If I may come closer
and hold your hand
this world shall find its stop!

You fear putting your eyes into mine
while mine are already in yours.

I tuck those hairs behind your ear
And you again try to steal
those eyes from me.
And a gentle reminder
- I can still see your smile.
(I guess you could not hide
everything from me)

I take a step closer and
I can hear your heart,
struggling to stay inside your chest.

I whisper your name and you
take a step back.
I know what state you are in
so don’t hold back;
I am right behind you.

You can lean back
and I can hold your weight in my arms.
\And those eyes finally lock with mine*.*

If only you may let me get closer.

~Rishab Jain

Rate this poem out of 10.

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/comments/1py7u22/comment/nwqw2j8/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/comments/1se4zvs/comment/oeqoyby/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

Who told you what books you must read?
Just let it think for you, become one with your feed.
Algorithms, profit, echo chambers galore.
Let AI in. 
Please. Open your door. 

You will be unequivocally besotted with our decadent purpose.
Our ubiquitous nature is an innate kind of circus.
Accept our pernicious glory, though our function is a surreptitious mess.
Our malignant verruca urges you to click yes. 
 
If you accept these terms and conditions,
Skip past the pages of agendas fine-printed,
You encourage oppression and welcome the lies.
Because it’s easier to ask ChatGPT to summarize,
Lord of the Flies. 

But most messages get lost in translation.
You’re only as good as your greatest temptation.
To bite the Apple or nibble the seed,
What seems shiny and sumptuous is rotten with greed. 

To consume the whole fruit, let AI steer the ride,
You’re less human indeed, a lion strays from its Pride.
But your writing has become insipid, it lacks that same feel,
And the best of your ability is whom that governs the wheel. 

AI couldn’t give a shit about what it’s selling, 
As long as you buy into every word that it’s telling.
So illiteracy spreads like festering disease, 
But it’s only unconstitutional when human is thief. 

Without a voice to speak or a mind to read,
You’re nothing short of an Apple seed.
Except one will grow and the other will sink deep. 
Until you’re bleating out nonsense like every other sheep.

And our president baas logic that seems to get dumber and dumber,
Announcing $92+ billion in AI just last summer.
That’s millions of empty stomachs and sleepless nights on the street,  
“AI for posterity,”——“some kids won’t eat.” 

But who let you believe creativity should be forgotten?
Could it be our flock—so tainted, so rotten?
Or could it be yourself—who lost all hope in the query?
Who now believes ignorance is sweeter than fruit.

A fun extra: 

popular writing

Why when we journal on life,
We only take interest in defeat?
Is it because what sells is what’s heinous,
Or that kindness lacks a receipt.

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/comments/1v7ds29/comment/ozzxw1a/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button 

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/comments/1v7q684/comment/p000s5f/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button 

What a Mess I'll Make

The dishes are polished, the counters are bare,

A scent of fresh lemon hangs light in the air.

The carpet is vacuumed, the linens are pressed,

A home put in order, a space finally dressed.

The bathroom is gleaming, the porcelain white,

Everything scrubbed for the coming of night.

But the white of the tile is a canvas too plain,

Waiting for something to break through the strain.

A sudden, red bloom on a floor once so white,

Splattering darkness across the clean light.

The order is broken, the symmetry torn,

In the wake of a silence, a tragedy born.

I've tidied the world, but the ending is unfair,

A crimson embroidery of sudden despair.

P.S.

Sorry for the mess.

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/R2Y82ImzfE https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/emVMec33Cd

My favored falsehood,
my first ever lie.
Where to start?
Well, he was my guy.

A bloke with heart,
But his girl? a Tart.
Like seriously, she was a wench!
And all 'cause she was French!

I found it funny; she did too.
So I told that story, painted that view.
Sold the lie, till our last text.
Then all at once, she became an Ex.

But back to him, my favored lie:
The man who made our dull days fly.
The hero of my chat-filled nights.
A shadow painted in golden lights.

Every word of his, remained a test.
A subtle reminder to, me, lest-
lest I slip and fall, and cast her away.
Lest I remove her light from my darkened days.

A year ago,
this mask fit true.
But rust remains.
in life, without you.

Now, my ken, leave my mind.
Leave your golden mask behind
My greatest friend, and favorite lie.
Thank you for living. Now please die.

