Linley Munson, Chrysalis

You confine me in shadow, obscure my vision,
Let terror wash over me
I try to stretch my limbs, yearning for freedom,
To reveal myself to the world
It doesn’t work; I am bound to you, trapped in this futureless present
These incidents leave sad details along my figure,
Deep, scoring lines across my ribs and arms
My attempts at salvation anger you as you crush me into dust and render me whole once more
When I think you aren’t looking, I carve myself an escape from the shadows that mystify me
Running from the void you imprisoned me in, I emerge into shining light
You know I’ve left; I can feel your sorrow from the other side,
As if I twisted a knife into an organ
I allow this new reality to shape me into fine fettle, to let me shift into something new,
To imagine myself as something other than a prisoner
Exploring this strange world, I find many different sights
A brook with no source and a gorge with limitless depth
I cross through a field and find that it hurts to speak; I try in spite of it
It seems I’m speaking aloud, but the words sound muted;
Your scars appear to linger after all
Still it doesn’t matter anymore, they will fade in time as all things do
The damage you’ve done not sustaining the passage of time brings a smile to my face
I don’t need your suffocating presence, to be admired by you,
To be subject to your warped definition of love
Your despair is still palpable and yet I am numb to it
“Abandon me and you’ll regret it” you once told me
Don’t act as if I need you
I don’t

Linley Munson is a senior at Alcuin School. In her spare time, she enjoys creative writing, character design, and SFX makeup.