She sighs a breath, heavy and weary.
Her spirit is broken, her heart becomes dreary.
Her eyes, forlorn with the secrets she keeps,
Her mind is restless, for never she sleeps.
Her limbs are in shackles, unable to move,
Her belly too twisted to digest her food.
The days turn to weeks, as she begs for escape,
Her nightmares turn real as her demons take shape.
She screams for release from her personal Hell,
But her throat closes tight and her eyes start to well.
Her vision turns dark and her chest burns hot,
She reaches for help with the last strength she’s got.
Her soul curls and hardens, as her pain starts to billow,
Her suffering finally takes form:
A Weeping Willow.

Amanda Lynn Houck (2019)