CHAINS

an unlocked cell,
a bright sunny day
is no blessing
to the lost soul
emerging from a cold hard dungeon:

my unchained wrists feel naked,
your warmth is a burning to my frozen heart,
your wide open skies
and boundless floral fields
leave me exposed, vulnerable.
your sweet promises are tangled
in the web of past lies.
your gentle kiss, a storm.
I panic. I retreat.
I hide, alone, and weep:

all the dreams and hopes
that got me through
are here before me now,
but my fingers crumble like dry clay
as I touch them.
this freedom isn't real
because I do not exist.
the walls and chains are gone
but the prison,
where I died,
remains.