THE A’s OF FIGHT OR FLIGHT (Poem)

Hey y’all!

There are only three days left of National Poetry Writing Month! The writing prompt for Day 28 is to write an index poem. You could start with found language from an actual index, or you could invent an index.

Here is my poem:

THE A’s OF FIGHT OR FLIGHT

By Farah Lawal Harris, © 2023

Reasons that trigger(ed) fight or flight responses in the author:

Agoraphobia (fear of leaving one’s home or crowded spaces): I was afraid of y’all’s germs before we were mandated to wear masks on faces. Chemotherapy got my white blood cell count doin’ the Dougie; everybody love me, but don’t cough or touch me. Being immunocompromised is temporary, but the fear is not.

Anger: the emotion I was taught to avoid, but that rises up when I’m annoyed, disrespected, or sad. Anger is fear in drag. It grows with each punch not thrown, each cuss out swallowed instead of let free. Anger is a locked home with a lost key.

Anxiety (the feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease): This one is self-explanatory, i.e. “I can’t breathe” literally and figuratively. The pandemic nobody sees.

Apples: something about all sin being blamed on a woman rather than a snake’s manipulation and her husband’s participation makes me jump out of my skin.

Note: Fight or fight is the attempt to escape one’s skin while being trapped within. This index is not comprehensive, but an abbreviated list. See other letters for clarity. Search within for empathy.