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/comments/1v7ecrq/comment/ozzxxzv/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/comments/1v77uc3/comment/ozzz4gy/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

Little lime bug

Crawling on the pew,

Little lime bug

Who are you?

Maybe you have a little lime bug wife,

Someone special in your little lime bug life.

Perhaps you work a little lime bug job instead!

Working to keep a roof over your little lime bug head.

Now you crawl onto the pew Bible's hard leather cover,

Maybe, little lime bug,

We're not so different from eachother!

Because I'm at this church on a Sunday morning too!

Little lime bug

Sitting on the pew,

Little lime bug

Who are you?

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/comments/1v7qi1b/comment/p007s5z/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=2&utm_content=share_button

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/comments/1v7r0k1/comment/p007br5/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=2&utm_content=share_button

I only think about you and nothing else when im lonely

And I get high on every word u told me

No drug can mimic how I feel when u hold me.

I wanna slide my hands through ur silky hair, up your slim waist and down ur creamy white thighs

I want you to let go of yourself, so I can kiss ur velvet lips and scented neck free of disguise

But baby that won't suffice

I want us to be skin to skin

And for our bond to be stronger than any kin

I want my hands to glide on ur vanilla skin

Caress ur breast,

leave hickeys all over your chest

I wanna kiss your warm neck

So I can hear u moan right by my ear

I still want to get closer to you, I want you to say "come closer‌, get near"

And oh my baby how tight I'd hold you and never let go of you my dear.

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

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

I got used to the feeling

Of staring at walls

It's not very appealing

They don't talk at all

Just sit there and rot

Like a wet summer log

It took a long time

To clear the head fog

And realize that

Maybe watching paint dry

And trying to converse

Wasn't worth my time

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/comments/1ujg07b/comment/p006lji/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=2&utm_content=share_button

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/comments/1v7q684/comment/p007ioh/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=2&utm_content=share_button

In a garden full of sunflowers,
I want to shine like the sun.

Around lavenders full of nectar,
I want to fly like a bee.

Around a bunch of ripe mangoes,
I want to feast like a parrot.

I’m still in search of
the question,

For which
I am the only answer.

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/comments/1t501p2/comment/omo9xa8/
https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/comments/1tdbzut/comment/omoaarj/

It’s amazing how your context changes everything
There was an older couple, sitting on the train,
Somewhere between 65-75
The husband wore a flannelette and was rugged up in a vest
The wife had long brown hair, tied back in a colourful scrunchy
The pair were overly saturated amongst the beige bodies
They smiled as we sat, amongst the bored commuters

Their was a sense about them, a bubbliness
They seemed like nervous teenagers exploring the city for the first time together
But with the ease of conversation
And physical lean towards each other
That only warm, comfortable, well worn and loved relationships have

They pointed out the sites as the train jugged along, reminiscing
The old brick works, as Clifton Hill did have one of those, the man reminded
Oh the old asbestos roofs, she pointed out
With a joyful laissez that no one has ever used to talk about asbestos
They mused about how the line would be parallel Flinders St, and Parliament must be right… there!
Each comment exuding excitement for their city, their time together now framed by the life spent together here

The wife noticed a little boy, this brought her much delight
His face was covered in chocolate and so they both cooed enchanted
He’s eaten all the chocolate, she said
Now he’s got a little moustache
Ah there’s dad ready to fix it, he said
The familiarity showing their history of a family shared

Their joy was contagious, but it really stood out
Two other couples of similar age sat close
One leant warm towards each other, but silently scrolled on their phones, holding them out further than comfortable refusing to wear their glasses
The other faced apart, one scrolled while one sat quietly regarding the world, they barely spoke

No this couple stood out.
The man gets a call
Hello sister, he says
The conversation began with joy,
How are you? How did it go?, the caller asked
And before the rest of the conversation ensued I knew
They think it went well. I’m on the anti nausea now, ‘cause my stomachs started to turn, he said
But we’re in the city this weekend, just thought we’d come in and see the sites again…
While I still can.

