Yes she said
To the conductor of her life
Of course I will do what I am told
If I don’t I will get beaten
To death
Or have my throat slit
So she hid away and did
What she was told
All day long
Until she was battered
And bruised
Inside
For all the harm they did to her
Spirit
That could not even breathe
Always tempted to come out
And whisper a few words
Or shout
But they gagged her till
Her throat was sore
It was too painful to speak
She buried her voice
Under her pillow
Until a time when
It was safe to come out
Yet when the time came
For the gag to be taken off
She was so alarmed
So afraid
So hurt and betrayed
She screamed and yelled
Until the glass smashed
Til the wanton girl
Came out of the closet
And dared to utter a word
That was heard across the mountains
Love
She wanted love
They would not let her ask
For that
She hadn’t dared
She whispered at first
Then shouted
Until her throat became sore
Once more
She was heading for death
Along the highway
So she could escape
From all harm
Of her physical body
Yet the highway was blocked
Trapped on a road
Leading to death
And death told her to return
Go backwards to life once more
Try it all again
Another way
This time make it better
Let the shackles loose
Make amends and try to capture
The lost voice
Of yesterday
Tell it to speak
Not too late now
But yesterday it was
Now the spell is broken
Time to live
She turned towards life
And was afraid
Of its offerings
Of torture
Of remorse
But the torture
Chamber had vanished
The weapons put away
Into another time
The last remains of
Servitude
Were drifting away
Into the sea
You see
So she braved the journey backwards
Into life
And saved herself
And others
Who were all trying to cross the
Great ocean of despair to
Reach
Another land
And many made it
Some did not
She was given
The gifts of armour
Sword and shield of
Excalibur
And a voice
Set free
She swam and rode
On a great white shark
And sauntered
Into life…