I didn’t have to give consent,
although the many voices claimed
I had no choice  – this was the sentence  –
since it had been passed
I had to go along,
had to live the arc
of that story

I didn’t! I didn’t have to,
and I didn’t do it, did not consent
to play the role, to sink down
(sad or struggling,  it didn’t matter)
into the pit

My life is not confined
to that dimension.
I can slip sideways
and step away free.

©Wendy Mulhern
March 16, 2022