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James Ignotus Mar 17
I heard them—
low voices curling through the dark,
soft as breath, sharp as broken glass.
I wasn’t supposed to hear.
But I did.

My name—
slipped from their mouths like a secret too heavy,
like a blade drawn slow.
And suddenly,
the walls felt too close,
the air too thick,
the space between us, a battlefield.

I knew what this was.
I’d seen the signs.
The hush when I entered,
the careful glances,
the way the night swallowed their words whole.

I knew—
I knew.

So I lunged.
Didn’t hesitate, didn’t breathe,
just cut.
Words like wildfire,
rage like a flood,
my voice a wrecking ball crashing through their quiet.

And then—
stillness.

No fight.
No denial.
Just eyes wide, hands empty,
hearts bleeding from wounds they never saw coming.

A gift, they said.
A surprise, they said.
A moment of joy,
crushed beneath the weight of my fear.

And suddenly, I am the villain.
The shadow in the room.
The storm where there should have been sun.

I built a monster out of whispers,
let it crawl into my bones,
let it tell me the only story I wanted to hear.

And now, here I stand,
watching trust turn to dust,
watching love fade into silence,
watching them walk away—

because I never thought to ask
before I chose to burn.
evangline Mar 15
It’s not easy to move on,
from the last 12 years.
It’s not easy to erase them,
the memories you imprinted on me.

I know you’re a better man now,
but does that make up for everything?

I can’t forget the nights
I was sobbing in my room,
all alone, with no one to turn to.
I can’t forget the sound of your voice,
as it echoed through my room—
so loud, I put my hands over my ears,
yet I still heard it, loud and true.

I can’t forget the sound of broken dishes,
as you threw them across the room.
The sound of my favorite mirror shattering,
as you punched through it,
and turned your hand—and my heart—
red and blue.

I can’t forget the late-night hospital visits,
the stitches, the injections,
the crying and screaming—
all because you wanted that **** high,
the one you got from your bottles,
the one you wanted so much more than me.

I say that I have forgiven you,
although in my heart, that’s far from the truth.
I don’t know if I’ll ever even be able to,
not after you made my best years
so nightmarish,
that I shudder when I think of them.
I shudder when I think of you.
I wonder if you shudder too.
The story of a young girl who saw too much and learned the feeling of hatred much too soon.
I do not know why you do this to me
It's clear I'm not a priority
My eyes open
You prefer them closed
Too late to cover betrayal exposed
To me it's obvious as it can get
Stalling makes me more upset
Either way going to find out
You'll have to confront my pout
The death of consideration at our door
Birthing doubt that loudly roars
Staring at undeniable truth
Witnessing what's in front of me doesn't take a sleuth
My desires to back-burner are pushed aside
Then have the nerve to claim you "tried"
When faced with actions you turn tables
Insisting it's my mindset that is unstable
I've went through cycle over and over hoping it will end
Telling myself to not get angry because it's YOUR money to spend
Even though it's true can't help but feel hurt within
Never learned how to be confident in your ability to win
It must be a lifetime of letdowns and loss
Foolish failures have filled my flesh with frost
Seeming obligated to protect you from your habit
Of course you persist on chasing that white rabbit
As merely mortal you are not to blame
Pull is too severe calling out your name
In your optics a wild glimmer awakens
Want to tame it before your morality is taken
The dawn bridges bad past to promising present's fresh start
Gentle wind whispers words to calm currents crashing in my heart
I follow instincts and they lead to the front door
We would walk together but you don't mirror my strides anymore
And time trickles slower just for having bodies near
I'd live over your shoulder advising choices in your ear
Without fear of flailing or getting lost or stuck
Wandering paths anywhere without giving one ****
I would not hold against you the mistakes recklessly made
Wouldn't be so quick to throw your direction shade
I am a little hasty with my poor attitude
Afraid to fly your leaps of faith I automatically exclude
Rooted in wildflowers intentions sway easily with the breeze
Paint feathers black and white to match piano keys
Borrowed from sunsets is glow warming my ice
Sky calls out a sole last roll of the dice
But the ground quakes beneath our feet
In too much debt to surrender and retreat
A compulsion from a screen formed and it appears it's here to stay
Daring you to raise your bet until there's zero pennies left to play
I carry stress for both our hands
Aching brain responds to negativity's demands
Right this second selfishness has me seeing red
Soon as you mumble "sorry" I'll be holding you in my arms instead
Why am I so quick to forgive?
Sanama Mar 13
I am like a falcon, caught in a troubled storm,
Wings torn by winds as cold as winter's scorn.
Surrounded by the storm’s wrath and hate,
I fly through thunder, dodging their fate.

