you fasten to me—
not with TEETH,
not with BLOOD,
but with N E E D.
you stay
longer than silence,
heavier than memory,
softer than loneliness.
you attach
where skin is thinnest,
where blood runs easiest,
where tenderness cannot fight back.
you feed quietly
not all at once,
not violent
but S L O W,
& S T E A D Y
& E N D L E S S.
do you know?
some leeches NEVER stop until their host collapses.
and still—
i let YOU stay.
you anesthetize me with sweetness,
numb me with promises,
so i don’t notice
how much of ME is already GONE.
danger wears your mouth,
but devotion wears your eyes.
and i can’t tell
which part i am in L O V E with.
you are my W O U N D
& my C U R E,
my P O I S O N
& my P R O O F
that i was alive enough to be drained.
bitter / sweet
burden / gift
wound / bandage
the one i never asked FOR
& cannot let GO.
About the Creator
Komal
I write poems and stories that hit the feels.
When I’m not lost in my own plots, I’m either daydreaming about the next big idea or just winging life with a grin.
𝕀 𝕙𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕖 ℙ𝕠𝕨𝕖𝕣 𝕥𝕠 𝕞𝕒𝕜𝕖 𝕒𝕟 𝕀𝕄ℙ𝔸ℂ𝕋
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insights
Eye opening
Niche topic & fresh perspectives
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
Compelling and original writing
Creative use of language & vocab
Easy to read and follow
Well-structured & engaging content
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
On-point and relevant
Writing reflected the title & theme
Getting Serious About Comedy (Part I)
If I were asked to remark on my life and the childhood that paved some road leading me to this point, I would have to say something about all the funny people who surrounded me for the last 26,872 days (and counting). Somewhere along that road, I became a big fan of laughter and the comedy that spawns it – and, I mean not only my own laughter, but the laughter of others, some of which I have actually been responsible for inducing.
By John Oliver Smith5 days ago in Humor
Comments (14)
Komal, I loved it. This is undoubtedly the best thing that I have read in days. Splendid job. All these days, I was too busy with my life that I couldn't read anything you wrote but reading this makes me feel good that I landed upon this after such a long time.
So true
Outstanding work, Komal. Spectacular. Each successive word hit harder than the previous. Spectacular!
Wow that was so good! You are an amazing writer
I am such a HUGE fan, Komal! I find your artistry breathtaking. I have a playlist on Spotify called "The Parasite's List." I've been going through a relationship exactly like the one you describe. It's toxic... I say "NO MORE!"... and then I keep getting lured back in. I just freaking FR E AK ING love your formatting. To the extreme!!! The way you used strike-through here is perfect. It teaches me the potential. I experiment with formatting, but then often read my stuff days later and second guess myself. You inspire me! Please keep writing! I'd tip you if I wasn't poverty stricken.🤷🤣 Instead, I'll just rave here in the comments about your talent (and share this with others)! ⚡⚡💙💙❤💙💙⚡⚡
Need really does sound more painful than teeth. ((More demanding, more consuming. I love how you always utilise that grey line, in your poem. ((Singling out the perfect lines. Damn, no stopping until they collapse. ((Not a position any of us wants to be in. Numb you with promises, so you don't notice how much of you is already gone. ((You took this to the moon and never came back. This line was out of this world, GOOD. Damn. They are your wound and your cure. An impossible fate. I especially love the contrasting meaning between, bitter and sweet, burden and gift and wound and bondage. The cross out highlight the good. The fact that they were also the proof that you were alive enough to be drained... Blew the stars out of the sky to me. Now they are all at my feet and I am in awe. Fantastic work Komal! 🤗❤️
This describes a relationship with someone with NPD and/or BPD. Unfortunately, a lot of people’s jobs are like this too.
Ah, so well done and raw-cut introspection. This smacks of being a narcissist's prey, , and it really gives pen to the feelings of the empathic victim. ❤️
I love how it blurs the line between devotion and destruction, this can happen without someone even realising.
Powerful analogy, relationship drain and leeches. Very true to life
Ouch, this was a rough one, but beautifully written.👏👏👏
Some hardcore feelings, and I love that line “I was alive enough to be drained” both sad and defiant in turn
We have such ups and downs with our relationships...they are leeches, and still we allow their parasitic control.A statement about co-dependence here. This was empowering, Komal.
Ohhh this is twisted! Great work