I sit quietly and look outside

Looking at freedom.

I stand up, shut the blinds,

And walk away.

I lie down and curl into a ball.

Tears staining my pillow.

I fall asleep and dream of what I lost.

Dreaming of what I need.

I want to be free.
I wish to be free.
I long to be free.

But I’m trapped.
Trapped by society.
Trapped by expectations.

How I should act.
How I should think.
How I should dress.

I feel like a doll.
Told what to do.
What to eat and to drink.

“Go do this!”
“Go do that!”
Am I just a marionette?

I’m lost.
Buried under expectations.
Trying to find a way out.

The real me is dying.
Suffocating.
Losing the battle.

I want to scream.
Yell from the rooftops.
My voice ringing out.

I wake with a jolt and cry even more.

Not wanting to start my day.

I stand and walk to the window.

I open the shutters.

I sit quietly and look outside.

Looking at freedom.