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Pin Stripes in Prison

Winding down in hickville
Sunday afternoon...desk looms
much like the tomb
that has sealed my fate

taste of hate
make the break
dare me not
'cause I forgot
I have the option of doing things my way...

Some come straight out of Compton
I come
straight from a generation
who had something to prove
the result...
screwed up kids who would rather live for another
and complain to any who will listen

    CAN YOU TELL I'M GETTING ON MY OWN NERVES?

The ladder, the ladder
never mind the heads
they only make the spaces between the rungs
easier to navigate
sure footing, you know
on the dreams of another poor sod
who thinks he's climbing for himself
no one else

     I CALL BULLSHIT!

No give to the silk tie
is this the way you want to die?
I call it noose
I'll show you proof
because I haven't been able to breathe in years
so I jumped.

  LET IT ALL GO!

Free~Falling
Wind in my hair
showing my ink
could give a damn if they care.
Nose-diving
Sky-riding
I was chained for twenty years!
Hid who I was
because of YOUR fears

Rejection
subtraction
the freak is in action

I'll be there in pin stripes
button-up
collar down
to tell you I'm done.




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Comments

Brian Miller said…
aint nothing wrong with being a freak...and the hard part of going up is how fast you fall....and the sudden stop when the noose runs out of rope...urkk....haha...nice rip madam poet!
June 2, 2012 at 1:42 PM
Anonymous said…
Tash- where do I start! I even begun to tell you how much I love this...because I FEEL this most days!....the tie as a noose, the ladder rungs (human heads) for people to tread on and make their way up to where?....this just screams at me...you GOTTA do it your way....otherwise we die a little....the FREAKnis in action- oh I love this....this is a big FU...all the way....can I pin this to my desk? Oh yes I can! It's strangely satisfying to know that there are other people in the world who feel the same way as you...
June 2, 2012 at 1:43 PM
Claudia said…
oh heck yes..we need to find a way to do it our way..otherwise we feel bound and chained in a treadmill that will suffocate us sooner or later..when it comes to work life, it's so important that we can look in the mirror and say we do the things we like, well..most of the time... and i echo bri..nice rip tash
June 2, 2012 at 1:57 PM
Laurie Kolp said…
I can so relate and have worked hard to get to the point where I (almost) don't give a damn what others think... I must live my life and not anyone elses. Powerful stuff, Tash!
June 2, 2012 at 3:32 PM
Hot Rod Pics said…
I think most of us here can totally identify with this one, Poet! Great job. I especially thought the ladder steps metaphor wonderful. Write on, freaks of the world unite! Join the New World Creative Order! (Our uniforms do *not* feature pin-stripes!)
June 2, 2012 at 3:42 PM
Mary said…
There definitely is heady feeling about making a decision to do something 'my way.' This poem speaks reams.
June 2, 2012 at 4:04 PM
Semaphore said…
It's a difficult thing to put myself into the consciousness of your narrator, because of the intensity of frustration and anger you're conveying. And if impressing emotions on the reader from an imagined life is any measure of the success of the poem - well, you've done it.
June 2, 2012 at 4:25 PM
Scarlet said…
I can resonate with your words Tash ~

The ladder and rungs specially resonated with me, how fast we go is how hard we are willing to fall ~

Great voice ~
June 2, 2012 at 5:45 PM
Anonymous said…
You're a natural story teller Tash, I have these days very often, seems you have most people's empathy with you right here lady x
June 2, 2012 at 5:49 PM
Bodhirose said…
Love this...I'm all about fighting against being strangled by a silk tie. Love how you express enough already...and how it feels so free!
June 2, 2012 at 6:09 PM
Joanne Young Elliott said…
There is something about that life that some can't take. I'm one. I worked in the corporate world for about 8 years. I worked for Bank of America for 4 years. You can just imagine how fun that was. I got kicked off both times due to lay offs. I took it as the Universe trying to tell me to do something else. So I am now.

Great expressing. I like how you formed this one.
June 2, 2012 at 7:57 PM
Anonymous said…
Aaah that sinking Sunday afternoon feeling, know it well. And the ink, keeping parts of who you are under wraps in an effort to fall in line. Really great piece, as always a brilliant read!
June 2, 2012 at 8:23 PM
Maude Lynn said…
"never mind the heads
they only make the spaces between the rungs
easier to navigate"

That's freaking awesome!
June 2, 2012 at 8:51 PM
Anonymous said…
I use to love N.W.A and the Sex Pistol. Thinking of the two, would make an awesome remix, don't you think. Throw it down and do it your way.
June 2, 2012 at 9:01 PM
Hannah said…
Ahhh nice this is spun like a well versed rap!! I enjoyed reading this and the big letter interludes were cool too!

I say we 're all a bit freakish...even the ones who think they're not! lol
June 2, 2012 at 10:12 PM
mrs mediocrity said…
Freaks rule! And it's always better late than never... stand up, yell it out, give 'em hell!
June 2, 2012 at 10:23 PM
henry clemmons said…
Ties, nooses, mooring lines, spider webs, a serpeants tongue ... all a true write. Lot's of frustration and fuel to power this piece. You can make some noise with your words. Made me stand up and listen. Excellente. But dam, I look good in a tie, oh well, I'll cut-em loose for most of the day. They're even kool with jeans some times. Anyhoot, you delivered the mail. Superb.
June 3, 2012 at 12:14 AM
sharonlee said…
Descriptive excellence...loved this.

Peace
June 3, 2012 at 12:46 AM
Anonymous said…
'I call Bullshit'

That pretty much covers it.

A lot good here. An awful lot.
June 3, 2012 at 1:46 AM
Dave King said…
sure footing, you know
on the dreams of another poor sod
who thinks he's climbing for himself

There are many such passages I could have chosen to highlight in a totally compelling poem that had me hooked from the start. I really fell for.
June 3, 2012 at 5:37 AM
Marbles in My Pocket said…
Lots of true emotion in this that many can relate to, Tash. One of the other poems talked about being able to work at something you love to do; wouldn't it be wonderful if we could all do that! Unfortunately, your poem speaks to the reality of life; we do what we gotta do.
I finally jumped, but looking back, I waited too, long. I'm doing what I love to do now (the pay sucks, but I don't care!),and I've never been happier!
June 3, 2012 at 8:04 AM
Unknown said…
Brilliant write full of passion, I could feel the sense of freedom once obtained and boy it felt good ...thanks for sharing x
June 3, 2012 at 11:48 AM
Anonymous said…
the ALL CAPS seem to serve as both exclamations and titles. I really like the last two stanza a lot. i like how their written, that is their flow.

Sonnet 24
June 3, 2012 at 1:34 PM
Unknown said…
Awesome write Tash. Love the CAPS lines, not only do they show the emotion but they act as section breaks as well, perfectly transitioning. Love the musical references in here as well. Quite the piece. Thanks
June 4, 2012 at 2:41 AM
James Rainsford said…
Great sense of liberation in this Natasha.
June 4, 2012 at 3:00 PM
Anonymous said…
Loved the sound of this and the exclamations are great at adding punch in just the right spot. Reminds me of that movie Network and the line the characters shout from the window: I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!!!!
June 4, 2012 at 7:22 PM
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