Escape

Escape might entail getting to a specific place or time, or to a person or feeling. It might involve running toward something, or away from it. Escape can mean a trip outside yourself, or a journey within. Does your escape plan include companions? Is there an adventure you’re longing to go on? What words or images come to mind when you hear the word escape? What circumstance are you itching to get away from?

Reflect on these questions, and write a poem of 10 to 50 lines detailing what it means for you—or perhaps for all of us—to escape. Remember: the best writing shies away from easy conclusions and neatly packaged ideas, so while you’ll want to use crystal-clear images in your piece, try to leave room for ambivalence or ambiguity too. Write a poem that takes your audience on an escape that only you can write.