Secret Lives of a Survivor

3/8/15

I went scuba diving
in muddy-water memories
and got the bends
when I surfaced too quickly.

I was left like a curled up caterpillar
faced with too much of the world.

Bright colors kept birds away,
though curious fingers
poked over and over
like I was a yellowing bruise.

I masked the pain
with smiles and sleeves,
hid realities inside my mind
until the closed doors
bent outwards from the pressure.

I spent years as an Egyptian -- 
carving hieroglyphs on the walls
inside my mind,
until ancient discoveries
uncovered my past and
predicted my future.

Strange symbols painted pictures
of heartache and pain -- 
cumulative images of
lasting trauma
and inner demolitions...

so I carved out my future
and created my own.