Poetry- "Untitled 3"

[Pan]

When the world holds me captive

Within its snarling teeth 

My humanity creeps up,
Grasps my trembling feet

Who am I? I ask the silence

Who are you? They echo violence

And I tear off strips of skin to feed them

Hungry lips sucking the marrow from my bones

Still I shudder, try to reach them

But the sinew hums an aching tone

Will you love me? I beg the noise

Who will love you? Beats the void

And I am lost into the twisted

Gnarled wire digging deeper

“Please!” I cry aloud 

Our animal voices lowly growl

And we call ourselves better

While crawling on the floor
Two legs changed the view

The view didn’t change the cage
I’m trapped inside these ribs

This skin encases pain

Water does comport thee!

Oh, drinker at the well

So much poison in the bucket

No stomach there to swell

“I am hungry” I mumble weakly 

“You are starved” they laugh aloud

Gorging on my body 

I try hard to hold my ground

“I am strong” I declare firmly

“You are strong” they mimic what I lack

How strange the things we say 

When the beast looks, 

... Sees itself looking back