I was on my way to work a while back,
just trying to earn a few lousy bucks.
I was running late again, as usual.
Why? Because L.A. traffic sucks!
To make matters worse, I was dog tired
and "dog tired" is the perfect description
because my neighbor's mutt barked so much,
I couldn't fall sleep without a prescription.
On weekends, when I might have caught up on sleep,
I was kept awake by all the neighborhood brats
screaming their heads off and bouncing balls.
The little suckers were always driving me bats!
Oh, and let's not forget the other city sounds
like sirens, garbage trucks and leaf blowers,
chainsaws, car horns, and low-flying planes,
loud neighbors, jackhammers, and lawnmowers!
I would tell you all about my wonderful job
but it was so bad, you just might start crying.
It was the most mind-numbing job imaginable.
If I described it, you'd think I was lying!
Coming home, stuck in traffic, as usual,
my mind would drift to my "happy place",
an imaginary island where I would go
to escape from the city's rat race.
There, palm trees swayed in gentle tradewinds.
There was white sand and a turquoise-green sea.
But the greatest thing about my fantasy island
was that there was nobody else there but me!
I would daydream about exploring the tidepools.
My job could be inventing new kinds of fun
like surfing, diving, playing with dolphins,
and laying around under the tropical sun.
I was so lost in my fantasy, I didn't see
the streetlight changing from yellow to red.
The next thing I knew, I was spinning around
and when I woke up, I thought I was dead.
A nurse was looking down at me, smiling.
She said, "Hello, there. How do you feel?"
The next greeting I got was from Mr. Pain.
Let me tell you, the agony was unreal.
It took me over six months to walk again.
By then, I was more convinced than ever
that the city would be the death of me yet
so I made a plan I thought was real clever.
I would quit my job, clear out my savings,
sell my house and everything else that I own,
then buy a small boat and some fishing poles,
find that island and live my life all alone.
I'd had it with struggling and busting my hump
at a crappy job that held no meaning for me.
Who says I have to contribute to progress?
The stupid hive wouldn’t miss one less bee.
There are hundreds of islands out in the Pacific
and a few that haven't been found by Marriott yet.
The next thing I knew, I was at the helm of my boat
with only a map but no job, no boss, and no debt!
I sailed for months and searched high and low.
I saw many islands that looked perfectly fine
but on almost every one, I saw human beings,
and I'd had enough of them for one lifetime.
I was starting to become very annoyed and frustrated
when off in the distance, through my brass telescope,
I saw a fertile, green island that looked deserted!
I shouted with joy and my heart swelled with hope.
I anchored my boat and paddled the raft to shore,
then explored the whole island from side to side.
It was a true paradise full of peace and tranquility.
It was so beautiful, I just broke down and cried.
The next few months were much harder than I had expected.
I had to build a hut that could withstand all the seasons.
But on nights when the wind would shake and rattle the walls,
I wondered why I left home, and had to search for the reasons.
Finding food was hard, too. The fish didn’t always bite.
I was so unskilled with a spear, I felt like a putz.
I got so hungry one time, I almost went crazy.
I mean, one can only eat so many damn coconuts!
Still, anything was better than sitting in traffic
doing two miles an hour in a square, metal tomb,
wasting my life at a job I truly detested
and seeing nothing but my own little room.
I felt like a modern-day Robinson Crusoe
living a simple life by my own blue lagoon.
I thought about my craphead boss back in L.A.
working himself to death; that pathetic buffoon.
At long last, I found the peace and quiet I'd sought
while lying in the sand, surfing, tanning and such.
I enjoyed it for a while, but I gradually realized
that you can even have peace and quiet too much!
The more time passed, the more I fought to remember
all the reasons I had run from the world of man.
I’d spent a year of my life struggling to survive
with nothing to show for it but a hut and a tan.
This caused me great sadness and confusion
because for years, I had dreamed of this place.
Who would have thought that after only a year,
I would be longing to see another human face?
