Locked in my cage, I stare at the emptiness;
this very emptiness possesses my soul - 
we are one.

The months pass, as do the years, 
yet as time progresses, it loses all relevance. 
I sit here trapped in a recurring nightmare, never to awaken.
I feed on my own self-pity - 
I never hunger. I merely exist, 
captive in this asylum, biding my time; 
my sole gratification, inebriated isolation.

The door to my cage is ajar, as is often the case, 
yet it's pointless to leave; 
each journey leads me back 
to this God-forsaken realm of suffering and despair.

Long ago, I was free; 
I remember faces, smiling faces. 
A different me, in a different time - 
it was a time of fulfillment, of togetherness, of love. 
Then one day the fantasy ended, and I was here . . . 
but enough about the past; I must face my reality.

Distant voices race through my head, 
as I stave off insanity. 
But this time, the voice is real. 
Unsure of its origin, I feel my soul is not as cold; my burden lighter. 
Though I smile, I soon shiver in frustration.
Tears stream down my cheeks, 
as I cannot deny that the other voice is my own, 
as my rationality succumbs to my imagination.