It’s not everyday a love poem goes viral on Reddit, but the “OCD Love Poem” is not your average poem.
Written and performed by Neil Hilburn, the poem is stunningly emotional and excellently recited. Hilburn, who has been performing slam poetry for five years, recorded “OCD Love Poem” at an event called Rustbelt 2013 in Madison, Wis.
Hilburn recounts the sad tale of falling in love with a girl who quiets his tics and finds his obsessive compulsive disorder charming: He kisses her 18 times, checks the locks frequently, and avoids cracks walking down her street.
But then, she grows tired and resentful of his ways, and she leaves. What happens next is heartbreaking.
The video had such an impact on Reddit’s that Hilburn himself arrived to do an impromptu Ask Me Anything (AMA) session.
He answered questions in the comments about his OCD diagnosis, his therapy, his experience with slam poetry, and whether or not he got his girl back.
“You know,” he writes in the thread, “it’s been so long, I don’t really want her back.”
And that’s the best medicine.