an anthropophobiac is someone with a fear of people
New, unknown, unsure
among a room full of people
whose faces all blur
into one. nameless. face.
They may as well be trees—
I wish they were
because then, at least
in my mind,
I would be in an alluring forest
surrounded by majesty and mystery
where leaves would whisper
of dragons, gnomes, and wizards—
And I would be lost in a dream world
full of quests
for my mind to explore
as I would sit, bewitched
under the arms of a mystical tree
breathing in fragrant mists
and trills of a woodland sanctuary,
safe and secure.
Instead of stilted; stone frozen
amongst a sea of people.
4/11/2026
The Words That Got to Me
'New, unknown, unsure' - this alliterative line set up the whole poem and the premise of feeling scared and alone in a crowd of people. 'Instead of stilted; stone frozen amongst a sea of people' - This was such a powerful phrase, showing loneliness and insecurity. The alliterative sibilance sounded like a menacing hiss, adding to the feeling of unease.
Suggestions / Possible Tweaks
'into one. nameless. face.' - I wasn't sure about the full stops here. It felt like these should be commas instead.
Wow - I absolutely loved this poem! The image of the forest was particularly striking. Your use of alliteration worked well throughout the poem, casting a spell of other-worldliness, emphasising the feelings of not belonging to the 'sea of people'.