How I Learned to Fly

The day before I really learned what creative non-fiction is, I wrote this poem. After having learned, I would venture to also classify this as creative non-fiction, but only a little bit. I was inspired by a guest speaker from that day, his name is Atticus and he writes awesome slam poetry. I'll admit - I am far from a slam poet, however, this poem is one that would sound great if read out loud, by a person that truly understood its meaning. I would wager to say that this person would have to be me, so maybe I'll get over my shyness and read it at an open mic. Without further ado, I present,

How I Learned to Fly, the True Story

And in this instant-

I am face to face with

The very emotions that

Would once lead me to

The very thing that is

Destroying me.

And in this instant-

My emotions instead

Drive me to swing.

I grasp the cool metal chains,

Pull myself into the worn seat,

Push my feet off the ground.

And as I begin to climb skyward,

My keys fall with a quiet ring,

My phone plummets, to land with a thud

And with a sudden kick,

My shoes slip and dive into the mulch.

I stretch my legs forward,

Leading with my naked toes.

The further I reach,

The higher I soar.

And in this carefree moment

My floodgates are torn open.

I close my eyes,

grip the metal chains.

Thoughts and worries and gallons of hurt-

Warm, droplets

Fleeing from locked prison cells,

Sliding down my cheeks,

landing;

Only to be forgotten in the mulch below.

Still enveloping myself in darkness,

I hold the chains tighter-

The metal now hot from my sweaty flesh.

I feel the edges pushing into me

Leaving marks in my palms,

But higher I reach.

And as I fly above the world,

I release my horrors,

Letting them drop-

Like copper coins into a well with a splash.

Sending them with a wish

To end days like this one.

My freeing flight

Is quickly ended

When the sound of Kim Possible

Plays from my cell phone.

I jolt myself back to reality,

Where big kids can’t play.

I stop reaching forward,

Hang my legs in defeat.

Surrendering to friction and gravity

As they stop my once perpetual motion.

And for all the damage-

Heartbreaks, lies, and nightmares

That drove me to this swing,

I’d give it all again

To be able to fly.