I feel as though I am suffocating but can still breathe.  The weight of the baggage I carry pushes on my chest and breaks my spirit.  His hands reach for me as I try to break free from the chains that bruise my wrists.  My mouth runs dry and my face is frozen with fear. The pills he forces down my throat make me weak and tired.  The rocks he places on my back sink into my spine and pierce my ribs. He keeps me awake to make me stare at a wall of black.  What had i done to receive the scars that excell beyond my youth.

Traumatized, I walk the halls and home of my story stepping on shattered glass.  A masquerade of my own devices. Those who love me don’t know what lies beneath. The beast that consumes my brain and fogs my vision.  I battle the pain I feel and hide my tears behind a veil of red. He is immortal. I can not defeat him. My inamorato of nightmares. Day to night and night to day, he watches as i suffer silently in the corner of his stockade, breathing deeply through flattened lungs.  My heart beats fast and my eyes can not adjust to my surroundings.

He posses a name i know well.  His hand grasps my thyroid and twists savagely.  My eyes become tired and tears begin to escape. It gets easier, you get used to it, it’s not as bad as it seems.  The relife i receive releases additional torment. Am i getting better or am i digging deeper? So close to the light at the end of the tunnel, i reach out.  The outline of my hand contrasts with the bright white light in front of me.

Today, I shatter the shackles that restrained me.  The wings he broke, I rebuilt. I now fly among the glassy night sky and soar with the shimmering shards of stars.  He still pursues me, but I have learned to defeat him. Everyday I defeat him. Growing stronger and exceeding my own expectations.  My dreams grow bigger and my life becomes brighter. The bruises and scars left behind are a sign of strength, never weakness. For I never gave up.  I have become wiser with this time and have learned the importance of patience and strength.