I found this old collage from my college days and decided to write a poem about it. I hope it touches you =)
Raw Emotions
In a stifling room,
you hold your breath…
fighting for control
as you stagger and lean,
flailing your arms internally,
as your chest rises and burns…
It’s like you’re drowning
underwater, struggling
to breathe.
It’s like you’re a dying
engine, sputtering
but won’t start.
It’s like you’re a match
flickering and wavering,
struggling to be lit
at the mercy
of the wind.
An escape for air,
a little sniffle,
a single tear,
a tiny scream, a slight
hesitation…
No longer contained,
your head above water,
gasping for air…
The engine starts
and ROARS,
the match BURSTS
into flames.
All control is lost
as you SCREAM
in agony, SHRIEK
in pain, HOLLER
in madness
with tears
and snot
and drool,
HOWLING
like an infant,
like a toddler.
The world knows
you are not pretty.
You are not perfect,
only human
in the rawest sense.