Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Nowhere to Run (An Acrostic)

(Blind Alley, © Jill Arent, 2008)




Nowhere to Run (An Acrostic)

Never before, never again – or so I said; 
trapped like a rat, a mad thing,
Over-eager to be free to be away to be out.
Why am I here again, stuck in this place,
Heart pounding, adrenaline racing -
Every sense on high alert, 
waiting for the other shoe to drop,
Ready to run to escape to gnaw off my own arm.
Everywhere I look I see a wall.
The exits are not clearly marked, 
the aisles are not clear;
Open windows all have bars, 
open doors all have locks.
Running is not an option.
Until now I never thought “fight or flight” 
was a literal choice;
Now I know better. 


© Jill Elizabeth Arent Franclemont
Jill Elizabeth Arent Franclemont, a  former corporate attorney and government relations and health policy executive, walked away (well, skipped actually) from the big-city worlds of corporate and political America and headed for a more literary life (equally challenging, but infinitely more enjoyable).  Visit Jill at All Things Jill-Elizabeth and leave a comment about her poem below.
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jillelizabethadmin 23p · 666 weeks ago

Thank you so much for the great comments! This was DEFINITELY inspired by all the changes I've gone through in the past handful of years... We work so hard to become who we want to be - and then something happens to throw all of that hard work into question or into chaos, and then what are we left with? Fear, anxiety, drama - a sense that it was all futile and that we're back where we started again... There's nothing quite as awful as feeling trapped by our own choices - because even when those choices were heavily influenced by others/external factors, they're still ours, which is sometimes the most disheartening, awful feeling of all. That's when you hit the wall, where it literally does feel like you have to fight your way out - or flee into the night like a small, wee thing frightened in the forest. But if you run, well, you have to keep running - even if only from yourself. And that's no way to live either. So we fight our way through, even when we hate that we have to, even when we swear that we won't - or can't - again. Because it's the only way to find a path to the other side, no? :)

BTW, this is actually an inverted picture - it's a very narrow street in Brussels that is not at all scary or intimidating in the light of day (when the picture was taken), but that I thought perfectly captured the through-the-rabbit-hole sense of panicked claustrophobia that the poem tries to describe... Wild how a perspective shift can change everything. ;)
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tikenmoose 30p · 666 weeks ago

Love this! Acrostics are so fun, and you really went into this in depth. Lovely poem.
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claudia messelodi · 666 weeks ago

The poem is amazing, I love the image of the open windows with bars and the open doors with locks, they represent the paradox of life itself where one would like to fly, be free to express his/her own self, but has sometimes to cope with difficult situations, to make a choice..
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ScarlettRains 52p · 666 weeks ago

Good points, Claudia. I also felt that Jill captured the sense of anxiety one experiences when confronted with change. This poem, and 'Who Am I' really speak to me of the feelings of angst I have when at a turning point in my life.
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lrbauthor 1p · 666 weeks ago

From the description of the author's past, it does seem to fit her, doesn't it? Thanks for sharing. BTW Scarlett, I love the new peaceful background of the site!
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