What is it called
when you’ve been 
hiding inside
for so long
that when it’s safe
to emerge
you are reluctant
to embrace 
your freedom
not quite
trusting 
the invitation

What’s the word
for when you 
can only
sit on a bench
watching people
who are probably 
your friends
but whom you can’t
quite recognize 
talk to each other
and laugh
you assume
they are smiling 
too

What does it mean
when you’ve 
forgotten
how to make
polite conversation
at a gathering of
more than
three people
when most 
of the people
seem extraneous
and make you feel
awkward and 
ill-equipped 
for the world

How do you 
follow the rules
when they are
constantly 
being rewritten
how do you know
which ones to 
obey and 
which ones to
ignore

Where do you 
find the strength
required 
to survive
in the wild
when you’ve 
become accustomed
to shuffling
back and forth 
in your 
designated 
enclosure
littered with
all the evidence
of living

© Betsy Rosenblatt Rosso
April 2021