Getting Out

Cleopatra Mathis' poem Getting Out is heart-wrenching to imagine.  Based on the comparison to being like "inmates", it appears that the couple in the poem no longer feel any bonds of love or passion between them; they are simply living under the same roof.  It recalls, from the woman's point of view, the last year of their marriage.  The first stanza reveals the painful details of the night.  Neither of them can wait for the morning light to come so that they can escape each other's company.  The second stanza tells of the day time.  They fill it with distractions and loud noises to give them an excuse to avoid their problems.  The last stanza, however, evokes the most sympathy.  The couple had obviously gotten a divorce, but it's also clear that they actually cared for the other very deeply.  "Taking hands we walked apart, until our arms stretched between us.  We held on tight, and let go" (Mathis, 896).  They still loved each other, but they were in a predicament.  They couldn't stand being together, but knew they would ache from the pain of being apart.