1
Why do I have to feel?
Why do I have to long for human interaction?
Why is my greatest weakness my loneliness?
I want to be perfect
But I know I never can be
Why?
A question I know the answer to
But I can never stop asking
What do I lack?
And why is it so painful?
2
I want to be cared for
But if I was,
Would I feel it?
Would I still be longing?
Or is this a
Symptom, longing?
A symptom of something,
Something not known,
Invisible to me
3
What does it mean to be cold?
Having no feeling,
But I feel a lot
Maybe it means it doesn't show
But I know it's there,
Even if no one else does
It's hard to show what I feel
I don't know what they'd see,
Or what I'd see
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139,205 Literary Works • 672,505 Reviews
Hello, there! Avi here with a review
May I just say that I love how questioning this poem is? With the title, even though the narrator/author is expressing emotions, they even question that despite it really being the central idea of the poem.
My one suggestion would be to add a period to the end of the eighth line ("But I can never stop asking") because I think the next line (the ninth line, "What do I lack?") is its own sentence and punctuation is used in that first stanza.
This is a wonderful, poignant, and well-written poem that I felt and understood whole-heartedly. Well done, and I can't wait to read more of your work <3
Happy Reading, Happy Writing!
-Avi
Hi Fennevolent..first I must say your name is very unique and you did good job with the poem. The title perfectly reflects the essence of the poem and gives a clear hint what to expect.
Though the poem is simple and specific, it raises questions on so many deep levels. I believe everyone can relate to it in one way or another, at some point in their lives. It makes you reflect— "Why do I have to have emotions?" As human beings living within the boundaries of societal norms, we often find ourselves questioning everything—either before we act or after it’s already done.
There may not be a definite solution to this constant internal struggle, but life still goes on.
One line that really stayed with me was: “I want to be perfect, but I know I can never be.” It’s such a relatable thought. No one is perfect, and yet people are so quick to question or judge others—I still don’t understand why.
Overall, the poem is simple yet powerful. A must-read.
I know, I know. I say this every single time I review a work. I suck at reviewing. Please give me some slack. Let's get to the review.
First Impression:
I clicked on this poem because I felt that I could relate to the topic. My expectations were pretty high and the poem did not disappoint.
Teensy Weensy little parts I love:
I like when you say "I want to be perfect but I know I'll never be." That hit deep in more ways than one.
Overall:
I feel like this was very well put together so good job on that. I think that you illustrated what you wanted to show to the reader very well. You let the reader get the point without directly saying it. Good balance on show not tell.
That's all! Thanks for reading my review! Thanks for writing this amazing poem! And like always, keep up the good work! <3
Love,
Hop
Hi there! This poem really stood out to me, right from the start, because you ask some really big questions! You start us off like this:
These questions sound rhetorical... they have no specific answers. I love how you start us off this way, because it really gets the reader to start pondering their own thoughts. At the same time, these big questions really set up a strong theme and feel behind the direction of this poem... so awesome!
As I keep reading, I get this overall sense that there is something 'missing' for this writer, or something that they feel like they lack, which makes them aware of their shortcomings constantly. This happens to the point that they cannot even understand what it would feel like to be cared for. It is one thing to dream of these things, but what if it happened to me? Would I even be capable of accepting something that I feel so far from?
I really like this. What is a symptom? It is something that points to an overall bigger condition. So perhaps you feel like all of the aspects of who you are are broken or flawed; there must be a label or explanation for why you are this way. I love the progression of these statements and questions, and how we can see the difficulties the writer is facing. The writing is simple in an incredible way. I guess what I mean is that it is relatable, but not so relatable that I have gone through the exact same thing. I can see how it is personal to you, original, special, your story.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this and found it easy to stay engaged and follow along. You touch on some really deep feelings. I love your use of questions throughout the entire poem- basically it is a compilation of your thoughts guided by questions which is a unique way to put things, but you did it very well. Great work with this! I look forward to seeing more of your poems in the future.
Your friend,
Ellie
Hello! Ley here for a review
Today, I will be using my Summer Themed Review Template! I hope you find this review helpful, let's get into it!
A Warm Welcome
This is a really beautiful, yet deep, piece! The voice throughout was wonderful, and the theme hit home for me! It has such relatable themes like detachment, self-doubt, and the human nature of longing and wishing for more / things to be different within yourself. Let's get into the good stuff though-- what I loved, and some suggestions!
Sunny Moments
Starting out with questions is a wonderful way to grab your readers attention, and you didn't fail to capture mine, here! Such a strong start!
Even though I'm just reading this over a screen, I could still feel the emotions and doubt in these three lines. This tells us readers a lot more about the narrator-- the fact that they don't want to be isolated. But they also hate that they feel that way-- honestly, this is such a wonderful example of what it means to be human!
Loved this ending. Such a great way to keep me wondering-- a reflective ending is an awesome ending! I love how you left it open-ended. Being terrified of what it would feel like to be yourself and let others in, but also afraid that you won't be accepted </3. This is, like I said earlier, such a deep piece!
Heat and Haze
This is totally a recommendation and you don't need to do this at all (because honestly, it's already great), but I'd say maybe add a little more punctuation at the end of the paragraphs/stanza's to make it an easier read. I totally get it if this was artistic choice-- I do intentional punctuation too!
Otherwise, I don't have any suggestions! Well done!
Overall Vibes
Overall, this was a strong depiction of what it feels like to feel lost within yourself (atleast to me!). You did a wonderful job at making me feel connected and close to the narrator, too, which kept me intrigued! Thank you so much for sharing <3
Initial Thoughts:
I really like this piece because it does hit home for some of the confusing topics like feelings. I love your use of rhetorical questions, they really engage the reader and make it more applicable to them.
Specific Parts:
I like how your beginning stanzas have the repetition of "Why" because it garners a lot of emphasis on a state of confusion. It mirrors how emotions are not often straight forward and often lead to questions that have no answer.
I like how in your second section the tone shifts from the questioning of what is the purpose of these feelings to is there ever even hope, would the status of having somebody even help?
Perhaps rephrasing your opening into the third section might help because you introduce a new subject of not feeling anything but then follow it with "But I feel a lot" Perhaps giving the not feeling part its own stanza or adding a little more too it would make it flow a little better in the poem.
Overall:
I think this is a really great piece and it covers a pretty nuanced topic! I think you did a pretty good job elucidating the complexities of emotions!