Caged Storm

Dark clouds are the first to arrive,

making the world seem gray.

I watch as they blanket the sky.

I wonder if they’ll stay.

My mind is fogged and thoughts are blurred

when the clouds move inside.

I know what is in store for me,

yet have nowhere to hide.

After the first strike of lightning,

the rain begins to fall.

I know I’m at it's mercy now.

There’s no more time to stall.

I watch myself start to break down

as lightning strikes once more.

When tears start falling thick and fast

I know it’s a lost war.

Thunder claps echo through my head,

but I just let them rage.

My brain turns to a stormy cloud

locked in a keyless cage.

Body aching as the storm churns,

I seem to choke on air.

My breathing is sharp, piercing my

lungs. Nothing can compare.

I let the clouds engulf me whole,

knowing they cannot tame.

Another day I lose myself

with no one else to blame.

Thunder cracks once more as I lie

in the midst of it all.

I let the storm beat down on me,

my body feeling small.

Thoughts begin to mimic the clouds,

turning my mind cold, gray.

Soft tears continue down my face,

a graceful rain ballet.

I know I can’t break through the storm.

I know I can’t be free.

How does one change something that is

impossible to see?