PRISON WALLS

I'm in prison
jail, incarcerated
No, not with three brick
walls and one
of iron bars
but prison nevertheless
I can walk around, go where I want
I could travel the world
You can't see the walls
and you don't have to sign in
to see me, or get frisked
for security reasons
But I'm still in prison
the prison of the mind
I know the dimensions
yes I've paced it off
God, I've been here long enough
The walls are high and strong
but not made of anything
that man can physically breakthrough
they're made of fear and betrayal
My cell is cluttered, furnished with
anger, hate, responsibility, unrequited love,
lack of trust, but the need to belong
fights against the need to be free
the need to be me
Oh, I can see the outside world
through my small window
and sometimes what I see makes
me feel safe in prison
sometimes the walls start to crumble
and I reach out to grasp the hand waiting
but then something happens to stop me
and the walls become as thick as a mountain
Right now the walls are growing wider, stronger, thicker
endless.