Suburban girl on a train into the city,
scared of shadows and chasing down excitement,
only to hesitate in the end
and turn back.

Tailored prescriptions for family inheritance
a dog waiting at home
failed violin lessons and ballet classes in a wooden box
tucked under her queen-sized bed.

Intimidated by skyscrapers,
scared of gray buildings.

Opportunities handed to her
on a silver platter;
she turns around and slinks back to her room,
shuts the door,
and lies on her bed.
Numb and hopeless and hollow,
she sleeps instead.

Not [ ] enough.
She must push herself,
push herself –
she sleeps instead.

Suburban girl, go home
to your lonely nights
and silence from your mother.
Suburban girl, you're not bored at all,
the fear is right by your side – in your mind,
pressing down, and –
she sleeps instead.

Panic attacks in suburbia
trapped, isolated, alone.
Paralyzed.
Wild beast in suburbia
in the pitch-black darkness, demons
hang from branches,
and knock on your door.

Deceit and deception in suburbia,
we are all being eaten in suburbia
struggling against the tide in suburbia;
breaking through the glass,
only to find –

She closes her eyes, and sleeps instead.

Time slows, shuddering to a stop,
nights stretch on, a unique universe
that stops at the edges of the lane,
Stop sign – go no further.

Underage cocktail of anxiety, stress, fear, anger and depression
it burns, consumes,
opening the mouth to scream, and –

She falls

falls

falls

asleep instead.