Prospective Immigrants Please Note

[rolanni]

For the last four-and-a-half years, this poem was taped to the day-job's office door, right over the knob, where I could see it every day as I inserted the key into the lock.

Either you will
go through this door
or you will not go through.

If you go through
there is always the risk
of remembering your name.

Things look back at you doubly
and you must look back
and let them happen.

If you do not go through
it is possible
to live worthily

to maintain your attitudes
to hold your position
to die bravely

but much will blind you,
much will evade you,
at what cost who knows?

The door itself
makes no promises.
It is only a door.

--Adrienne Rich, Prospective Immigrants Please Note

I peeled the paper off the door today and brought it home, where I write to you from the dining room table, lighter by a couple keys and a whole lot of anger.

Life is good.

Comments

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

Yay!

[1crowdedhour.livejournal.com]

Congratulations!

[gauroth.livejournal.com]

Oh, that is one terrific poem! I'm going to have to re-read it several times and think about it a lot: to me, that's what good writing is about. (I say this having just re-read 'Fledgeling' and 'Saltation' for the fourth time!) Thank you!

[autopope.livejournal.com]

Um ... was the [I assume] change of employment status involuntary and unexpected?

Open, Closed or Ajar

[bookmobiler.livejournal.com]

Two flavors of curious...

After unlocking was the door typically open or closed?

Do you remember the last time anybody commented on the poem?

Many kudos

[barbinbandon.livejournal.com]

Sometimes (bad) things happen because it's time to move on. What a classy lady you have been through this entire process. No surprise.

Congratulations. And best regards. Barb

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

A good day. Congratulations.

Misc

[claire774.livejournal.com]

Big congrats for achieving status as full time writer where folks actually buy a lot of your work!

Can't comment on the pome. I'm not good at understanding such.

Also. Let's see if I can post this comment. The site wasn't letting me the last couple of days.

Good luck...as the financial people say....going forward.
C.

[birdhousefrog.livejournal.com]

I like a lot of Adrienne Rich's work. Very nice lady. I used to play with her kids when I was a kid. I'm glad lj cooperated enough for you to post this event.

Oz

[draconis1234.livejournal.com]

Anger creates knots in shoulders which make it difficult to pick up cats. Looking forward to your full time writing.

[pbray.livejournal.com]

Congratulations on making the great escape.

[irismoonlight.livejournal.com]

Congratulations!

[(Anonymous)]

I really really like that poem.
Transitions are full of mixed reactions and it speaks profoundly to that.

It makes me re-think my leaving grad school - not that I should
not have done it, but that the grief involved was maybe not all that.
Interesting
Lauretta@ConstellationBooks

[otaku-tetsuko.livejournal.com]

Getting fired was the best thing that happened to our Steven - he is now going to college again, and actually sleeps at night for a change from the last 3 years!

May you find fulfillment and enough income to never need to punch the card again!