Escape

The breath if the air whispers against me
A soft caress against bare skin
The night speaks to me
Calling me to come to it
I become brazen, bold

Yearning to be released from my bonds
I struggle within to no avail
The chains grip tighter
Biting into my being
Holding me like the jaws of a dog

I snatch at the empty air
A stream washes down my face
I look down at an empty forest
No leaf stirs, no animal scurries
The world frozen in time
Bark scratches against my face

I feel without feeling
My soul floats above my body
Rises above the forest
Twisting a furious tango with the wind
My heart stops beating

The forest comes to life
Its music sings to me
Accompanying me in my mad dance
Turning me around and round
Twining with the strings of fate

A miasma of madness
I give myself over
Losing myself in the melody
Lost in a sea of unconscious emotion
Displaced and pleading for escape

Lights float around my body
Wisdom, grace, and violence
The lights show brighter
Entering the shell of my body
I scream, once again I feel

My soul is washed in a purple glow
I am enraged
Woken from my daze
I snap back into my body
Then the siren wails

Quickly I run
Hitting bushes
Tripping over stumps and logs
I am blind, without sight
No direction
The animals lead me
Running eights through my ankles
Guiding me
Towards the freedoms of water
I plunge myself into its cold embrace

Immerse myself in its dark, shadowy protection
The siren is drowned out
My hair floats around me
I release my breath
Water fills my lungs
Burning fire spreads though my chest

Suddenly, I can breathe
My body changes
Legs merge
Fins cover, gills sprout
Then I am on my way again

Through the darkest hour
Swimming
Towards my freedom.