AOP, Poetry

The Alchemist of Ink

He sits in a warm, gold-washed room, dark glasses hiding his eyes—
not for style, but to shield the weight he carries inside.
His shirt hangs loose, books piled around him like tired guards,
while he tries to map the human heart and all its quiet fractures.

People call him the author of pain, not out of insult,
but because he names the storms everyone else pretends aren’t there.
He dips his pen into the darker shades of feeling—
the anxious grey, the heavy silence—
and writes the words so many have never managed to say.

For the boy who barely speaks,
for the girl who hasn’t slept in days,
for the mind that spins with worry
and the sadness buried out of sight—
he builds a small refuge made of paper and words,
a place where the weight feels lighter for a moment.

Readers find him everywhere—cities, villages, distant coasts—
turning pages just to feel less alone,
to see their shadows reflected honestly.
He reminds them that brokenness isn’t a flaw we hide,
but a thread we all share in one way or another.

Behind those dark glasses, does he cry for all he’s learned?
Does he carry the thorns so he can hand out the rose?
He spills himself into every line,
turning hurt into something strangely beautiful—
the author who takes our pain and helps us breathe again.
The “author of pain”—not because he creates it,
but because he helps us survive it.

Guest

Her Untold Feelings

Her Untold Feelings

The anguish I feel
The sadness
I feel lost
In this bondage I called a life
My heart feels nothing but empty
Behaving like a maniac has become an every day routine
I so much hate me but I love them
They said self love is the best but I do hate me for being like this
Pretense from people close is now like a norm
Betrayal keeps coming from every angle
No one to talk to
Trusting someone is now a disease
I need help

Depression is setting in, help me
I need a break from this hell
They all said I’m depressed from a heartbreak but I never fell in love
I know me nobody else does
I understood me perfectly
Help me.
Dying does seem like an option but suicide isn’t
Help!!!
I need to live
I need to be happy
I want to forget all that has ever happened to cause this
Help me!!

I don’t need something to just make me forget my emotions at that particular time
I need something that will make me forget everything
It’s okay phrase is taking longer than expected
I need to be okay
I need to be alive
I want to be fine
I want to be free
It’s not okay to not be okay anymore
I want to breathe
I want to be loved
I want to feel loved
I want all bad memories erased
I need that hug
I need those sweet names
I need to feel alive.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Imoleola is a Nigerian born poet and writer. More of a poet than a writer as she’s best known with poetry amongst other literary forms. She loves writing because it brings peace to her. She is a lover of art as it brings out the innovation in her. Through writing, she gives life to her imaginations.