Escape Velocity

How fast
Must I flee to
Escape the gravity
Of this rough, hard, damned lovely thing
Called life?

Hard place,
Rock, me between
Decisions must be made
In a strong place that won’t change with
The world.

Quiet,
A cold place where
I see but none see me.
Perfection: green rock, holey not
Holy.

Too cold
To stay out, but
Inside I feel like I’m
Dying; I feel like I’m dying
Inside.

So out
I stay, curled in
Cold, hard, shell-like green stone.
Touching nothing but smooth nothing,
I’m free.