no longer am I this little girl,
hiding in the corner of a
closet
that's never been opened

the exposure might kill me,
but then again,
I've spent my whole life preparing
for the escape
of my
mind

tired of living within myself, unable to scream
even when I'm alone in
my car

terrified of my own voice
and what it might be
capable of

but I never expected this stumbling block,
never heard it taught
in class

this black weight pressing my skin from all sides,
making me unable to think
or set my feet on the floor
in the morning

yet despite this scar mangling my baby-soft skin,
I'll try to rediscover
who I was
before

when getting out of the closet still
seemed like the most
of my worries

and I had no idea what it's like
to be homeless