She woke up one morning
in a prison cell
cold, damp,
the metal bars icy to the touch

She was bewildered-
how did she get there?
was it herself
or forces bigger than her?

Then she screamed
screamed until her lungs were about to explode
using her fingernails
trying to scratch her way out

She resigned
breathless, she sat in the corner
as the four walls drew closer
she prayed for someone to answer her plea

Ten years later
she sits there- barely alive
the efforts of others were not enough
to save her from this depression.

I'm the slice of glass
wedged in your throat
cutting, tearing apart
at your voice, your soul

I'm the gun
aimed at your heart
ready to shoot down
your hopes, your dreams
in a split second

I'm the handcuffs
chaining your hands together
you're under my control
even though I want to let you go

I'm the girl
you used to love dearly
before I disappointed you and hurt you badly
I caused you so much pain- I didn't mean to
but now it's time for me to go.

You're trapped
In something deep
Deeper than a cistern
You're like a helpless baby
In something deep
Deeper than a cistern
The walls are made of glass
With a sea, beautifully deceptive, within
You try to swim
Fighting a strong current
But you're no match against the tide

You're running out of air
And out of time
How did you get here?
As you look longingly at the top
You remember standing on the surface
Looking lovingly into the deep
Before diving in
How stupid you were!
And now you hate- loathe the deep
How do you get out now?

You try one last time
Pushing
Struggling
Trying to reach the top
Before an undercurrent
Sweeps you back
Confining you to the deep
You cry for help
You don't want to drown
Here in the deep

The man, dressed in a suit
Bowtie on the floor
Shirt unbuttoned, hair ruffled
Staggers to the cupboard
Where just one bottle remains
And opening with a flourish
He wonders how he's ended up like this
As he gulps the sweet poisonous liquor
He can't help but feel trapped-
Trapped in the deep.

They march to the beat of the drum
they run when their leaders tell them to walk
they compromise when their leaders tell them to
even if it means they behave like robots
they choose to be free when they know they are slaves
thinking the world belongs to them
when really it belongs to their masters
when really their masters have enslaved them with chains
that are invisible to them
but are made of iron
but the scariest thing is
when they look into a mirror and see their reflection
they are not made of metal
their blood is red, their skin made of dust
each of the robots looks like either
you or me.

It shines brilliantly as it goes up high
a flash of white illuminating the whole sky
Bringing fear to the most valiant men
even causing the intelligent to become insane
As it descends down towards the floor
women children, away they go
as far away as they can manage
they don’t want to be part of a wreckage
And as it hits the ground on that humid night in May
not one soul there will ever again see the light of day.

The fire ran wild
why did I allow it?
your eyes sparkled like sunlight on the waves
why did I believe it?

you started the fire
the furnace that spread far and wide
it even reached my stubborn heart-
which burned like a twig in a flame

then you disappeared
like a frightened bird that takes to the sky
you left me to deal
with the scorching heat alone
and afterwards the all consuming smoke

and even now
after the monsoon of tears
has flooded out memories of you
the burn marks remain
the scars even spell out your name.

So it's Thursday morning
I'm lying on my bed
And with my phone between my hands
I try to get a new high score on the new game
You know the one- that one with a bird?
Yeah, that one.

My carpet is completely covered
In confetti of various shapes and sizes
Different colours, different smells
I really need to vacuum
But I'm comfortable right here
Oh look! One hundred points already!

Mom keeps telling me to get a job
Her reminders are like *****
Never ending and numbing my brain
But I'm comfortable laying on my bed
Woah, one hour gone already!
Where does time go?

So is it true that everything came from nothing
That there was one massive explosion?  
Did someone put us all here
Like the universe is one big jigsaw?
Five hundred points!
I'm getting good at this.

I wonder what my old schoolmates are doing
I heard some got scholarships in America
A couple went to university
While a bunch are in prison
A thousand points!
I should tweet about this.

The church bell in the distance strikes twelve
I wonder what I am doing here
I feel like my life is like a pencil without lead
Where am I going?

Dang! Game over. Oh well, I'll try again later.
My phone's out of battery.
I see the pile of college assignments on my desk
I get up and go make lunch.