Rain batters the window

An apocalypse of sound

Trying to enter uninvited

Streaking down the glass

Obscuring my view

Hiding the world beyond

A world that once mattered

A world I'd always wanted to see

But a world that wouldn't accept me

I accepted their stares

I weathered their glares

And

In the awkward silence between words

I grasped at things to say

That ran

Like children playing tag

And I was blindfolded

Inside

The black cloth covering

My inner eyes

Placed there by me

But

It's also my inner eyes that see

Raindrops on glass

The window my own barrier

The storming rain

My own assault

The glares

And stares

Not really there

I sit

By the window

And I tell me

It's OK to be

OK to want

Or wish

Or have or hope or cry or laugh

At the top of your voice

From the top of the world

It's OK to be

Me

Do you ever feel as if you're looking outside and there's a storm trying to get in? Do you feel you're taking shelter inside yourself because, if you don't, you're being judged - even though, reason tells you no one is judging you at all. They don't see the struggle within. They don't see that, rather than them being judgmental, you're all the judge your jury needs.

They don't see because it doesn't occur to them. Not about you. Not about me. They see the smile and think it's all fine.

Do you ever imagine , if you could just step outside yourself, into that imaginary storm, it could - and wish it would - just wash you away?