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#estrangement
My swaddling cloth was my haven. I was under the protection of the black angel. I did not need sleep then, for I rested in an endless sleep already. I bore no weight then, for I belonged to a time beyond history. My fall into life is catastrophe; its consequences, a nightmare. Every breath I take is resistance; every breath I release, a struggle. Even while the heavens rest, sleep never enters my eyes. Even while civilization runs without rest, my foot sleeps. I think of it—my motherland. I remember my homeland. I mourn for Neverland. A dim ache gathers in my heart; I long for the abyssal arms. From the exile, I write elegies. The destinies there are uncertain. I arrange praises for nothingness, and they vanish inside its emptiness. Perhaps this is precisely what it means to exist: to be absorbed by the void, the ultimate home. Life is not life. Death is not death. Life is death, and death is life. It is my struggle to exist, in memory of annihilation, that leaves my eyes fixed upon the horizon for the sake of my lost civilization. That empire has no name; it rules beyond even namelessness. That empire has no location; it reigns beyond even placelessness. I do not know where I exactly came from or where I am going, forever heading. But I see with absolute clarity where I have never arrived, and never will. This place does not pull me toward itself, but through my whole being I feel the ache of somewhere that does. Take my soul and bring me back to yourself. I am freezing here, and I long for your cold fire. **** me, annihilate me. Liberate me, set me free. Let me dissolve in the darkness of the cosmos within your yoke. Change my cage, sweet swaddle. ― Atrona Grizel
0
6d ago
May 28, 2026 at 3:58 PM UTC
Longing for the abyss
My swaddling cloth was my haven. I was under the protection of the black angel. I did not need sleep then, for I rested in an endless sleep already. I bore no weight then, for I belonged to a time beyond history. My fall into life is catastrophe; its consequences, a nightmare. Every breath I take is resistance; every breath I release, a struggle. Even while the heavens rest, sleep never enters my eyes. Even while civilization runs without rest, my foot sleeps. I think of it—my motherland. I remember my homeland. I mourn for Neverland. A dim ache gathers in my heart; I long for the abyssal arms. From the exile, I write elegies. The destinies there are uncertain. I arrange praises for nothingness, and they vanish inside its emptiness. Perhaps this is precisely what it means to exist: to be absorbed by the void, the ultimate home. Life is not life. Death is not death. Life is death, and death is life. It is my struggle to exist, in memory of annihilation, that leaves my eyes fixed upon the horizon for the sake of my lost civilization. That empire has no name; it rules beyond even namelessness. That empire has no location; it reigns beyond even placelessness. I do not know where I exactly came from or where I am going, forever heading. But I see with absolute clarity where I have never arrived, and never will. This place does not pull me toward itself, but through my whole being I feel the ache of somewhere that does. Take my soul and bring me back to yourself. I am freezing here, and I long for your cold fire. **** me, annihilate me. Liberate me, set me free. Let me dissolve in the darkness of the cosmos within your yoke. Change my cage, sweet swaddle. ― Atrona Grizel
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50
Ancestor of the apocalypse, the day history ended remains in my core. Always beyond memory, I inhabit all that gloomy ceremony. I was born in a sewer pit, without absorbing any of its filth. I was burnt in a furnace; humans are the most hellish. I rose from the rot as a rose, meant for a fellow traveller. How pleasant it is for the one who dares to touch my buckler. For those who fear my thorn, this is deliberate. For those who do not fear it, this is a snare. My view is my thorn, meant to sort and repel. I frighten the unworthy, and I draw the fearless toward my spell. This flower does not smell sweet; this flower does not look pleasant. It is a rose beyond the bud, archiving its own ashes. It is accustomed to harshness, never inviting anyone. Its vision is grounded in sternness, never having been seduced before. Its leaves are made for hardness, never blooming among the mediocre. It stands upright without sunlight. Ally of the night, it shines under the moonlight. None have torn it from its ancient root; it is its own silent orator. My mother is the rubble; the ruins are my womb. The rose of the storm eradicates the daisy of the still. My redness is the sunset; I sweep across the world in flames. I drain the forest; my height reaches the height of the trees. I grow toward the heavens and leave a desert behind me. I was born from war, and now I declare it. ― Atrona Grizel
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7d ago
May 27, 2026 at 3:58 PM UTC
Rose of apocalypse
