Alone, I had escaped. Alone, I was free---almost.

I tunneled until the roof collapsed. Half buried, the moonbeam caught my eye. I jumped up and ran. Sirens wailed. Guns cracked. Dogs howled. I dove into the water. Drifted downstream. Across the border. To freedom!

Still, that other night returns. Knife plunging. Blood staining my hands, my face, my soul.

Alone, freedom eludes me.

M. Stanley Bubien