That was Then, This is Now

There she stood at the edge of existence.

My thin, brittle arms reaching out to her, forgetting the distance.

The distance between her and me looking achievable

Yet, in reality, conceivable.

I, the lungs of her world, draw in the oxygen that they discard.

She, looking so innocent, yet guilty of me.

Misunderstood, innocent, yet I fall into the rotten hands of the barred.

We locked eyes for a second,

Singing our stories to each other, she unthreatened.

But I.

A trapped individual seeking understanding.

Stuck in the moment, thinking of my opponent.

But that was then. This is now.

I sang my heart to her,

Sobbing all my faults and scars onto her.

And for once,

I was free to share my pulse.

But that was then. This is now.

Now hidden by my bark is my soul,

Trapped like a prisoner in a gaol.