Morning light fills the room, replacing human motion. Daylight betrays itself, vanishing from my notion. The dawn sun embraces, the oldest comrade. The midday sun punishes, the greatest obstacle. The sunrise begins before the haste. The sunshine lasts even after the rattle. No one walks; everyone sleeps. Nothing moves; everything changes. In the hush, glimmers hold their feast; the orange blush capsizes the yellow beast. The pale shimmer washes the wall; birds announce nature’s call. Doves gather at my window, revering me as civilization’s widow. They drift above the rooftops; the overworld belongs to their fellows. My soul grows wings beside theirs, and I glide through the serene streets; they are my heirs. ― Atrona Grizel
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May 26
May 26, 2026 at 11:31 AM UTC
Before the wake
at that tender age when one still believed openly bleeding wounds make for devotion cut skin, draw blood, covenanting together all through the years of getting to know you always being the only one to be weeded out
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May 8
May 8, 2026 at 3:17 PM UTC
killerweeds
On this bitterly cold subzero morning I want to write you a poem Powerful enough to penetrate through bundled up layers The choicest words lined up just so Into a collection of perfect kindling Creating a warmth that grows And spreads And fills Like a belly full of hot cocoa On this bitterly cold subzero morning I want my penned verse To thaw hardened judgements To inspire Spring To transform your eyes to see the verdant landscape beneath the ice To illuminate a path of renewal so irresistible You step away from this frozen tundra of your choosing Away from bitterness And hate Into the peaceful dawn of empathy Kindness Love Oh, if I could only write a poem more powerful than your bitter, cold world It would change everything If only © 2026 SincerelyJoanWrites
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Jan 31
Jan 31, 2026 at 9:33 AM UTC
If Only
Why why why… are you doin’ this to me? Why why why… just let it be… Why why why… are you running blind? Why why why… are we left behind? Why why why… you are my brother, the one and only Why why why… I wonder if your lost or lonely? Why why why… can’t you come to me? Why why why… hide in shrouded mystery? Why why why… we were just kids back then Why why why… do you break my heart again? Why why why… you were fighting shadows Why why why… my heartbreak still grows.. Why why why… can’t you see Why why why… the pain in me… Why why why… Bro, I’ve got to move on Why why why… not forgotten, but you are gone. Sally
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Jan 21
Jan 21, 2026 at 4:35 PM UTC
eSTRANGEd
This thing                I have for humanity Felt like a great love and                   I wanted it to love me but every day with it                      has felt more like a beating I thought after a while                        I'd get used to this feeling Rise and fight the good fight and                           not find it so demeaning But I started getting heavy                              convinced myself that I was dreaming Was it ever the world                                  or was it just your hate Gave myself all the blame                                  since no one else wanted any Tried to find you reasons                                      when there were already plenty But I really wanted to believe                                            you wouldn't have done all that to me I suppose that                             I can see             Why some would believe                                 I must have been naive For me to be waiting around                                   holding onto the belief Getting older hoping they'd finally                                       want me to be apart of their family But is it really all that fair                                to tell a kid not to care                                                  and give up waiting for their parents?
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Dec 15, 2025
Dec 15, 2025 at 7:52 PM UTC
Will they, won't they
This thing                I have for humanity Felt like a great love and                   I wanted it to love me but every day with it                      has felt more like a beating I thought after a while                        I'd get used to this feeling Rise and fight the good fight and                           not find it so demeaning But I started getting heavy                              convinced myself that I was dreaming Was it ever the world                                  or was it just your hate Gave myself all the blame                                  since no one else wanted any Tried to find you reasons                                      when there were already plenty But I really wanted to believe                                            you wouldn't have done all that to me I suppose that                             I can see             Why some would believe                                 I must have been naive For me to be waiting around                                   holding onto the belief Getting older hoping they'd finally                                       want me to be apart of their family But is it really all that fair                                to tell a kid not to care                                                  and give up waiting for their parents?
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31
I. I've got no time; I know that now. The jig is up, the jib is cut And I'm no dancing sailor. The wild winds whip--contaminating a dream or two. Belt out an anthem for me, if you can find it in your frame. You don't have to forgive me. Make me an erasure mark, still here but only barely. Brush away my grainy remains and be done with what's left of me. I will make you feel nothing, now, but the mildest frustration      at the inability to     remove completely.    A crumpled page will **** me now         if that is what you're wanting.                           Do it.                     Stop waiting.                   I'm an autumn that you've half-forgotten,                                 colors fading quickly.          Bleed the last heat out of me now, and make it snappy. It's cold out here. Visible breaths, unwelcome reminders. II. I still see the ghosts of us, out haunting our sidewalks. Your voice will never leave my mind; the insides      of my ears           sanded smooth                with your syllables,                your clipped and crackling consonants,                       your rich, bourbony vowels. There's a mall, out in St. Vital (or was, anyway) I think we went there for fries, one time? No--it was for Chinese. I am always doing _just this_, you see:      trying to make your face, in Winter,               with my exhalations.       Trying to frame the feel of you      with the negative space between         the shapes of my two hands. Dying to be touched, but afraid to shatter. I let the larger concerns go quiet...           ...shimmering, shaking in radio silence.
0
Dec 15, 2025
Dec 15, 2025 at 2:09 PM UTC
Nihil Fit
I. I've got no time; I know that now. The jig is up, the jib is cut And I'm no dancing sailor. The wild winds whip--contaminating a dream or two. Belt out an anthem for me, if you can find it in your frame. You don't have to forgive me. Make me an erasure mark, still here but only barely. Brush away my grainy remains and be done with what's left of me. I will make you feel nothing, now, but the mildest frustration      at the inability to     remove completely.    A crumpled page will **** me now         if that is what you're wanting.                           Do it.                     Stop waiting.                   I'm an autumn that you've half-forgotten,                                 colors fading quickly.          Bleed the last heat out of me now, and make it snappy. It's cold out here. Visible breaths, unwelcome reminders. II. I still see the ghosts of us, out haunting our sidewalks. Your voice will never leave my mind; the insides      of my ears           sanded smooth                with your syllables,                your clipped and crackling consonants,                       your rich, bourbony vowels. There's a mall, out in St. Vital (or was, anyway) I think we went there for fries, one time? No--it was for Chinese. I am always doing _just this_, you see:      trying to make your face, in Winter,               with my exhalations.       Trying to frame the feel of you      with the negative space between         the shapes of my two hands. Dying to be touched, but afraid to shatter. I let the larger concerns go quiet...           ...shimmering, shaking in radio silence.
Continue reading...
47
To be me Is to have anxiety That what's underneath Is nothing more than what you see And at least to me What you would see Is what none could stand to be   Why you refuse my company Simply a monstrosity Betrayed by curiosity Self fulfilling animosity Feeding off the fear of my own disease    With a selfish need to be seen that surpasses even me But what else could I be When all Ive ever had is that belief The only heirlooms in my family were the branches we cut off the family tree And that indeed Is what's killing us individually Even if they refuse to see
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Nov 29, 2025
Nov 29, 2025 at 6:02 PM UTC
Broken Branches
I am the worst murderer of all— I killed my entire family, but let them stay alive. There is only: Happy Birthday, Happy Mother’s Day, Happy Father’s Day, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year. There is no: I miss you, I love you, When will you come? I dug their graves and buried them deep in the ground. They wounded me immensely. I gift them with my nonexistence.
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Aug 15, 2025
Aug 15, 2025 at 6:19 AM UTC
Leaving the Dead Alive
“Make the child fear you. Some people like to say respect is important, but nothing is more respectful than a well-trained child who fears you.” Ask him how well that turned out. All cold and alone, while three humans—half of him—walk the earth without a shred of regret that we will never exchange something as simple as hello again.
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Mar 27, 2025
Mar 27, 2025 at 10:05 AM UTC
Parenting Advice From My Father:
I could thank you for raising me, For making me who I was meant to be, But you hated that task. It showed in your actions, your face—I didn’t have to ask. Yet you did make me who I am today. I will never know trust or love in a fatherly way. Abandoned by my own, scorned by you, You held my mother’s hands steady as she stabbed me through. You are the wound I was never meant to have.
