Ink Asylum

She wanders soft as a suggestion

In her red dress; ripped soul-deep

And her smile's a half-formed question

For a promise you won't keep

As fragile as a child;

She's trailing from life's hand

Feet barely touching earth

To leave footprints in the sand

Head up to keep from drowning

In a deluge of despair

She sways ever so slightly

to a song that isn't there

As she walks she searches 

Every set of wand'ring eyes

For someone who will save her 

From the dregs of darkened lies.

Selves laid bare before her

As she sees through all facades

But soul by soul is empty

And her hope, it slowly fades

Yet still she wanders onward

Stumbling; blameless, broken, beat

Slips sin-silent through a crowd

Just to feel their stolen heat

As she turns from face to face

Their blank eyes look right through her

Bit by bit she starts to feel

Perhaps there's nothing to her

Shaking, she drops to her knees

Amidst the crushing crowd

The silent scream inside of her

Bursts forth now, long and loud

They gather round and whisper

"Everything will be okay"

Then pin her arms against her sides

And carry her away

Her breath's a mere suggestion 

In her drug-assisted sleep

They have so many questions

But the answers lie too deep 

Reviews

[Ed Hart]

this write it smooth and captivating, and cuts into the soul...i love it when the form gets lost in the function...i didn't realize until a second take that the structure carrying the song has lines just so, and is held together by a parenthesis of rhymes

[Sorry Sits Here]

Great imagery in this poem. And the rhyme scheme is done precisely without becoming overburdening and stale. Once again great write

[asdarkeyesclose]

'She sways ever so slightly
to a song that isn't there'

Am always impressed by your rhyme, you keep it original. I liked that you broke this up in places, like with the first line ( I'm sure you can write iambics in your sleep) - your flow is very natural. The poetry is filled with sadness, it is painful to think of people suffering caught in a world of illusion, unable to communicate. This is obviously something you care about. Lovely poetry!