Thursday, April 27, 2006

Poetry Thursday

I think that I have posted this poem before but I know it wasn't for Poetry Thursday... so I am going to post it again!

Autobiography in Five Chapters

1.
I walk down the street. There is a deep hole in the road. I fall in. I am lost... I am hopeless. It isn't my fault. It takes forever to find a way out.

2.
I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the road. I pretend I don't see it. I fall in again. I can't believe I'm in the same place. But it isn't my fault. It still takes a long time to get out.

3.
I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the road. I see it is there. I still fall in... it's a habit. My eyes are open. I know where I am. It is my fault. I get out immediately.

4.
I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the road. I walk around it.

5.
I walk down another street.

-Rodney Wilson (I think)

16 comments:

Alex S said...

Megg,
Someone gave me this poem when I was in college and its been so long since I read it last. TOO long I think! It brings back such important memories. This piece meant the world to me at the time. Thank you so much for posting it here today- exactly what I needed!

Endment said...

Oh dear - why is this poem so familiar..... guess I will go down another street :)

Anonymous said...

Oh, this is one of my all-time favorites, because it hits so close to home. When it comes to certain things, it took me SUCH a long time to walk down a different street. Glory be, I can be thick sometimes!

I have Portia Nelson down as the author (from the book, There's a Hole in My Sidewalk). How brilliantly and succinctly she captured the process of living and learning.

M said...

I love this poem! I too was given it when I was younger and had forgotten it...so nice to see it again. It's such a brilliant description of learning, one can totally visualize it.
Maybe I need to go down another street as well!

Letha Sandison said...

I have never heard this before, thank you for sharing!!

I think we can all relate to this one...everyone has issues that they can't seem to stop repeating be they large or small.

Here's hoping we can all get to step 5 on most of them!

Anonymous said...

OK, I have never read this one...wow! This pretty much sums it up. ;) Thanks for that.

Rebekah said...

You have to live a while before you can nod knowlingly upon reading this one.

Sky said...

ah - life!

Anonymous said...

I have read that before and love it still just as much!

liz elayne lamoreux said...

This is one of my favorite pieces of writing of all times...
Portia Nelson is the author and she has a wonderful collection of poems, that includes this one, called There's A Hole in My Sidewalk. So good.
I just reading this one and reread it all the time. Thanks for posting it today so I could be gently reminded to open my eyes.

jojo said...

hi megg - I think I have read this before, but I still love it. I should post this on my mirror for daily reading. So simple and so profound. Cheers!

SC said...

I have also read this poem in university- I was given it by someone who was in A.A.

Alex S said...

Hi there! Just checking in to find out whats happening with Sunday Scribblings topic for today!

boho girl said...

first time i've read this.

it's fabulous and has much meaning it its simple words.

thank you...

harmonyinline said...

Very amusing, but I am scared to think about how many times I need to "walk down another street."

Anonymous said...

i am walking downwhat feels like a million streets right now - catching myself in so many negative thoughts that i didn't even know i was having, at least not consciously. and then choosing a different path. this is such a perfect way to think about the process i'm in. thank you!