Solitary's Incarceration
In the most extreme and dire conditions-
Whether it be marooned on the shores of a deserted island,
or standing along the fault
of mother nature’s disastrous earthquake crumbling,
I have a breaking point.
For as much as I’d like to think I am,
I am no Joshua Valienté,
owner of the Long Earth--
lover of the Silence.
I cannot…
travel through thousands of alternative Earths;
Each step, my feet taking me further
and further away…
A living reminder of the ratio 1:1,
One world for each human being.
The interminable, scary thought
that I am living a life on a planet with no one else.
It drives me mad,
turns me cracked like the torture
of continuous miniscule droplets dripping
determinedly upon my forehead--
I could not bare the idea of being the only person
in an entire world;
A desolate planet of shadows and obscure ebony pines,
a life of confinement and incarceration.
How could one possibly survive with loneliness?
When I got right down to it,
There was no need for possessions, pretty trinkets that sit idly on the shelf,
or fashionable clothes and those expensive mansions.
Perhaps all I needed was a friend.
Yet I used my mind to push others away,
As though stepping away planet by planet,
Like traveler Joshua Valienté.
I am not recluse.
I absolutely cannot live without someone to talk to,
a supportive person to cheer me on,
share memories and laugh with.
If I am stranded on an island,
I need someone close to my heart
to keep me sane.
And if it so happens I am standing on the brink
of the earthquake’s great beating heart,
At least I won’t be alone.