Cold and hard,
The metal holds me.

Permitting the fear,
The sadness,
And the hopelessness.

I never guessed,
I would be stuck.
That I would scream,
My throat burning,
Tears streaming,
As you walked past me.

Past my cage.

I never thought,
I would be scared,
So scared,
That when I saw you,
I would quail,
And my insides would go cold,
And my tears burn my face,
And my sobs burn my eyes,
And my heart burn my chest,
And my love freeze and shatter.

Because I know you don't know.
You don't know and you don't care.
Because all you do is walk past.

And stare.

Past the bars of my cage.