Delivered

I was taken hostage

on the stereotype stage.

There wasn't an exit

couldn't quit,
all doors, red
had entry marked in black
on its head,
face disengaged
from inside, deranged
uttered some same
seamless, shameless
onerous words,
actions marched blindfolded

had to play willy-nilly
trained thoughts, rigid, rhymed silly

everything seemed dull and done
to the core
from one to four
from four to one.

I was on the road,

walking…but tied to the floor

legs hurt walking the traveled way.
Jackass! I was still indoors
star-gauging, bored
rude at night, shrewd during the day.

I tried high and low
to break open from a window
what a kick-ass of performance
happy from top to toe I became a witness
in the audience,
watching life and death from the infinite stage
made perfect sense.

Out into the brooks drenching in the rains;
sun-bathing on the beaches,
singing to the mountains;
new stories fell in love, all around
brown leaves razed to the ground
wrote fresh tales on the patient page.

With marks on my legs I was delivered
from the captivating cage.