Escaping Childhood

Zigzagging through lonely puberty, I took

Biased looks at books I had not read and

glamorized glimpses of a life not yet lived.

Without a map to show who and where

I was, the land Of Love seemed to have

Been shoved to another Planet.

My need-to-know was slow to grow into

Curiosity. Where was my center of gravity?

Which road could I take that would shake

My parents to their boring roots?

What I had in abundance was a ton of

Fantasy which opened doors, Several floors

Above my understanding.

In rare moments of hopeful lucidity, I sensed a world

Where a place might be waiting for me. Perhaps

I would belong, as every song I sang promised me.