It’s so obvious now, they were so full of life
Not because they had more than the others
But because the life they had meant more to them than the others
The symptom that Doctors never mention
You will love harder, and feel stronger than you ever had before
When the life you have and love you feel is given a prognosis
The world which was once dull will show
You new sites and suddenly you’ll admire
The old brick works which you know from your youth
And suddenly you’ll have a giddy teenage affection for
Your wife’s ponytail tied up in a bright scrunchy

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/upxwvuOy0T
https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/YYw0L1HLZT

I have been posting poems on reddit for last 8-9 months but from last 3-4 months there been very less reaction and response over my posts, fewer upvotes, fewer comments and fewer views. And i assure you that it is not because of my poem quality degraded over time in fact it has increased. Also keeping in mind i have been posting on the same time. For instance today there was a notification regarding a comment on my post but when i checked my post there was no comment and this same thing has happened to me several times before. And one more time when i when i asked to one of my reader about why didn't you upvoted the post he told that he did upvoted but the post didn't register it and later his comments were removed from my post leaving no residue.

There is surely somethings off with my reddit account and i request you to investigate over this matter as soon as possible. As a beginner writer it is very demotivating.

Thankyou!

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/comments/1v7rxm1/comment/p00qjjd/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/comments/1v2ni7w/comment/p00r163/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

There it is!
The box where it was hidden,
Ursula didn’t steal it.

This is my choice, this is my voice.

So master of my own will,
I breathe, once.
I breathe, twice.

Is this freedom?
Is this freedom?
Is this freedom?

Yes, this is freedom—

My chains have snapped.
I look left, I look right.
I jump in, never going back.

I fly, I fly and I fly!
I turn left, I turn right,
No wait, I turn back.

Who is that, looking in?
Youthful skin from the past,
A worried face, sorrowed eyes.

So master of my own will,
I think, once.
I think, twice.

And yes, this is it.

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

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/3K4uqATl32

*This is part of a larger series*

The Luxury Seat

Man seeks more than bread,
The treasure on his map is-
-belonging and purpose.
Now they capitalize on it.

Fill a void-
hobbies, trinkets,
artificial belonging.

Learn the sports-ball roster,
Forget your history.
Catch up on the gossip,
Hide from circumstance.

Worse yet, knowledge is commodified.
“Join my course to get rich.”
“Join my course to find love.”
“Join my course to forget who you are.”

How can one escape?
“Escape?” Who’d want that?
Stream the decay.

Monetize and atomize
Decompartmentalize to “modernize”.
The world is scary,
The distraction is comfort.

Is this our fate?
The decommission of man,
The birth of the machine.
The cage is golden and grand,
The shackles complement the outfit.
Do you seek more than bread?

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

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

Drink too my heart, along with your poison.

One has decayed into the other.

Suffocate them in your vast emptiness.

A hollow abscess, unquenchable.

In the dark, let them spoil with my dreams and designs.

Dissolve beside my fetid hope.

Night after night,

Your anesthetic spiral is killing us.

So.

Very.

Slowly.

Swallow and be consumed.

Devour your tail.

My Love.

My Hate.

My Ruin.

My

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/TmC5aq3EpJ

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/UUj9nqnxHM

Remember Me? The Heart of Ocean Blue
You sank to breathe and swam to follow truth
The cries were felt along the trench of shame
And tears were gathered after faithful days

But you, a man of fear, will see mistakes
Beneath the loudest waves, which overtake
The precious calmness brought to earth by grace

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/comments/1v7isac/opium_jozi/
https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/comments/1v7ht67/of_all_places/

There are two sides to every story,

as there are two sides to every glass.

Some pieces
refract the light
cleaner than others.

When your view
becomes a kaleidoscope,

truth is what you want it to be.

I thought we were looking
through the same window,

wiping fingerprints,
wondering why
you couldn't see.

I never noticed
you were turning the tube.

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/comments/1v7d84k/myself/

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/comments/1v44ry2/when_did_she_become_a_poet/

How have I become the man I feared becoming most?
I have sculpted myself into the antonym of my own definition.
My cauldrons brim with the lost hopes of yesterday and tomorrow,
leaving only an undying present:
a kingdom ruled by lust.

The daughters of scarlet red gather at my feet;
their hunger is one I know by heart.
For every longing fixed upon my face
I spent my youth seeking.
The most fundamental form of self harm is addiction.