But as I soar, something starts to ignite —
Feathers burn in silence, yet loud with might.
Free like the blazing sun I rise,
Flames roaring as my anger cries.

As the light of the sun embraces my wings,
And its heat touches deep within,
I feel like the sun itself — burning bright,
Strong and free from chains of night.

A blaze grows sharp at every turn,
Falcon’s fury begins to burn.
Though they try to chain my fire,
I rise in embers, climbing higher.

Like a phoenix, I am born again,
From ash and flame, breaking the chain.
The falcon I was becomes pure flame,
Stronger now, with no more shame.

Their hate the wind — but I’m the fire,
A stormbird born from all their ire.
No longer broken, no longer small,
I am the blaze that outshines all.
This is more like a short story that shows how troubles can make us stronger and wiser. Even when people close to us try to bring us down, we don't have to stay there. Be born again — let your wings guide you to rise above it all.
This morning I woke up
Stomach in a knot
My eyes adjust to the light in the room
I raise my hands to my face
I noticed my wrists as I do

I feel angry at myself

“I am fine, I don’t need any help
There are worse than I come on it’s been ages since I last cried”

I feel embarrassed, ashamed and full of regret
I hide the pain sketched onto my wrists
I try to forget that it exists

I tell no one about what I have done
I don’t need the help
The battle has been won
Niranjan R Mar 12
The pain was brutal, unable to bear
She was gone forever,
Why wasn't I there for her?
While she prayed for me to stay with her?
Was I even a good lover?
But she was gone forever,
Never to say, "Only you and I, hereafter"

Closed my eyes to drown the regret,
But all the good memories with her
Were now nightmares, too much to bear,
But she was gone forever,
Never to make new ones, ever

The pain was brutal, why was she gone?
I looked at the mirror, saw a broken one
What made me lose her, my only one?
I will remove them, one by one!
And once I was done
I looked at the mirror, saw they were gone
The one left standing, the one she loved,
I smiled at myself, I sat down
It was quiet all around
Also, inside
I was free
Forever in peace
RAT
Hello, you silky rat.
I know your type.
You see defenseless
and you take the easy way.

I am not going to stand by
I won't let it happen another time.
The bravery of those around me
Has inspired the the best I can be.

Let me know, and it will get personal.
Because certain people deserve a tour
Of the inside of their head.
Until their guts drag the sled

Of their rotting sad stomach
Sliding on the floor.

So stick to your guns
And don't let him say a word.
Projection haunting so many
Brave souls a plenty.

I once held
The cold embrace
Of a man much older then me
When I was very young.
Never again.
If anyone needs to talk to someone, you can talk to me.
neth jones Mar 27
trot it all out     two tottering opposites                                
            duelling sets   of things we ought think
two angers   we must take like a ***** draught
and we are distractible
one feeding of fear   to link us all                         
    and we are made quite yielding
                                        
i feel willing now  to rush upon death   just to get the it over with
and the dragons can take the hoard                      
                             and disable its currency
a real species stopper
well done
neth jones Mar 12
crazy foreign fare maybe you curdle defeat in the streets baring solar assault (you've fried your unit) harpy malicious harpies as bullhorns fact-fire biting into delirious fright-blight of abrasion upon your eardrums abstain (it's all an abusical !) refuse this parody the good night woe stains on your sleeves i belly believe you'll capture your death way out here at the merry least you'll pass a deathly coffin sneeze silly-silly breath breathe
the song This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us by Sparks was thoroughly stuck in my head at the time of the writing of this and a few other poems.

original version from feb 2024 :system crash mashed potato monster mash mobster lobster

crazy, foreign fare maybe / you curdle defeat - in the streets - baring solar assault - (you've fried your meat) /harpy, malicious harpies / as bullhorns fact-fire, biting into delirious fright / blight of abrasion upon your eardrums / abstain ; it's all a fusicial ! refuse this parody / the good night   woe stains on your sleeves / i belly believe you'll capture your death way out here / at the merry least you'll pass a deathly coffin sneeze .... silly-silly
To my dearest monsters,

  I hope this letter finds you on the brink of your doom, rotting away in your sinister cave. Because it's what evil like you deserves. To rot and woe, to know the pain of fading, before you fade away. Because your longevity is short lived, for most of you will die come first daylight.
  I hope you know, there is no home for you here. But if you try and build one, It will be burnt down. Every scrapped cinder and discarded log crushed to black dust. The substance of your soul, you're made of cinders, burning away at the human you once were. And if no one else will stand against you, know I will. Don't mess with fresh fire, lest you get burn away too.

                                                                                    Sincerely, I.
I refuse to be fooled by one of these again, I call to the writers of HP, let us make this a safe space for all writers.
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