Then... Then... Then...

Timing freezes, muscles tense, lungs start gasping for every breath

The room starts spinning, the edges blur, hearts is running, running from death

"I'm safe" I say, "This isn't...." cut short my mind turns gray, before I can mutter the word "then"

 

"Then" when... it... happened... 

"Then" when I couldn't get away

"Then" when my hands hit nothing but walls of rock

"Then" when my words hit nothing but the cold dry air

 

"This isn't then!" I tried to scream but all that came out was a whisper

A whIsper of pleading, yearning, asking, tumbling out as a whimper

 

"This is now... now... now" as a mantra repeated in the temples sacred

This is my mantra as I try, try, try to calm my hatred

 

Hatred for them, hatred for me, hatred to all the scumbags picketing with signs

Hatred to the narrow minded people who have never been nothing, left with this mantra mine

 

One day I'll wash this hatred, calm this panic, slow my heart, and stay rooted down in time

But now I just sit here and rock... rock... rock... repeating, "This isn't then... Then... Then..."

 

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