Paranoia Poem by Brad Dodson

“Paranoia”
“Go out and explore” I think as I stand by the door.
But how can I when I fear everyone?
I need eyes in the back of my head.
So I can dodge all the attacks coming my way.
Everywhere I go I feel as if a big bright neon bull’s-eye is painted on my back.
Everyone fires all their judgments at it. Just to see who can hit the center.
Not even caring that the center is the center of my being and also my heart.
Why does everyone have to be so judgmental?
It’s not their place to judge, only god can judge.
So I pull their arrows out and head back into my house, sanctuary, and prison.
I lay my head down to sleep and wake up again the next day to do it all over again.
I take the first step out of my house and immediately feel the arrows drive into me.
As I pull the arrows out, I feel the tears coming. But I move forward instead of back in.
I move forward leaving a trail of blood and tears. I don’t know where I’m headed but anywhere is better than that prison I called home.
I soon notice the absence of the arrows in my back and how the flow of blood has stopped.
Am I dead? ” I ask myself but realize that is a stupid question.
With a big smile on my face I begin exploring the whole earth.
Not leaving a stone unturned nor a leaf unmoved.


The moral of this poem is:
Once we cast our paranoia away…we can then do anything we want. (Anything legal that is)