InkTober 2020 (written)

8. Teeth

Independence is such a dream!

Your space, your rules, your schedule,

Days in and lots of ice-cream.

Only then, you reach your full potential.

It's all you can think about, asleep or awake,

And you pursue it without a break.

You yearn for it, for what could be,

Enthusiastically throw yourself forward,

Trusting that you'll land in the arms of a maybe.

But was the risk worth the reward?

How much of your soul did you have to pay,

To get to where you are today?

Too late do you realize what you've lost.

You fade away, dancing in the dark,

Forgetting who you are, until you feel the frost.

Behind you, you hear fear creep and bark.

You pride yourself on needing no one else,

Flashing your best smile to hide the stress.

Every day, you run as far and fast as you can,

Denying yourself the truth you know too well.

But the more you fought, the faster it ran,

And no one's here to hear you yell.

Too focused on being independent,

You drove away every possible defendant.

At night, when you're alone and your guard is down,

It strikes when you least expect it.

You feel every thorn in your crown,

And there is no way to deflect it.

Now that your soul has been shattered,

Can you retrieve what has been scattered?

Face it. Behind your smile, you are freezing.

You stem the bleeding as best you can,

But, from so much running, you are wheezing.

The beast sank its teeth into your skin.

At night, you cannot escape its maw.

On your shoulder, you can feel its paw.

When you're at your worst, who can you call?

When its teeth are forcing you to take the leap,

Will there be anyone to break your fall?

Or, at least, will someone weep?

Unlike me, I hope your answers are all yes.

I do not wish for you to know this madness.