No Other Way To Escape Poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

I made my peace,
With that beast I hid!
I could not keep a self hate
That choked me.
I had to awaken...
And I'm glad I did!
My 'spirit' was endangered...
It was me who I feared.
I could not release the anger,
Others came to share.
I kept their despair part of my fate!
Entrapped and caged...
I was unaware!
I roared with denial,
Refusing to be freed!
Refusing to hear...
And refusing to see!
Cursing my own shadow
In rehearsed inflicting pain!
I made peace,
With that beast I hid!
I had to...
There was no other way to escape!
And when I did,
I made sure my steps ahead
Could not be followed,
By borrowed agony!