Ongoing Cycle of the Door

Author's Note: Throughout the beginning of the novel, Jekyll and Hyde, the word door is constantly repeated, and serves as a major motif for the novel; when one steps through the door, he is one man, but when he returns, he is a completely new individual. This piece was inspired by the quotes from the novel, "There is no other door, and nobody goes in or out of that one but, once in a great while, the gentleman of my adventure," and the possible idea that Jekyll changes into Hyde as he comes and goes from his house.

Walking through my grand foyer,
Stilettos hitting the wooden floors,
With the perfect noise.
The sparkling chandelier shimmers above
And sunlight streams in through the glass wall of windows.

On the inside,
The world is perfect
Just me, my wealth, my happiness
Confidence at an all time high,
I feel invincible.

And then I see it.

The Door.

My insides crumble within
I want to turn back and sprint,
To what I love,
And away from what I hate.

Change.

But I can’t.
It’s inevitable.
Change is inevitable.

My feet slide to the door,
My hand grabs for the handle,
Holding my breath,
With excruciating focus,
I attempt to move away from the door,
But I can’t.
It’s inevitable.

With one turn,
The portal opens,
With gusts of wind,
The door blows open
My clothes cling to my body,
Almost in hope.

One after the other,
My feet cross over the line,
Exiting the door.

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

Walking through the dusty streets,
Loafers scuffing across the gravel roads,
With a dull, repeated clatter
Gray clouds fill the thick air,
Making it hard to breathe.

On the outside,
The world is dreadful
Just me, my filthy self, my broken appearance
Depression at an all time low,
I feel defeated

And then I see it.

The Door.

My insides tingle in excitement
I want to drop everything and sprint,
To what I love
And away from what I hate.

Brokenness, filthiness.

My feet tripping over each other
Dash towards the door,
My hand grasps the handle in hope,
Heavily breathing,
With great anticipation,
I turn the handle,
Waiting to see the better life on the inside.
It is inevitable.

With one turn,
The portal opens.
With a cloud of warmth,
The rich aroma of rich candles
Fill my nostrils,
Assuring me I am back,
Hopefully this time to stay.

One after the other,
My feet cross over the line,
Entering the Door.