Getting Out the Door

It should be so easy

it’s at the front of the house.

Large.

Looming.

And about three feet wide.

All you gotta do is walk through it.

 

But it’s Everest

untamed

and the path is arduous

North Col

far, far away

it must be the lack of oxygen causing their tears

their crumpled faces of despair

not the colour of the shoes

or the wrong socks

or the wrong toothpaste

or whatever it was under the table they were trying to find.

 

It’s such an effort.

The sweat is pouring

invisibly

from my picture of what should be

my vision of the perfect departure

my expectation for how this should go

the start of the birthday party for which we are now running late

– no movecon here, no military discipline, no “showtime” as it’s called, before the armoured convey roars off, ready for incoming fire –

 

It should be so easy.

It’s just a door.

Let’s go!