In my mind
this experience is
somewhere between
Escape from Alcatraz,
Jailbreaking me version, and,
3 stages of a pregnancy
as the baby.
As in somewhere between
Untying myself
from one post at a time
that something or someone,
more often than not,
someone other than myself,
or something, had tied me to,
and a rebirth.
A physical entry into
the origins,
a process of regeneration,
and born again into
a new life,
or at least
a new chance.
I leave the plane in Bangkok
wide eyed like a new born,
and it doesn't take long
for the effects of a whole
new world to feel exhausting.
Everything that I'm taking in,
Everyone that I'm seeing,
Every sound that I'm hearing,
completely unfamiliar.
I start forming
my first thoughts.
I find a line
I think I should be in.
I begin filling out a form.
I realize that I was thinking
instead of observing
and have wasted this time.
I find the area where
I should be and there
are 6 lines to choose from.
I don't know which one
is for me.
I look around.
I see another table with forms.
I go to it
to see if there is one
that I should have
filled out
when I arrive
at the yellow line.
I decide there isn't.
I pick a line.
I wait my turn.
There are basic
instructions.
English.
Take off your hat
and glasses.
place passport here.
when passport is returned
take passport and
move to customs area.
In the customs area
I grabbed a cart
for my luggage
and to lean on.
I found someone
and asked
where I would
find my luggage.
She told me 16.
16 was empty.
all the lights
around it were out.
absolutely nothing.
no one there
but me.
I went to a station
with about 8 people.
They pointed me to
a guy who pointed me
back to the other side
to a woman
who pointed me back
to the 8 people.
I wandered around till
I found a board and
my number was 19.
I found 19
on the other side
of a wall.
The wall hid
the activity
the sounds
the people completely.
I didn't know it was there
so it felt like it wasn't
till I found the information
I needed.
I breathed a sigh of relief
found my luggage.
put them on the cart
under my 2 carry ons
wandered on to whatever
was to come next.
Smiles, Scanned luggage,
and an unfamiliar pace,
I began realizing how
little I knew of what to expect
How little I understood
of the language
of the culture.
I had no idea what
awaited me in Abbyville.
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