Mobile Photography/Art – Saturday Poetry – ‘Autobiography In Five Short Chapters’ by Portia Nelson

This weeks Saturday Poetry, matched with mobile photography/art is a poem entitled ‘Autobiography In Five Short Chapters’ by Portia Nelson. In many ways this is an uplifting poem, Portia Nelson’s delightful and insightful story of the hole in the sidewalk/path provides a metaphor of life. Life is like a stroll down a somewhat hazardous sidewalk/path. The story identifies the key feature required to safely navigate life’s sidewalk/path.

Source: Portia Nelson from the book There’s A Hole in My Sidewalk

This is a deep thinking poem, think which verse you may be on.  I hope you enjoy this poem, I have matched g_wah – Graeme Roy’s image with this.

 

I

I walk, down the street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I fall in

I am lost…. I am helpless

It isn’t my fault.

It takes forever to find a way out.

 

II

I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I pretend I don’t see it.

I fall in again

I can’t believe I am in the same place but, it isn’t my fault.

It still takes a long time to get out.

 

III

I walk down the same street

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I see it there.’

I still fall in…. it’s a habit, my eyes are open.

I know where I am.

It is my fault.

I get out immediately.

 

IV

I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I walk around it.

 

V

I walk down another street.