In my nightmares
I can never speak
No protest breaks my lips
I sit sentinel silent
Tongue tied up in tape
In my nightmares
My tear ducts lay vacant
I hear steel cuffs clasp
Cinching virtuous wrists
But the well remains dry
In my nightmares
My words read martian
I chisel bloody murder
And request a reprieve
They say I’m a great artist
In my nightmares
Any sound from my mouth
Sounds like a stranger
So I stay silent
While I duct tape my lips
Eight Eight