shooting slow

who let isolation get so easy

alone together

we are just strangers across the bar

millions of missed connections

shooting slow in one direction

we owe each other more than looks

but our hearts get stuck in our throats

there's a bear in every other seat

they're as scared of you as you of them

i have to think that you are desperate

if you are not, then what am i

a lonely heart with a silly pen

making excuses for their hollow soul

let me be the honey to your grizzly

but i'm sure i'll live if you say no

i do have a silly pen

that's with me when i'm killing friends

i can sit against your stares

held firm by the bulwark of my ego

so feel free to do your worst

as long as you do something

the stories of your friends and foes

you'll remember to your dying day

but the tale of the face you do not know

will die before you see the dirt

i swear to god that i am here

writing a shy hello unheard

tell me that they'll read it tomorrow

tell me i am more than [ ].

Author's Note

two weeks ago, i decided to try a new restaurant because i was bored. it was a sports bar (not my typical kind of spot). i found out when i arrived that every table was designed for a large party, and in fact, i was seated in the middle of a few of them. i believe i was the only one there alone.

i recently moved out of my parents' house, and while i'm trying to find a new community of my own, i'm navigating life, for the first time, alone. it's overwhelming.

i wrote this poem while waiting for my chicken sandwich at the sports bar. i needed something to do with my hands so everyone looking at the only lonely person would know they had a purpose. it didn't help in the moment, but it turned out nicely :)

Reviews

[Bhuyanshi Talukdar]

Your poem is a poignant and heartfelt reflection on the loneliness and isolation that can come with modern life. The use of metaphors, such as "the bear in every other seat," creates a sense of both fear and longing, while the imagery of missed connections and "shooting slow in one direction" adds a touch of melancholy. Your words convey a sense of vulnerability and honesty, and the final lines, "tell me that they'll read it tomorrow / tell me I am more than [ ]," are both hopeful and poignant. Your poem is a testament to the power of language to connect and to heal, and to find meaning and purpose even in the midst of loneliness and despair.

[Ayvid N]

Dear Earthrise,

I appreciated this poem for so many points made.

"there's a bear in every other seat
they're as scared of you as you of them"

Indeed, we are as scared of strangers as they're of us. Sometimes, it's awe. So it makes perfect sense to feel free to do your worst. Yes, indeed, say something, do something but don't let go of the moment. It's an opportunity so precious.

I always wonder why we get so paralyzed when we see someone attractive....is it a fear of rejection...? Most probably. But I like the way the poet is willing to take that risk. "The tale of the face you do not know will die..." beautifully written and yet another reason to go for it.

This was so good to read. The need to be heard. The need to be more than [ ].

[jacob erin-cilberto]

steven wright talks about being parentheses so no one could see him.
life is full of almost....almost talking to someone and letting the moment slip past.
Why do we do that? are we scared to be turned down, or more scared of being accepted and then having to deal with commitment....if only we acted just on instinct, like the animals do...
maybe, that chicken sandwich would taste better with someone sitting across from us.

[Earthrise]

maybe it would have. it was honestly a pretty good sandwich though.

lately i've been trying to be enough on my own, but i don't know if that's the right goal. life can be sweet alone if i let it be, but it seems like something that needs to be shared.

as always, thank you for your insightful review, J