Out – A Poem by Allison Grayhurst

I asked to be let out
from that unwanted accomplishment.
I asked to shed my shame, my duty
and the hard-core call of doing time.

It was taken down and away from me,
along with so much more.
Guilt, and worldly bondage
also fell along with security,
along with a strange, twisted pride.

Knuckles down, hands still folded.
In my head are ghosts of patterns dissolved
but are still haunting. Ways of being I don’t have to
carry are dropped, but my empty arms are stalled
in position, humbled by uncertainty.
Set free and starting over, but not yet started,
just starting to try to etch out different
possibilities, a solid surging becoming.

Whiffs of passing currents,
rich aromas that entice briefly then fade.
Whiffs I cannot capture and keep,
not now, maybe never,
let out, dumbfounded,
helpless, screaming, just born.

Visit Allison at http://www.allisongrayhurst.com.