Were you holding me back

or letting me through

the portal in the wall:

I saw the other side,

Did you? See it too —

I mean, could you?

Or am I the only one

who saw where I

could go?

I thought

I heard you say,

“girl, I need you here”

as you held me by

the fabric of my elbow.

And really

you believed the grip

was a simple tender hold–

but oh, oh I knew.

I knew much better,

that your fingers

silently raged

‘gainst this escaping soul.