by Shalu Bhati
I will wait right here
Tied to this chair.
Where else would I go
But breathe in this toxic air
And suffocate?
You stand and watch
As the light in my eyes
Dims down.
You say it is okay;
That it is nothing but my spirit—
It dies a little every day.
I feel it is dark inside,
But it is just the way you like.
It is a hostile terrain
And you call it our home.
You tell me
That I am not ready to face the world;
That this is where I am meant to be,
For there is a darker reality
Waiting outside.
You have brought in
Nothing but suffering.
You snuffed out
Every little bit
Of hope you could find in me;
All done in the name of love
That has only ruined me.
The shackles,
You so fondly placed,
Have become loose
And my weakened body falls
On the cold concrete floor.
Now I have to crawl
To go see the sky up above.
But how far can I go
When I am tired to the bones?
So I come back,
To wait right here
Tied to this chair.
For where else could I go?
You are a hungry monster
And this is what you have earned—
A prisoner for life.
Bon appétit.
