Like a misshapen piece in a puzzle
being forced into a space
whose soft curves will never match my
sharp angles
Escape is Impossible and Inevitable
there are many places to go,
and also none.
But it soon becomes unbearable,
only so much can bend
you can prolong the ear shattering snap-
but not prevent it.
Daydreams of daring adventures,
Fantasies of freedom,
demanding to be realized.
abandonment of reality, even though temporary
brings invaluable relief-
Escape.
For a few hours
I plunge my consciousness into a world that is not my own
I find solace in the words
In becoming someone else.
The steel chains of society
unlock and melt away my surroundings
Until I’m somewhere else entirely.
Every day can be a new thrill
One day I’m a princess
held captive by an evil dictator
the next day I’m the assassin sent to kill him
Perhaps I’m the troubled youth who gets a letter from an owl
or discovers that the myths they learned about in school
are actually their family tree.
Never forgetting the lessons I’ve learned
the people I’ve grown to love,
I force my mind to return from whence it came
claw myself out of the safety of the pages.
Attempt to mold myself into society once more
knowing it’s futile.
So tomorrow
When the building pressure becomes too great
right before the Tornado hits-
the Thunder rumbles-
and the Tsunami washes away my failed efforts at normality
I’ll reach for my shelf
run my hand along the many worn spines
quietly take a deep breath
and get lost in a new reality.