there are times
when i slip back into a story
and i forget the radiant
nature of presence
in those times
i feel like a bird
fallen from the sky
waking up in a cage

most of the stories
are about failure
and a life missed
and they always carry the weight
of poor me

to be ruled by stories
is a kind of lottery

and I refuse to be
subjected to a crap game

so i wait, patiently
until the story clouds pass
and some invisible hand
opens the cage
and i can once again
fly free