I missed conversations, and even the arguments,
though they had once caused me so much dismay.
I even missed the sounds of the bustling city,
the great din and clamor, and children at play.
I missed reading the newspaper in the morning,
though the pain there drove me out of my mind.
But how could I stop caring about my human family
or pretend that I'm not a part of mankind?
What was more noble? More virtuous and wise?
To hide there and ignore humanity's plight?
Or to add my voice to the battle against evil?
To get dirty and bloodied in the good fight?
I spent a few months trying to convince myself
that I was just going through a homesick phase
but I started finding it harder to sleep at night
and a terrible loneliness enveloped my days.
Finally, the peace on the island grew much too dark
so I pulled up my anchor and headed for home.
I had learned the first truth God Himself did of man –
That it's not good for anyone to live all alone.
After six weeks at sea, the harbor approached.
The town was throbbing with life, garish and loud.
I docked my boat, and with a heart full of joy,
blended back into the crazy, wonderful crowd.
Author notes
The Gertrude Stein quote (option #1) most closely reflects the message of this poem.
"The person who tries to live alone will not succeed as a human being. His heart withers if it does not answer another heart. His mind shrinks away if he hears only the echoes of his own thoughts and finds no other inspiration."
- Pearl S. Buck
~ Alive in the World - by Jackson Browne ~
I want to live in the world,
not inside my head.
I want to live in the world.
I want to stand and be counted
with the hopeful and the willing,
with the open and the strong,
with the voices in the darkness
fashioning daylight out of song,
and the millions of lovers
alive in the world.
I want to live in the world,
not behind some wall.
I want to live in the world,
where I will hear if another voice should call
to the prisoner inside me,
to the captive of my doubt,
who, among his fantasies,
harbors the dream of breaking out
and taking his chances
alive in the world.
To open my eyes and wake up alive in the world.
To open my eyes and fully arrive in the world.
With its beauty and its cruelty,
with its heartbreak and its joy,
with it constantly giving birth
to life and to forces that destroy,
and the infinite power of change
alive in the world.
Written September 30th, 2004
In a list
A contest entry
- Solitude by paw-writer.
1100 points, ended July 4, 21 entries
Gold trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
What did you think
Comments
1 - 33 of 33
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Wow! I really enjoyed this, and even though it is quite long, it kept me reading and interested until the end. You tell a great story, and even better, it seems to be based on your real experiences. I would love to do what you have done here, and I am sure that after some time I would be ready to come back to the chaos too. I like the humor woven through this too. You did a wonderful job with the quote you used. Thanks for entering my contest. Blessings, Patty
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#6
I did this a few times in my life - took off to some remote corner of the world and hid, on some Greek island or just holing up indoors and avoiding people, only to find myself breaking down and going out to reestablish my connection with humanity. Human beings need communion with others. We shrivel and die in solitude.
Thanks for reading. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Have a great weekend.
Mark
Edited on Mar 10, 3:21 p.m. because ''. -
Made me smile
OH this was lovely, I could see a man sick and tired of the jumbled mess of his boring life - he realises his dream to get away to a desert island and then after some time away realises how much he misses actual human contact. It was an interesting journey, and you know sometimes the mind needs a rest in order to see things objectively. Made me smile this did. -
I want to come invade your fantasy land!! And I agree with all the things you sound about traffic and everything, so very true! This was just so cute and so funny. I enjoyed it a lot. Definately what I needed right now. Thank you 
Midnight Lace
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I agree. Most people who are unhappy think it is because of a lack of love, but it's usually a lack of loving. We get so much more from contributing than receiving.
Thanks,
Mark -
Interesting poem Mark. I loved it. I used to hide from all of the human race but now I know why I used to get so crazy all the time.....I needed human interaction. This poem is so true. I love the way it captures the reader's attention and just won't let them go. Great job. Keep up the good work.
