All consumed in black
A quickening heartbeat clutching the fear
Getting a whiff of tangy metal
A bit stifling
My tear stained mug buried within the confines of a desk
It's smooth lack of warmth
Giving off an odor of the handy #2 writing utensil
I'm free from danger
In the safe nest of my elementary school library
My selfdom aching and splintered as a result of being terrorized by my peers
Now
In this moment
In my sanctuary
Out of harm's way
Finally!
Institutional bulbs radiate down and creep through my fisted digits
Whispering, "Hey! Everything will be okay. Come back when
you can and the two of us will be able to depart
on a journey and escape from this harsh reality."
As my heart slows and I take a deep inhalation
I lift my visage to take in the numerous volumes
(A lot for a kid of eleven years of age!)
Just gazing at the many texts fills me with inner faith
They
With their worn bindings discolored pages
My salvation
These books are my treasure trove
I grin
Taking in the expansive apertures to the outside luminescence of the sun
And twist around
Inching my manufactured chair
To take in the potential of literary odysseys of other outsiders and black sheep
It's secure here
I feel at ease
Heartened that this misery shall pass
As long as I have a book repository
That enriches me with the gift of deliverance from this hell
-Image & Words by Elizabeth Hipwell
