Asylum

smothered
buried
encapsulated fear

dulled
destroyed
my selective ear

voices
screaming
not one vocalized

a plea
unanswered
should be no surprise

bound up
and gagged
i look on from above

affectionate
violence
he redefined love

arrested
disarmed
paralytic dismay

body
response
take this heat away

clenching
choking
i recede from here

imprisoned
sobbing
invisible tears

distant
tomb-like
protective darkness

the motions
his breathing
can’t penetrate this

tragic
delusion
assumption of blame

silenced
sentenced
to oppressive shame

cut-off
closed-up
let the impulses burn

alone
untouched
who knows when i’ll return