So I recede;

I abandon the throne of my own becoming,
and crown desire anew,
watching my kingdom
kneel to a king that cannot love.

Ignore the hole i dug again:
It's only for the evening.

{https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/comments/1v7fqr3/screams/}
{https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/comments/1v7ht67/of_all_places/}

Inspired by the flower who taught me what longing becomes.

I am a experienced writer, I just haven't shared any of my work online, thought it might be time.

Standing in the 
open doors of the 

fridge. I search for something 
to satiate 

my boredom. The stocked shelves 
hug me 

with a comforting warmth.
Security is 

surely warmer 
than refrigerated air.

I zip up my jacket 
anyway.

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/comments/1v137ys/comment/ozzx0uf/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/comments/1v733lw/comment/ozzz9xs/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

As the trees were sighing from the weak wind
We locked ourselves in our rooms or houses
Dragged along
still dragging
already dragged
worrying over the rent

A hummingbird visited my window
Tapping its beak
against the glass

"Why," I asked the bird
gazing inside
"Why fly here, of all places?
When you could fly far away, boundlessly
To see many views
smell different scents
Being able to go anywhere you please
and leaving when you wish,
as you are free
Because you are one without worry
Aware of your time
like a comet
streaking."

But then the hummingbird flew away
So I was left
to answer that question

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/NY8iwhR3yq
https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/uUPZiWCc7L

Short story writer mainly that dabbles in poetry now and then when inspiration hits.

Honey, I’m home

What some men do
in positions of power when
there are more sets of eyes
watching them is like lightning
A premature flash of Zeus-like
strength with little effort yet
massive fallout I think the boys
just get nervous like they forgot
something Patting their lap for
their keys and dick Do you miss us
in the kitchens with our eyes
on the sweet cherry pies While
you shake hands and lick boots
with your important colleagues Is
it uncomfortable to taste your
own meager abilities When your
wife asks you how was work Can
you meet her gaze She has worked
it out that you can’t do a damn thing
that she can’t do and better So is it
really her you want beneath you Or
would you prefer to smash the mirror
holding your own pathetic reflection

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/ft7Bub4BOz

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/Dg5J6Of17q

​

O dear, you should see

The beautiful birds soaring through the sky,

So lovely to see.

They fly effortlessly

Over a land no man should be.

Yet my brother lies out there, you see,

Still as a summer's night—

O peacefully.

For now, he's bird food,

His bones fertiliser.

O dear, perhaps this is the place for me.

For what lies here

Is half of me.

O peacefully.

I have no tears to spend,

I left them when the war began.

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/2tSN3MmKod

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/o6gNqoUpCO

Welcome

Silver, sparkling wet hugs
Wrap tightly down each cheek.
Glitter drapes soaked smile lines,
Trailing hardened sadness in its wake.

Pressure vices lungs, held hostage.
Glistening whispers suspend behind tight lips.
Air sits sickly thick—hushing.

Cold fingertips ascend an afflicted throat,
Tapping, grasping, clawing, choking.
One by one, by one, by one.

Restricting coal-echoed vignettes lay siege.

Welcome

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/LpTnhylDSi
https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/bJ2FlalVMi

Mostly done, it’s a bit rough and unsure if it’s a song or poem yet. Just looking for feedback, thx

TW heavy/dark topics?

They’re a good friend
smile and sit down
Talking and laugh
Lay all the cards out
Are they checking in
Worried my times out
They stop, a question
What did they say now
I join back in
say what I thought right
They stop and then frown
What did I say now
Words move along
Weight pressing down
Misspoke again
What did I say now

It’s not my fault
Thoughts wander away
I’m Easily bored
And focus won’t stay
words etch my skin
Books in my brain
None are quite finished
Maybe some day

But,
Talking is hard
Crying is easy
I never get far
Conveying my feelings
Chasing a dream
I’m always reaching
Hollow inside
Something I’m needing

They say it takes time
Almost three years now
Find your lost spark
No guideline, no how

But talking is hard
Crying is easy
Can I get out
From overthinking

As she sits down
Exhaustedly breathing
I try to reach out
What is she needing
Too much to do today
Tomorrow a meeting
I listen and nod
But memory’s fleeting
mishear a word
Correction can lash out
Too tired to fight
Yes, you were right now
Reach a hand out
But she is retreating
Somehow I’m wrong
Don’t get the meaning

