His senses hold him prisoner
Overwhelmed and alone
Walls were his burden
The light too much to bear

The soaked linen of yesterday's news
Stained with fear from battles before
Eclectic hoarding and microwave meals
Swallows a sharp suit and a badge

Headlights cast broken shadows
Each a spectre of the past
Empty scotch and cigarette holes
A slow crawl to solitude

Light burns through a slither
Heart beating through the walls
Strangled by the sirens
That triggered him before

He needs to be cradled
Yet no one comforts him
He rocks back and forth
Rhythmic on the floor

Screams muted by paralysis
Silence pervades the void
Fractured by the rasp and
A crescendo of emotions

The warning bells pass
They did not come for him
His symphony of sorrow
Plays out to an empty room

By Darren Wall ©