I’d like to go outside.
It’s dark out.
Luminescent leaves glisten
and tremble in the wind.
A wild silhouette in the garden
bordered by yellow light;
‘s’curious, the contrast.
I’d like to go outside.
I tried once,
But the door I chose
led me to another room.
Walls, doors, windows.
Each window looks out:
A wild silhouette in the garden.
Curiouser and curiouser!
I’d like to go outside.
Nikolai Lysewycz is a writer, teacher, and musician based in Germany. Originally from Australia, he teaches English and Music at a state grammar school (Gymnasium) and plays viola with the Neuss City Sinfonia.
This poem was first published back in 2015 in W’SUP, the student publication of Western Sydney University. It speaks to the desire to break free of labels and enclosures — to see beyond the boundary, but not be permitted to cross it.
Disclaimer: No part of this poem’s construction, planning, writing, or editing was conducted with AI. The header image is, however, AI-generated — not for lack of ability, but for lack of time.
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