a wise man used to tell me:
“alter your stride and meet a stranger”

at first i though:
what an odd statement
and soon forgot

but he kept repeating
these seven little words:
“alter your stride and meet a stranger”

taking the quote quite literally
i played
with “the ministry of silly walks”

and to my surprise,
in sidestepping the known

a gate opened
and dawn arrived

would i have believed,
upon first hearing these seven little words
that they were the keys to my freedom?