Escape

Soft contours of your ribs flawlessly ripple
Little, brittle limbs bent like young trees in the wind
Your round, shaven head bejewelled with sweat
Skin stretched over bones like the canvas of an unpainted masterpiece

Muddy birds of paradise patiently stand guard
Wise midnight eyes watch over and wait
For your minerals to be returned to the earth
And then this black-winged angel will carry you away
Up into an endless crystal blue
Painless and limitless, an eternity of freedom
Loose of your silvery shackles
Desire and fear caged in your skeleton

Though we are appalled by your suffering
Though we offer a silent prayer
Though we cry for the loss of a child we’ll never know
It won’t be long before we meet you there