Teasing terrors fray the broken
 Heart of my promised dreams
 The difference of a fantasy
 Between bitter reality it seems
 Safety cannot be found in others
 Imperfect unaware expectations
 Love cannot be wished for
 Either freely given or push it away
 Gasping on thin air
 Trembling uneven thinner ground
 Quaking passionate hopes
 Dashed to shards with fears
 Scavenging through the bitter
 Dark corridors of a ravaged mind
 Terrified of what I’ll find
 Learning how to break free
 Caged in my jail cell canyons
 Splintered shards razor sharp memory
 Built from many years of violence
 Discovery of value in my self-worth
 C. Lin Rawlins June 22, 2019