Thanks so much for your comment!

I loved your interpretation of the poem and appreciate you taking the time to give me feedback. :)

Your poem carries us along on a journey from 

high “rapturous joy,” 

to a bit of nostalgia “weathered trophy,” 

to some uncertainty “proof that I have made more than one right decision,” 

then to an uneasy conclusion “I will find the tallest building in the city”

I am hopeful that the last line, “a modest reward for surviving” is literal and that the Speaker is truly in a good space. 

Overall, this is a well crafted, reflective piece that invites the reader to consider all the stages of emotion that leaving someone behind engenders. It did however, leave me a bit anxious for the Speaker… “surviving.”  I expect that is intentional.


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).

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I really enjoy the sense of time this piece conveys. The poem begins with the narrator leaving, going on a journey, which I associate with early morning. After a half day of reflective travel they arrive in the city, full of brimming lights and beacons, a nighttime scene. Perhaps transformation after heartbreak is conveyed through the day/night cycle?

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Regardless, I think this is one of your best poems, good job!

Today I am leaving someone behind

A half days journey north reserved for reflection

My rapturous joy will propel me down the highway

And I will shake out the intrusive thoughts

When I arrive I’ll clear a space in my new home 

and display my luck on a shelf

A weathered trophy carried forward from a past life

Proof that I have made more than one right decision

I will find the tallest building in the city

And scale it to admire the lights

A sea of hopeful beacons 

A modest reward for surviving

&amp;#x200B;

&amp;#x200B;

[1](https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/comments/vxdpyr/comment/ifxe9ez/?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=web2x&amp;context=3)

[2](https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/comments/w8ol8g/comment/ihssg6r/?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=web2x&amp;context=3)

from now on