Then it happened.
Another ship had wrecked
and its sole traveler came.
He was asleep—
as John was.
Some people took
the ropes out.
But John didn't.
He stared at the newcomer.
Wondering.
Emily stared at him too.
Then, he got up and
took the ropes off
of his friends' hands.
"No. Not again",
he said.
Slowly, he walked in front of them—
slapping each one's face
and reciting each one's name.
"All of you tied me when I arrived.
Now, you won't tie anybody else".
He threw the ropes into the sea.
While the waves carried them away,
he sat on a rock, waiting
for the newcomer to wake.
Mar 9
Mar 9, 2026 at 3:09 PM UTC
Then it happened.
Another ship had wrecked
and its sole traveler came.
He was asleep—
as John was.
Some people took
the ropes out.
But John didn't.
He stared at the newcomer.
Wondering.
Emily stared at him too.
Then, he got up and
took the ropes off
of his friends' hands.
"No. Not again",
he said.
Slowly, he walked in front of them—
slapping each one's face
and reciting each one's name.
"All of you tied me when I arrived.
Now, you won't tie anybody else".
He threw the ropes into the sea.
While the waves carried them away,
he sat on a rock, waiting
for the newcomer to wake.
The third and final part in the three-part cycle "Tied and Untied" about social belonging and acceptance.
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Copyright: Shattentraumer, 2026. Licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/). Original: https://hellopoetry.com/poems/5268380/tied-and-untied-3
