Fight or Flight
To control the out of control
As I stand on the corner of
Venice Blvd anxiously waiting
To cross the street, a man walks
Toward me, open-armed and
Wide-eyed
I feel my breath quicken and
My heart pound in my chest
All I can see is a silhouette
But I know by now
When danger is near
The feeling transports me to a
Night when the moon was full
And a boy rushed at me, skating
My body disappeared behind a tree
Another false alarm
Where does the fear come from?
Is it a fear of men, or is it the
Lack of trust in myself?
Will my legs work, will I run?
Or will I freeze again and again?
The blame sinks in, the guilt washes
Over me as people ask why I didn’t
Scream, run, fight, punch
Why did I lay still like a fish
Out of water, out of time?
Another self-defense class
Another pep-talk from a friend
It won’t make my mind work
It won’t stop the freezing, the unease
When it comes to fight or flight
