Lips Like Alcatraz
Start writing a post
Student Life

Lips Like Alcatraz

Writing can be the key to unlocking the thought jail within your mind.

10
Lips Like Alcatraz
Cassidy Okenica

Take a look at the cover photo. This is the state that my mind lives in as an introvert: looking up to the sky, lost in my thoughts, contemplating the next words that will escape my mouth, like a prisoner breaking free from Alcatraz. These words are in my mind for some reason or another. They’ve done something to be placed in a world of high security, a place where escape is near impossible. They sit there for hours upon hours, days upon days, even weeks upon weeks, growing and developing into something that is yearning, pleading with God to just please, let me be free!

Let me see the light of day, taste the fresh air, hear the birds peeping at daybreak and the crickets chirping at nightfall, smell the roses planted in the garden, feel the warmth of the sun’s rays beating down on my pale, delicate skin. Dear God, let me be free!

But they’re not. The words are still stuck sitting in the cell they were placed in, trapped by the guards, with no escape to be found.

My mouth may be slightly open, ready for the words to run free, but my heart is saying “no, you must stay put where you are, where you belong.” There is no mind over matter when my heart has taken the wheel, driving too cautiously for my own good.

It’s moments like those when I wish my mind's filter could be lifted. Censoring every thought that comes through my head can become rather exhausting, especially when there is no room left. I have lips like Alcatraz — padlocked with no way to escape. If they attempt to escape, the words are caught, cuffed, and thrown back in the cell.

Looking at the photo, I see that introverted girl with lips like Alcatraz. On the inside, though, there is no such prison.

My extroverted side is a whole other person, looking up to the sky, lost in her thoughts, contemplating the next words that will run free from her lips like a gazelle on the open plains. The words spill out of her mouth easily, without any exerted effort. Ears perk up all around, listening to her as eagerly as a dog wishing for a treat. Words run rampant, hour after hour, day after day, week after week, just building up and becoming stronger with a God-given desire to just yell out, I am free!

I am free to see the light of day, taste the fresh air, hear the birds peeping at daybreak and the crickets chirping at nightfall, smell the roses planted in the garden, feel the warmth of the sun’s rays beating down on my pale, delicate skin. Dear God, thank you!

There is never a lag, never a stutter, never any hesitation. Her mouth and her heart are working in conjunction to share the essence of her soul with the rest of the world. There is no filter placed upon her lips; there is always room in her mind to be filled with magnificent ideas turned real. There is no cage of any sort to confine her.

“Everyone has their own ways of expression. I believe we all have a lot to say, but finding ways to say it is more than half the battle.”
-Criss Jami

I remember being told by my fourth grade writing teacher I was a great writer, and had so much potential in the writing field if I were to just apply myself. I did just that. I began writing silly little stories that at the time I believed to be masterpieces. I thought I was the best in the business and that if I sent my work to a publisher, it would be published on the spot. I got that idea from author Andrew Clements’ book The School Story. It's a story about a girl named Natalie Nelson who partners up with her best friend to get her book published by her mom's company. They both use pseudonyms to avoid revealing their true ages and identities. In the end, the book is published and their identities are revealed. I went on a rampant writing spree after reading it, thinking that if a 12-year-old girl could do it, why couldn’t I at the age of 10?

As a writer, I simply have a desire for my voice to be heard and my story to be told. I like my voice to be heard in a figurative sense, not a literal one. I like to share what I have to say in a medium that I know I can say it in. Ask me to verbally tell you this story, and you’re going to sit and stare at me wondering if I actually understood what the question was in the first place. I am an extreme introvert who desperately wants to let her extrovert side run free. That’s why I write. My stories, poems, and articles are the extroverted side of me. They allow me to scream all that I’ve been holding inside without actually having to say a single word out loud.

Even discussing what I write makes me cringe. You’re telling me that I have to talk about what I have purposely not talked about? Don’t get me wrong: I love the compliments and the praise I get from what I’ve written. It feels so good to know that others truly do appreciate what I have to say and actually want to read it. When asked why I wrote it or how I came up with my idea, I quickly respond in as little of an answer as possible and frantically change the subject. It’s just what I do and who I am.

Writing has given me an escape from the word jail my mind has built. It's the best way I know how to express myself — one of the only ways. For all of you out there who are struggling to unlock the cell in your mind that is holding those words hostage, use writing as the key to set them free. Put your thoughts on paper and believe me, you'll feel a whole lot better. You have a voice that deserves to be heard by all.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

59008
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

38108
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

959596
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

196284
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments