I always talk about
Keeping true
To my word
That empty promises
And false hopes
Are unacceptable

But all that I seem
To do
Is just
That

I hate it
I hate the way
There are barriers
I'm too short to cross
I hate it when
There is a long distance
My little legs can't cover
I hate it especially
When I can't see
Can't hear
Can't be
There
Or
Anywhere

And I just feel
Powerless
Frozen
Lost
Unsure what to do
Unsure what to feel
Rooted
To the spot
Watching
Everything
Unfold
Helplessly

And all these
Just turn my words
Into dust
My promises become
Dandelion fluff
Blown away
By this typhoon

Uncontrollable
Beyond
My
Power

Woke up
In the morning
The skies looked gray.
I didn’t trust myself
To keep smiling
Or to keep
From crying

That day

I didn’t feel
Like going
Anywhere
I didn’t feel
Like meeting
Anyone
I didn’t feel
Like doing
Anything

That day

We were trudging around
Like lost souls
Under the hot
Sun
Our friendly greetings
Unseen
Unheard
By many

That day

When all seemed
Futile
Our legs weary
Having walked
For miles
Our feet hurting
From standing
For hours
And our cheeks aching
From grinning
And speaking

That day

We all but started
Singing
Our little
Song
A tiny verse
A laughable one
And that little
Song
Piped our spirits
Just for a little
To keep us going

That day

At the end
Of that day
I looked up
To find that the skies
Have turned
Blue
And I’ve got to
Hand it over to you two.
If not for a while
You turned my smile
Into a real one

**That day

Just one
Solitary
Figure
Walking that
Lonely road

Just one
Detached
Person
Sitting on that
Bench

Just one
Lone
Warrior
Fighting battles
Alone

Just one
Sole
Girl
Watching
Quietly

Anger
Is a powerful
Destructive
Wild
And irrepressible
Beast
Threatening to destroy

Temper
Is a blood-thirsty hound
Leaping
And snapping
Lunging at everything
That reminds it
Of Anger
Threatening to get away

Thoughts
Are little imps
Sly
And cheeky
Manipulative
That populate the little village
In your mind
They create illusions
And images
That pester you
Incessantly

Selfishness
And
Kindness
Are the lion and the unicorn
Fighting over the
Crown
To rule
Your actions
Or Thoughts

Jealousy
Is that sour
Whiny
Voice
Niggling you
At the back of your head
It spreads its propaganda
Through your Thoughts
And they start
To turn
Against each other
Starting a
War

With all these
Monsters
Running through
Your mind
It’s a wonder
At how you can still manage to keep
Your sanity
At times

Or at least
Look like
It

If we are puppets,
Then sleepiness
Is a dangerous
Puppeteer.

He creeps up on you
And hijacks your
Mind and body

Your eyes are closing
Your body feels heavy
Your head may drop off
Anytime

Your shoulders are drooping
Your feet are weary
Your back supports you
No more

Your head is swaying
Your body is aching
Oh how you wish you were
In bed

You can’t hear properly
You can’t speak properly
You don’t care
Anymore...
                                                                ­                 ...he whispers in your ear
And this is when
Sleepiness
Slips you onto
His puppet strings
And starts to sway
Your bearings

One, two
One, two
You plod on

Left, right
Left, right
Your vision starts to spin

You can’t hear properly
You can’t speak properly
You don’t care
Anymore...
                                                                ­                 ...he whispers in your ear
Continuing on
Your way
You know what you’re doing
But yet, don’t notice
Anything
Around you

Until that loud beep
Jolts you from your sleep
And brings you out of
The puppeteer's spell

The puppet strings
Are broken
And you are left
To face reality
The fact that you could've                                        should've
Died


You can’t hear properly
You can’t speak properly
You don’t care
Anymore...
                                                                ­                 ...he whispers in your ear

A smile
Is a powerful tool

It can

Encourage
Give hope
Cheer
Reassure
Show

But it can also

Crush
Taunt
Annoy
Confuse
Hide

In the day
It’s just fine
A costume
Special effects
Creepy music
But when the sun goes
Down
Everything comes
Back

The scenes
The flash backs
Images
That just stay
Imprinted
In your mind

And that’s not all
The sands of
Imagination
Shift
And turn those
Scenes
And flashbacks
Into
Possibilities
Ideas
And now

Every corner
Of your safe haven
Is turned into
A portal
Where
Ghouls
Apparitions
Specters
And Monsters
Can come into your world

Every shadow in the dark
Lurks a menace;
An unknown and unwelcome
Presence
Leaving you paralyzed
With fear
Unable to move
Unable to breathe
Every muscle
Tense and taut
Curled up in a ball
Hugging your knees to your chest
Trying to calm
Your fluttering heart

And slowly,
Unknowingly,
Your eyes close
And you slip into that
Blissful oblivion

And when morning comes
You're left
Exhausted