Poetry | Travel

My Flight From Danger Was A Failure To Escape

Returning Home to Lockdown

I lingered in the long day waiting for the sun in the shallow of spring.

Time alone was coming to a close. My gaze was slowly turning toward home.

A sudden summoning startled me awake. A withering of hope left no room for fine lines.

Reluctant as a child I dragged my feet, trailing my skipping rope behind.

I joined the dance of hurry up and wait. A persistent calculation in this long game of chess.

The tedium required a hot determination. I greased a palm and cut the tape.

Returning to an altered land that holds an echo of memory of my home, I retreat to my house.

My flight from danger was a failure to escape.

For the present moment, the drought of my spirit was quenched by my wandering.

I am mired in a shared swamp of vulnerability.

The churning of my mind seeks a story underneath the illusion of the facts. Does the mother seek revenge; in a purifying wave sent to cleanse the debris?

The ultimate rejection. Is there a penance to offer? Compensation that would suffice?

I cease to push for inner understanding. Sink into silence.

I pause my life and let my ego leave the scene; go rogue and let the silence breathe.

Presented with a room of clues I’m squeezed between two points of interruption.

The darkness sinks me. I collect the marbles of my mind and tuck them in their box.

With ritual I begin the opening of my heart. as purple rain leaks from the safety valve.

I slip my cape: sidestep my thoughts of fear: search for the portal of hope.

A sliver pushes through the darkness of the earth. Unfurling in the fullness of the sun.

If you enjoyed this poem, have a look at my book, We Swallow Light. It’s an exploration of events in a past life and a refreshing take on overcoming pain and the joy of finding love.

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