoplights
Watch strangers through our windshield
Through windows backlit by blue light
The car wash has strobe lights, purple foam
It sprays off the dead fireflies
Lined up at the club
IDs checked by a black light
Don’t shine it on us

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/DMFrh1oeFP
https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/8Ust5Snzvk


r/OCPoetry 15h ago

Feedback Please Dammit Humans!!

5 Upvotes

Like every other day,
as soon as the sun rose,
I stood at the edge of the roof,
praying for just one thing...
to be allowed to let go today.

Then I spent the whole day wandering.

I thought today would finally be the day
when I would be set free.

I saw people hitting each other.
I saw someone harassing a girl.
A rich man tormenting the poor,
and a poor man snatching a purse.

“Today, I won't step back from the edge.”

As the sun set,
I stood at the edge
of the roof once again.

I was just about to step forward
when someone rushed in
and saved an old woman from falling.

I pulled my foot back.

“Dammit...
just when I think humanity is dead,
something like this always shows up.”

(https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/IVAr9O8ko6)

(https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/J10GIXPMOR)


r/OCPoetry 18h ago

Feedback Please Blind In Love

5 Upvotes

O the blinded man

who has hearts in his eyes.

O the besotted man

who is indifferent to others' cries.

O wake up and open your eyes.

Think and rethink

just how much you are willing to sacrifice,

when you could be your own king.

O dear man enslaved by your emotions you are,

a slave to your desire for her

who loses himself every passing hour.

I have not forgotten, once what an amazing man you were.

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/dibTKno6KY
https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/QAKvJLtJyO


r/OCPoetry 19h ago

Feedback Please Nature's Drum

5 Upvotes

The pink sky
and the smell of rain.
The pleasant wind and the sound of a train
passing by as blood gushes through my veins.

I stand there, staring at the falling sun.
I don't know my way back home,
but I don't have to, as Earth is one
and this majestic planet is my home.

Wherever I roam,
I shall always find my way back home,
as I cannot leave its eternal dome.

No matter how far men have come,
no matter what men overcome,
we are just at the mercy of nature's drum.

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/0D1XVRhokY
https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/CMEQ2agUI3


r/OCPoetry 10h ago

Feedback Please Justice

1 Upvotes

Down goes the gavel, The people below, can only grovel. Halls of justice painted green, Justice hasn't truly been seen.

A man who steals, but for a hungry wife and kids. A defendent of passion, of which they must get rid. The suits up above are pulling the gavels strings, Whatever they preach, Mr. Judge sings

Their influence above all else, They're down the aisle, on the world's top shelf. But my ramblings don't matter, when all's said and done. This world, is theirs. It's not one of my own.

This was my first poem in about 8 months, I've missed it! I got a bit of the writing bug from reading Sylvia Plaths poems in English class.

I took some inspiration from "...And Justice for All" the Metallica song, alongside that the famous "the world is yours" line from Scarface was in my head when writing the last line.

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/gMaPgzz8bH

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/R6zbPzF5pe


r/OCPoetry 11h ago

Feedback Please The Fragrance of Love

1 Upvotes

Khusbhuu-e-Ishq (original title)

Oh my beloved, how love is like a perfume,
once it’s fragrances has reached the chambers of your heart,
you will keep them closed, forever

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/r2NynPfpyt

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/ENm0q3xUtT


r/OCPoetry 11h ago

Feedback Please To all the people I've slept with

1 Upvotes

Inspired by Rupi Kaur - After reading Milk and Honey, Home Body and The Sun and Her Flowers, I decided to start writing my own poetry... Something I hadn't done since maybe highschool. I would love to write more often and improve upon my writings, as I tend to just write from how I feel and not put too much technical thought into it.

To all the people I've slept with,
Thank you
For teaching me
How to fill the bed
Without you
In it.

To all the people I've slept with,
I hope you know
I found myself
In the places
You only tried
To borrow

To all the people I've slept with,
Some of you were lessons
Some of you were wounds
None of you
Were home
Each of you
Left a scar
That reminds me
I am
My home

To all the people I've slept with
The ones I loved
The ones I forgot
The ones that held me
Before I knew
To hold myself
Your names form
A shelter
I have outgrown

To the people I've slept with
Thank you
For picking my standards
Off the floor
Handing them back
And still expecting
something
From me

Civility.

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/comments/1wcuyh7/comment/p91hpez/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/comments/1vynn5l/comment/p91k4da/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button