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Feb 28, 2025
Feb 28, 2025 at 10:51 AM UTC
Secondary Father Wound
If you’d held me more, Maybe I wouldn’t have ended up Watching an overdose on the kitchen floor. If your voice had been just a little softer, Then maybe older men Wouldn’t be what I sought after. If your hands had been less cruel, Maybe I wouldn’t have to work so hard To avoid ending up like you.
0
Feb 21, 2025
Feb 21, 2025 at 5:18 PM UTC
Maybe
It's bizarre to be alive and know that in someone's home, you're a ghost. The question remains: How are you remembered? Does a smile accompany your name?
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Jan 13, 2025
Jan 13, 2025 at 1:49 PM UTC
The Ghost
Daddy please! Stay with me! Don't fight in that war; we're already free! They don't want you there, but I need you here. Father, how many years has it been? Twenty? Was losing the war worth losing me? You didn't stay there, but you never came here.
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Dec 26, 2024
Dec 26, 2024 at 1:41 PM UTC
Another Letter to Dad
Mother, You once loved my father’s face You held it close to yours. You brushed his cheeks with your lips You embraced him with your entire heart And now, You despise my cheeks Because they are his You hate my smile Because my teeth are the same shape as his Did you ever hold me so close? Mother, Forgive me, For what I couldn't control. And Father, You once protected my mother You kept her close to you You spent sunny days and rainy nights By her side But now, I can't recall your voice Are my eyes really like yours? Do I remind you of Mother? Father, Forgive me For making you leave
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Dec 20, 2024
Dec 20, 2024 at 1:08 PM UTC
Dear Mom & Dad
On the day of all souls in the fall as leaves lose luster to winter’s bane my father’s shade returns to call while I walk along a splintered lane: His memory murmurs in a darkened nook of years of yearning and wasted days, as the distance that filled up the book of our lives still grows as I turn to grey. The care he’d showed I did not feel as the pillars of our bridge began to crack. Too late, I turned back to heal the fallen span that we now lacked. By then his old mind’s lantern had failed; the new light I’d shone back went unseen and broken arches into a chasm trailed where once a golden bridge had briefly been. Across the valley, dark, deep, and wide, a spectral stretch of stones appears to shine as a silvery coach now rides across, to bring two sundered shadows near. Now on this day of all souls missed by those who find themselves left behind, one faithful departed returns to kiss the forehead of a son’s reopened mind.
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Nov 2, 2024
Nov 2, 2024 at 1:01 PM UTC
The bridge once broken
Searching for your love but for what? For you to put me down into the depths of your soul? For you to wreak havoc Oh but it was nothing old For every compliment there was an insult Was I really all that there was for you? A doll for you to poke and **** Just some gum under your shoe? I must've been a hindrance for you even in the end, I wanted you to love me was that too much to ask for? To search for me the way I did for you But the loss of your ego was too much for you to bare so you broke a piece of mine too to make something new to keep it Just for you
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Sep 12, 2023
Sep 12, 2023 at 1:59 PM UTC
Search for me
How can you not see? How can you not know? Not hear The manipulation beneath the concern It may be real to her The concern “I just want what’s best” For you (For her) “Best” is a narrow place to be Pressure from all sides, pinning you in place You’re just a puzzle piece If you won’t make yourself fit in your place She’s happy to help you cut off                                                          the parts that don’t fit Her image Her vision for her world It’s hard to resist When she believes her own press That she is the savior The martyr The truth is She is a spider And to be free of the web Sometimes requires Cutting all ties
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Jun 14, 2021
Jun 14, 2021 at 12:06 PM UTC
Her Web
He was just a simple man Who was trying to find his place in the world In times where everybody felt That they didn't belong here
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Oct 1, 2020
Oct 1, 2020 at 8:32 AM UTC
Orientation
mother faded....thirty years ago, she's a living ghost, haunts me still
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May 28, 2020
May 28, 2020 at 8:17 AM UTC
Estrangement
Sometimes I can feel it      when we're thinking the same thing sometimes I can feel it      when you're thinking about me sometimes I can feel it      when you're looking at me sometimes I can feel it      when you're watching me sometimes I can feel it      when you're there sometimes I can feel it      when you're not there sometimes I don't feel anything at all
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Nov 24, 2019
Nov 24, 2019 at 12:21 PM UTC
sometimes I feel