My First Escape

The prison I was kept in was small, dark and wet I didn’t know how I got there or how long I would stay Yet I had a sense of comfort and felt I’d be okay And didn’t have the courage to escape from it quite yet I could hear voices around me in a language I did not know The space was getting smaller with every passing day My anxiety was reaching a crescendo to finally be on my way And something innate inside me was urging me to go Through a dark and narrow passage I started my way to squeeze Screams of pain and anguish echoed through my head Somehow I felt that my leaving to another’s pain had lead As I continued through the tunnel; first my head and then my knees A rush of cold air and bright lights made me release a cry of joy Being helped now by others to pull me from my cell Free to unbend and stretch and let out a healthy yell As they handed me to my mother saying, “Congratulations, it’s a boy”