15 Comments
User's avatar
Sigh, Ontology.'s avatar

Very good job. Your voiceover I thought was AI. In a good way!

You know, I think this poem is a fascinating exploration of empathy on overdrive. This is really interesting to read. Really interesting. Well done!

voidlight alchemy's avatar

Thank you so much!!! 🥰

Ethereal Twilight Poetry's avatar

Em! Idk how I missed this one but I love it! The entire time felt real, true, honest, and that’s actually quite rare. It’s not embellishing.

voidlight alchemy's avatar

Awww omg thank you soooo much!! 😭🖤 it really means a lot to me to hear you say so. I wanted to crawl under the table posting this one 🤣

From Tender Ground's avatar

Perfect and relatable use of the plastic bottle and the reusable ones.

You seamlessly blended both physical items and mental health. 🧡

voidlight alchemy's avatar

Thank you 🖤🖤🖤 I appreciate your comment so much.

Mark ✌️💙🫂's avatar

Oh is this brilliant, and made better listening to you as I read. Well done 👏

voidlight alchemy's avatar

Thank you so much, Mark! It means a lot 🖤

Antonio Castellaneta's avatar

What hit me most was how the plastic bottle slowly stopped being an object and became the physical shape of exhaustion, shame, survival, and all the invisible negotiations required just to keep functioning. The poem works because it never really feels like it’s about the bottle. It feels like it’s about the unbearable weight of ordinary things when someone is already carrying too much. And then that line — “but at least i’m not dead” — suddenly reorders the entire scale of the poem.

voidlight alchemy's avatar

Exactly. Thank you so much for reading and seeing all of that. 🖤 your comment means a lot, I appreciate it.

Yvette Willemsen's avatar

i love this, thank you for writing 😌

voidlight alchemy's avatar

Thank you so much for reading 🖤

E.M. Holliday's avatar

Plastic water bottle guilt and shame is a refrain I know well

voidlight alchemy's avatar

I think too many of us do. Convenience is necessary, to an extent, to keep up with the pace of society.

Except I would definitely much rather society slow down a bit.

Thank you so much for reading.

E.M. Holliday's avatar

Totally agree … and also that the conveniences we invent would not have to have such cumulative consequences. It’s like our self punishment for exhaustion is built in. Very relatable, thank you for sharing!