The
child’s appalled 
 - doubly so, 
trebly,
if
she discovers 
she
is seen to be 
still
a minor 
in
anyone’s eyes
-
e’en the law’s. 
She’s
offended that 
an
animal, 
an
innocent, 
has
been trapped, 
and
twice and more 
the
horror, 
that
it chewed 
its
own limb off, 
to
flee. 
The
child’s appalled 
-
all noise, 
and
bluster 
and
waving limbs, 
but
she has no clue, 
she’s
fed 
and
watered 
and
clothed 
at
other’s expense 
-
great expense; 
she
knows not, 
but
I do. 
Between
teeth of triple fronted 
brick
veneer, 
sprung
with that 
soul
destroying torture 
of
the 9 to 5 grind, 
the
hinge this inner city 
maze,
I know; 
I
know what it’s like 
to
want freedom, 
escape,
so
desperately, 
you’ll
gladly sacrifice 
a
limb, 
or
soul, 
or
maybe 
even
a
heart. 
Given
the desire 
it’s
not so hard: 
I’ve
already done so, 
out
of love, 
to
come here, 
be
here, 
and
do so much 
for
so many 
-
including 
for
the waving limbed one, 
but
now, 
now
the horror’s all mine
and
what I’ve become 
a
snarling, savage shadow, 
here,
cut
off 
from
all that 
the
trapped animal 
holds
dear. 
 
Copyright © Kayleen White, 2013 I undertake these writings – and the sharing of them – for the sake of my self expression. I am under no particular illusions as to their literary merit, and ask only that any readers do not have any undue expectations. If you consider me wrong, then publish me – with full credit, of course :)
 
