Have You Ever

Have You Ever

Have you ever stood in a cell,

your socks sponging up the blood

that pools at your feet as it pours

from the wounds on your body?

But not all that blood is yours.

Your shoes have been taken away,

lest you use the laces.

Your belt has been taken away,

lest it can tighten around your throat.

Your dignity has been taken away,

lest you feel somewhat human;

Ignored.

Alone.

Pacing,

as you try to calm down.

Leaving sticky oval footprints

on the cold unforgiving concrete.

 

Have you ever been arrested

after being attacked?

When retaliation wasn’t a want,

it was a need;

To ensure your survival.

The handcuffs are too tight,

yet the blood flows from your fist,

your arm,

your neck,

your head.

Bundled into a cage on a car,

amongst flashes of blue and red.

You fought back;

You must be guilty.

 

Have you ever had a bottle broken upon your head?

Hearing the pop before feeling the slice,

jagged glass tearing at your soft skin

as it is pulled down

from scalp to neck.

There’s a vital network of veins and arteries there,

but no one seems to care;

Even yourself.

Rage has filled every part of your being;

Rage at being attacked

cowardly from behind.

Rage of the survival instinct kicking in.

 

Have you ever been caught up in a fight,

of which you know not who,

or why,

or what?

But you’re there,

wrong place, wrong time.

It’s nothing to do with you,

but it’s an emotion fuelled frenzy.

You don’t know where to go,

it’s all around you.

There’s nowhere to run and hide.

There’s no reason to stand and fight.

 

Have you ever had a few too many drinks

and made a bad choice?

By J. Barrett