Invisible - a poem

Invisible

Your mind a prisoner,
held hostage by fear,
dreading to reveal
the world within,
your authentic self.

A feeling of walking
into an unlit tunnel
that seems to never end, 
yet the soul pleads, 
screaming to be heard,
at times silenced
by paralyzing bouts
of the thought of rejection 
or being judged and doubt
that your words aren’t
worthy of speaking out, 
that no one will care
to hear them out.

But you still try, haunted 
by the feeling of isolation, 
knowing others know 
that you are there,
but amongst them
you feel alone, as though 
one with the shadows
in which you stand— 
near yet distant, apart,
a silent observer seeing 
the passing flow of life,
not taking in it a part. 
Invisible to the world 
beyond the closest few, 
their encouraging words 
echoing within and joining 
the growing inner chorus 
that is your courage 
strengthening, nearing 
the point of no return 
when the seemingly 
insurmountable mountain
of fear is overtaken
as you push out
a brick in the wall
dividing your world
from the worlds of others—
the structure weakening, 
incessant thoughts
momentarily ceasing,
the relief of releasing
an unbearable pressure.
A realization, your soul laughing— 
the mountainous
fears becoming hills.
Within the tunnel
a dim glow appearing—
in the distance a light.

This poem appears among twenty-five others in my self-published book Something to Believe In, available at iUniverse, Chapters Indigo, and Amazon (USA, Canada, & UK).

Thank you, 

Bolko Rawicz