HUSH HALO is a dystopian sci-fi poetry collection set in a near-future, shaped by technology and irreversible choice. Each poem is paired with a unique soundscape in both digital format and in printed books.
CONTEXT: After the Great Optimization we all had a choice. This poem below tells a story of Systoics, a privileged group that integrated into the system, believing they had now perfected themselves.
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Assigned Weight
Hush Halo · Poetry by Sam Oldman
You let my loyalty deepen
until it carried weight,
allowing it to grow into a burden—
an unshareable cargo
assigned to me,
and me alone.Then you shifted the frame.
My staying
became the baseline.My commitment
became expected.My care
became an endless opportunity.I get it.
Now
I could always
be asked
to endure
more.
©2026 Sam Oldman
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What lands most is the way loyalty quietly changes from something freely given into something expected. “My staying became the baseline” is such a strong line because it captures the moment care stops being appreciated and starts being treated as obligation. The ending is especially effective, because once endurance becomes normal, the demand for more can feel almost limitless.
Powerful, Sam. What strikes me most is how quietly the burden grows. Loyalty begins as something freely given, but once it becomes expected, generosity can turn into obligation and love into endurance. There is a profound truth here about relationships and society alike: when someone proves they can carry the weight, we too often respond by giving them more to carry. Short, sharp, and deeply thought-provoking.