There’s A Hole In My Sidewalk March 25, 2011
Posted by nrhatch in Mindfulness, People, Poetry.comments closed
This poem, An Autobiography in Five Short Chapters, from There’s A Hole In My Sidewalk by Portia Nelson, has circled the globe for years . . . for good reason.
It’s a reminder that when we do the same thing, we should expect the same result.
It’s a recognition that many “victims” are not as blameless as they would like to believe.
If we want to change the world, we must first change the thoughts that we think.
Chapter One
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.
Chapter Two
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.
Chapter Three
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I see it is 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.
Chapter Four
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.
Chapter Five
I walk down another street.
Nelson, Portia. There’s a Hole in My sidewalk: The Romance of Self-Discovery. Beyond Words Publishing Company, 1994. ISBN: 0941831876
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