A single eye blinks within the darkness
Then a thousand more come to life
All are fixated on the only light in the room.
The caged bird,
A spectacle.

The darkness begins to close in
All eyes, staring.
The caged bird ruffles its feathers
And spreads its wings
But there is no room to fly.

The darkness creeps closer
And the caged bird tries to sing
A croak
A squawk
A screech
Then silence.
All remnants of courage drowned
In the shrieks of torment
Echoing within the darkness
A symphony of silent screams.
Panic, anxiety,
Fear.

The caged bird wails a last time
A final, piteous cry
Somewhere between heartbreak and despair
Set me free, set me free!
But there is no savior
And the darkness only creeps ever closer
Until it stifles courage once and for all.
Inescapable.

Then suddenly I realize
The caged bird is me.