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first of all let me state I do admire Pearl S. Buck as well.
the first poem was a great interest to my heart for I am in the midst of this turmoil myself. I have sold my home put some items in storage and now am living in a small apartment that I will probably out grow within the year.
You use great metaphors in explaination and analogy for my interest. a bit long winded but I stayed with it.
glad I was introduced to by the ezine connection
go and be blessed in all you do
Tamara
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excellent job
Mark..this was beautifull poem..i enjoyed it so much..i was surfing too in same island so you were not alone..lol..i know where you coming from..i know the feeling very much..and like you told me in one of your comments ..i think we do have some simillarities ..lol..great job Mark..keep in touch! -
Hi Queenie,
Let me know if you ever want to get out of NY and I'll give you the longitude and latitude of the island. lol Seems like we're both in the same situation. Big city blues, etc.
I've always loved story poems the best, too. The one that made me want to be a poet was called Providence by a guy named Vernon Watson. What a masterpiece.
Thanks,
Mark -
well it gives new meaning to the phrase,no man is an island.i do know how this goes though.i live in new york.i think i might survive on that island though.the way you went with this was intriguing and it read out as a great story poem.i love those.
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you should be glad I'm writing a crappy comment...it means I really liked this and keep going back to your poem...excellent poem, I liked how it ended, and it had the right amount of humor in it
Edited on Oct 18, 8:39 p.m. because 'Apperantly I don't know the difference between writing and reading'. -
Mark -
Long but worth it...
you have been to paradise and back and to thing there was even a dashboard involved!
great job with the flow of this it kept me reading through all 30 stanzas. Yes I counted them.
It is a good thing you are so good at these... hehehehe... I wish I had known there was a haiku version sooner though.
Good KLuck in this contest.
Susan -
I like the development and concept. The title is quite fitting. Very descriptive and great imagery which draws the reader in. Sometimes an idea is best left in fantasy because in reality it is often disappointing as you have pointed out in your poem.
Nice haiku up there in your comments too LOL Overall a well-written and enjoyable piece. Your efforts are clearly shown
Good luck in the contest...
~Kathy
Edited on Oct 13, 7:01 p.m. because ''. -
Sometimes, I swear I just want to get away from it all! City life is fast and if you can't keep up with the frantic pace, you will end up getting left in someone else's cloud of burning rubber and dust. It can truly be awful some days, but at the same time, too much solitude can lead to desolation. I find this comment very ironic for me to write because one side of me embraces hustle and bustle and the other side yearns for peace and quiet. I don't think I'd go so far as to live on a deserted island though, lol. I love this poem, as it gave me a chuckle as well as something to think about. Perhaps a hermit's life isn't exactly the life for me (I'm too extroverted anyway, lol.)
Thank you for the chuckles, and the lovely sojourn as well.
Many blessings,
Raven Aurora
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This was fabulous! Gawd you took some words right outta my head! What a great writer you are. ~Tina
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as all in life, the joy is in the recieving
good image of enlightenment
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Okay, I'll try . . .
tropical island
far from city confusion
too lonely for me
Actually, I thought this was one of my shorter poems. This is very concise for me! lol
Mark (AKA The Windbag)
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You are a very talented writer... I never question that. However, could you put this poem into a haiku.......... so my A D D doesn't kick in???????????????
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Bad idea to go sail alone...always take someone with you, you never know when you might to find an isolated island
Sometimes the crowd is very disturbing, but total isolation isn't good either. I think the best is to find a 'corner' for your own.
To listen to the sound of silence is very pleasant, but it becomes too loud after while
Excellent poem Mark!
Kisses, love and chocolates
Mari
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Great writing, I loved it A nice lesson, and poem too. I dunno what else to say because I'm pretty sure whatever it is, someone's already told you anyways! soo keep it up!
~Brittany -
Herman & His Hermits Never Sang About THAT!!!
