I stare at the wall.
I should be feeling,
I should be breaking,
Crying myself into a dreamless sleep.

There's nothing.
As soon as emotion appears,
It is silenced.
Hard heart,
Cold as ice,
Freezing any pain,
Any joy,
Any sorrow.

It took years to achieve this,
Years to curse myself into perfection.
Years to feel as hollow as people seem to think I am.

Their words bounce off,
Cutting like glass as they leave.
But I feel no pain.
I am numb.