she sat quietly
her feet draped over the bed
but never touched the floor
staring at the bleak walls
that surrounded her
the ones that closed her in
from the world

from herself
day in day out
three times a day
they came in
they left
they never got her to speak

all she did was sit. stare. breathe.

they knew to leave her alone

they stopped caring
her skin grew paler
her hair longer
her bones weaker
but she was still warm
she was still alive
despite everything she has gone through
she was still alive
yesterday, she moved
they began to see her as living
instead of dead
they saw she is human
too
today, she speaks
and leaves their cynicism behind
to escape the walls that closed her in
and trade them in for no walls to hold her in

where she is alive

where she is free