Hello, Marky...hehehe 
Tell ya what, Mark...next time ya want to go to that island, give me a call...I'll tag along...then we'll both have solitude & company, too!!! hehehe...I hear ya, my Friend...I have NO problem being alone, but it does get old at times...then I venture out into the wilderness, seeking another Soul to converse with...& although L.A. is a whole lot bigger than OKC, I understand what you're saying about the noise & congestion of 'Big City' life...aarrgghh...I grew up in a small town, albeit the County seat...& we never had noise problems, except for those talk~all~night dogs!!! hehehe Ah, a wonderful write from my Friend once again...not surprising at all...but your consistency is a bit amazing...even to an ol' die~hard Poet like me, who writes at the drop of a hat...or not!!! 
Hope you are well...but I have a sneaking suspicion that you are absolutely fine & happy wandering in your lil' corner of the World... Be well, my Friend...please come see me soon...my writes miss your oh~so~wondrous words...TTYL!!! Wanda
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I like this at first I was like wow he has issues lol then kept reading and was saying to myself well now he is making a point and a statement which is awsome! I like how you brang this all together with the author coments.
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ha ha ha Life as a single man is soooo funny seeing that I am probably the person you are gripping about cracking up so hard here .. As usual you write with such visual clarity Mark, I enjoyed this, Take Care, Catressa
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huh well that was different lol it kind of turned in to a person life short story thing good write
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I enjoyed the story/lesson that defines the rise and fall of just why man was created never to live alone...true we often see a grass greener on the other side, but in the end, come face to face with the realization-given the time to be alone, that as we tend to look back to anylize our perameters; it wasn't so bad after all, and end up with a new found appreciation for the scenario we couldn't wait to get away from! Excellent imagery throughout!
Mozaic -
Wow, thats so amazingly vivid its nuts..tho i don't have any clue what a big city is like since the population here is like 1300...but i could still feel ur pain in the arse w/ all that crap...lol my favorite part i could actually relate to "To make matters worse, I was dog tired
and "dog tired" is the perfect description
because my neighbor's dog barked so much,
I couldn't sleep without a prescription."...lol n e wayz before i babble on good write
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Great
This was great! There were times throughout this where I laughed and where I giggled . This was fantastic, I loved the descriptions and it kept my interest going, I loved what you wrote , it had almost a fairytale backround, yet, so different. This was really a cute poem, but so much more than that if you have had the experience (which I have not ). I really enjoyed reading this, good luck and all my wishes in the contest!
Purplerose
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Even with the length of this piece...i found myself still attentive throughout. The idea of getting away from
it all can seem like such a wonderful thought...but
even as i was reading this piece i was thinking...yeah,
i would not mind being off by myself somewhere for a
little while...but then i would really miss having at
least another human being to share the precious moments
with me.
Well done!
UB
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that was really good. did all that really happen?? if it is then that was a really big risk to take, but you learned a valuable lesson from it. and if not then you've got a really creative imagination. great job.
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Definitely a dense write. I won't even bother to say how much I've felt this same thing. I'd love to be the bee the hive won't miss, and I'd settle for a nearby hideaway as Thoreau did Walden Pond. But I've come to the conclusion that one will have to learn to develop some inner silence where he is.
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this poem really makes me long for the oceam beautifully written and keep writing, you have a wonderful talent!
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Hey Adam,
This was inspired by this contest, of course, but also by an old comic strip I submitted to MAD magazine years ago about a guy living in the city who buys a "nature sounds" CD. He finally gets so overwhelmed by the city noise that he actually goes to the island that is shown on the cover of the CD. He's sitting in his hammock on the beach for a while and thoroughly enjoying himself, but eventually, he gets so bored with solitude that he ends up listening to a "sounds of the city" CD. Horns, sirens, dogs, and all the sounds he went to the island to get away from. lol
(MAD turned it down because I couldn't explain where he bought a CD on a deserted island. Ha!)
Mark
Edited on Sep 30, 7:16 p.m. because ''. -
wow....where does all this stuff come from?
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