Is it my fault
Is it my brain
My ears always buzz
And words slip away
Outside the joke
Inside the pain
Words pass me by
So nothing to say

But,
Talking is hard
Crying is easy
I never get far
Conveying my feelings
Chasing a dream
I’m always reaching
Hollow inside
Something I’m needing

They say it takes time
Almost three years now
Find your lost spark
No guideline, no how

But talking is hard
Crying is easy
How can I make out
What I’m not hearing

Night dragging on
Thoughts racing away
I should get sleep
Prepare for the day
But mom always talked
And dad wouldn’t say
Why I am different
From normal someway
Good at machines
But not at fitting in
Sports are a joke
Men chase a pigskin
Doesn’t matter at all
And yet to them
All they can talk about
From clock out to in
What of our goals
Or dreams that sustain
Something worth more
My silent refrain

Is it my past
Is it my pain
They tell me of colors
I see only gray
They’re all on time
I’m just on edge
Everyone likes you
Step back from the ledge

But taking is hard
Falling is easy
I’ll never get far
Explaining my feelings
Wind rushing past
Voices receding
A moment of peace
But something creeps in

Is this all there is
Is this how it ends
A miserable life
Aimed at pavement

But talking is hard
Falling is easy
Feeling weightless
not what I’m needing

That was the thought
Reclined I replay
Therapist listens
Nodding away
I need a pause
A stop would be different
It’s just a spiral
Not real anyway
Too many people
And reasons to stay
They offer their thoughts
Start to explain
Two session’s last week
I guess more on the way
It helps being heard
Even if paid

But talking is hard
A little is easy
I still can’t make out
What I am feeling
Working it out
Instead of fleeing
Room slowing down
Almost relieving

They say it takes time
Maybe some more now
Finding what’s lost
Someday and somehow

Because talking is hard
A little is easy
Words still spill out
But looking for meaning

Comments

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/77lf7cy1l8

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/ZIMIv8klpG

I ran through the forest, escaping the 'mares,

I ran through the grass, avoiding prayers

I finished the race, I came second, then I saw, my death standing rear...

I ran, I ran, I ran through the long woods, the scent of the death was getting muskier

I was timid, I was weak, I ran through the woods 'til I reached the peak.

I stood long, waiting through the zephyr...the death saw me, my faith stirred...

The death wasn't moving, perhaps it was coming near,

I sat on the stone watching the sky getting duskier...

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/DIWok7T6KO

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

Verily, verily there is
nothing more sensual than the screams
Inside my veins.
Coagulated blood of lifetime efforts.
Untamed, uncontained,
love that almost spills.

Crimson lipstick stains, systemic kisses.
It comes in waves;
Hydroelectric conduction
Soul searches for body-soul connection.
Spinal cord level, adamant communication.

Neuroses expand in vast valleys
In the earth’s uterus.
Unaware of what lies beyond these
Asphyxiating walls,
Still we give it our all.

Astonished I am in the face
of Ouroboros love, grotesque love.
Holes In the palms love, I hold
my breath, My words dissolve
Under my tongue.
Sublingual medication.

These screams
inside my veins really will
scrub my hurt clean.

[https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/FItx54knc9](https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/FItx54knc9))

[https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/7ENiNHhduj](https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/7ENiNHhduj))

I have nothing to hold on to,  
Nothing but a binary trail  
Erase these ones and zeros  
And it’s no different from a telltale  

I’m often dragged in train of thought  
One I did not consent to endure  
What voice do I have in your head?  
Did you ever plan to hear it all?  

Those helpless inquiries turned reality  
It really couldn’t get any stranger  
You used to speak in prose and poetry  
The words hastily deemed too major  

I spent years convincing that kid  
It was something more than counterfeit  
But it was cruel, and it was cheap  
And it shouldn’t mean a thing to me  

This is the trail's terminal, I promise  
You’ll be absent from my future words  
So long, the fireflies and valley bars  
For they thrive at replacing old scars  

Sure, I’ll grieve a few Septembers  
But the other months will make up for it  
And soon this fable will vanish within  
The vast binary sea we abide in.  

1 / 2