She sits in a fortress she made with her screams
Longing for a chance to break free
Many visitors partake in the scene
None notice her captivity
She talks with them about casual things
She won’t ask them to set her free
I used to live in my own fortress of screams
I want to help her achieve her dreams
She says she wants to escape and be with me
But she is not ready to run –
I can’t force her out, so I must wait and see
If she fights the darkness she breathes
Many months go by and she says nothing
But I sense in her a longing
A desire to break the curse at her feet
But the will to do so is weak –
She avoids my gaze but does not ignore me
She won’t talk but won’t have me leave
She knows I will ask if now she is ready
To break the spell and sail the sea
It was easy in the beginning to speak
We’d be with each other it seemed
I wish I had never confessed my feelings
Perhaps, grown apart, we would not be
I miss her, but she still feels so close to me
It’s only her I want to see
I must have patience and understanding
Ignore my ego and longing
Think of her heart and feelings
Just as I did, she will break from her screams
Her prison, she will finally leave
Only she can save herself from the darkness
She must be the hero she needs
I tell her I’ll wait until she is ready
I know this makes her happy
I want to be a positive influence
To help her fight all her demons
She’s strong and beautiful and intelligent
She knows this but needs to be reminded
She’s a goddess in a fortress
She will break free when she’s ready
From the poetry collection Men Are Garbage.
James Pack 