That sentence is posed as the lie we tell ourselves, juxtaposed by the final line which states that no matter how much we value ourselves, it isn't enough sometimes.

>The only value we hold is that which others give us,

Do you see this is a subjective truth? In reality, you get to decide what's valuable. You can choose to defer to others in exchange for connection or you can can hold your own which can be lonely at times.

To be desired isn't valuable in my subjective opinion. It adds murkiness to one's life as it becomes more difficult to tell who pursues you for their selfish gain and who seeks your company with goodwill in their heart.

Your last stanza is beautiful. It shares a beautiful way to look at life, as well as a lesson of sorts. The first stanza I also really resonated with, sadly, but again, it is a feeling that I feel like far too many people should have to experience. The only thing I didn't really love is the first line of the second stanza. It kind of kills the rhythm that you had going on. Other then that, great job! Keep it up and thank you for sharing!

Doctors office magazine is the most succinct phrasing imaginable. You get it exactly. Thanks for the comment 😁

This poem bleeds feelings of unappreciation. I understand the struggle of finding self-worth in a world that sees you like a doctor’s office magazine. This poem is a fantastic exploration of that struggle and I appreciate it.

The first stanza was probably the best. It's a simple and mundane image but very powerful. This is a feeling I definitely relate to; lines three and four are particularly painful. I also liked line five a lot for some reason. I think the reiteration made it stick out to me. But I love your rhyme scheme and your wordplay. Excellent poem.


Hello readers, welcome to OCpoetry. This subreddit is a writing workshop community -- a place where poets of all skill levels can share, enjoy, and talk about each other's poetry. Every person who's shared, including the OP above, has given some feedback (those are the links in the post) and hopes to receive some in return (from you, the readers).

If you really enjoyed this poem and just want to drop a quick comment, to show some appreciation or give kudos, things like "great job!" or "made me cry", or "loved it" or "so relateable", please do. Everyone loves a compliment. Thanks for taking the time to read and enjoy.

If you want to share your own poem, you'll need to give this writer some detailed feedback. Good feedback explains from your point of view what it was like to read the poem, and then tries to explain how the poem made you feel like that. If you're not sure what that means, check out our [feedback guide](https://new.reddit.com/r/ocpoetry/wiki/feedbackcritiques), or look 

To open your heart again and again,

See people walk by the door,

Pause for a moment, glance in, and then,

Move on, lingering in their mind no more.

&amp;#x200B;

An afterthought, a thought in the past,

Time slips away so fast,

How the heart aches for some soul to rest

To put its structures to the test

And give it someone to hold.

&amp;#x200B;

The only value we hold is that which others give us,

To be desired is to be valuable,

A stone would be a precious gem in a world of only sand,

But despite our best efforts,

Flowers are not pollenated by even the most fertile lands.

[1](https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/comments/sad5t7/comment/htxtvlh/?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=web2x&amp;context=3) [2](https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/comments/sb5h57/comment/htxsqyq/?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=web2x&amp;context=3)

Heart Vacancy