"Poetry is not a turning loose of emotion, but an escape from emotion...

...it is not the expression of personality, but an escape from personality. But, of course, only those who have personality and emotions know what it means to want to escape from these things." -T. S. Eliot

There is no escape. I am on a whole other coast and the feelings are right here with me, watching the verdant leaves rust, startled by acorns hitting the roof like random artillery shells, eating Milano cookies I never eat and drinking caffeine as if I didn't need to sleep, telling stories I've told a thousand times and hearing them with fresh ears, looking back a week and wishing nothing had been said, knowing it had to be said, hoping it won't make a difference, certain that it has.

Writing, T.S., whether it's poetry or prose, is the exact opposite of escape for me. It is full-out, no-holds-barred, get-over-yourself examination. Stand right there and take it like a woman. What doesn't kill you...

Escape is not an option for those of us who stay awake this late without the benefit of mind-altering substances. Escape is for the weak, the fearful, the covert. Escape means never having to say you're completely responsible.

Except for sleep, movies, and death, there is no escape.