r/OCPoetry•3 yr. ago

Twelve steps

Poem

The radio volume must only be on even numbers

because uneven makes me uncomfortable

and pavement slabs pose particular problems

because stepping on the lines is just not okay

and I just cannot stop thinking about

that slightly odd angle of that table

Why did you leave it like that?

The exact number of bananas in the bag made me feel a bit better

because twelve is a good number

but one was much smaller than the others

and I worry that it will look weird in the bowl at home

People are seated without patterns on the bus

and I don't know where I now fit

and the flickering of the light through the window

is mismatched with the watch ticking on my wrist

Did I take my medication? I don't know

There are twelve steps to my front door

because twelve is a good number

someday I will live in apartment number 12

and everything will be better

But apartment 12 has thirty-five steps,

now I remember...

Please help, I don't think I'm okay.

Comments:

My first contribution here, thank you for reading! I'm on mobile so hope the formatting is okay!

Posted Nov 27, 2022, 6:18 AM UTC