My room has two doors
three locks and just one key
mislaid, lost. Or maybe just hidden
somewhere safe, forgotten.
You think I'm imprisoned?
Not so - on all four sides
windows open wide, I keep them
shut and shuttered
"My room has two doors
and one window.
One door is red and the other is gray.
I cannot open the red door;
the gray door does not interest me.
Having no choice,
I shall lock them both
and look out of the window"
Kay Sage - The Window
For Grace’s Open Link Night optional prompt she gave us Kay Sage’s surreal artwork entitled ‘My room has two doors’. I wrote this short pithy poem to that. Only afterwards, researching more of Kay Sage, I discovered the poem on the right, digitized from her 1957 poetry book “the more I wonder“. I was amazed at how much the two poems mirror each other including line length
PoetryPix 
Your inspired poem gives a different perspective, and yes, so much like hers too. I like that even when the windows are wide open, we decide to them shut and shuttered. Love that you took this even further and read her work Laura.
thank you Grace and for the inspiring prompt that led me on to further investigation and the discovery of Sage’s own poem about the two doors
Love this, and with the title it makes total sense… imprisoned by self.
locking the outside away
‘one key / mislaid, lost. Or maybe just / hidden”
This underscores the intention of never needing the key, crucial to the mindset here.
nicely observed Ken – thank you
Fab poem, Laura, and what a lovely surprise to find Kay Sage’s poem and how it mirror’s yours.
it was slightly unnerving too / thanks Kim
Always a pleasure, Laura.
The two poems two doors onto or into a similar psychology. It’s a lovely painting. Kay Sage wasn’t as celebrated as her fellow (male) surrealists.
Strange how both poems are very internal!
p.s I’d not heard of this artist but having researched her body of work she should be more well known
Internal – what it is like for some of us. Yes, she should be better known.
Sometimes one needs to lose the key to the outdoors! 😉 Brilliant poem, Laura! xo
thank you Marina / the outdoors can be daunting for some, sometimes!
Sometimes, yes! 😉 xoxo
Laura, you wrote this before finding the published one? At first I thought you wrote two verses. I love the feeling of freedom. No worries about keys, locks, confinement…
a touch of synchronicity or perhaps I heard the artist through her painting – freedom is a double edge sword for the agraphobe!
I love this one, Laura, and that’s so wild your poem mirror’s hers!
thank you Merril – streaming the collective unconscious perhaps?!
You’re welcome, Laura! Maybe so!
It’s really eerie how similar those poems are. I love everything about this–as you know I have a thing for both surrealism and doors. (K)
thank you Kerfe and yes doors are made for Thursdays, Kerfe – in my dreams they never open onto to something pleasant though
I don’t often dream about doors although I dream about houses and apartments. That’s strange, come to think of it.
I, too, like the dichotomy of the open and shuttered windows. Great write.
many thanks – dichotomies are always a point of interest
You have inspired me to look into Kay’s work too, Laura. Yes, the coincidental internality of both poems is deeply felt and they share the ambiguity of the space depicted in the painting which is both a room and yet also open to the elements…
thank you for your insightful feedback – I’m never quite at ease with surrealism but Kay’s work is so worthy of a look
I am inspired to learn more about Kay Sage ~~ uncanny yes the similarities. Knowing the depth of your talent, I am not surprised.
aww Helen such praise! I thank you with a blush!
Imprisoned by self behind shut and shuttered windows. Well done!
thank you Yvonne
Your poem made me laugh, Laura!
🙃
That is truly amazing, Laura, how your poem mirrors her verse… surrealism at its best.
thank you – it felt surreal after ddiscovering her poem
You are welcome, Laura