Mine

Click… click… click… Oh, that’s better. Strap me down, tie me tight, Tell yourself you’ll sleep tonight. Leather bubbles, little chains, Funny how they break the same. White walls, white coats, white lies— I watch the hundred brave men try. You call this “pace,” a piece of care? Then why’s everybody scared in here? I don’t scream, I don’t beg, I don’t need to raise my head. You keep talking, I keep still— Darling, you can’t hold me if you will. But you should probably let go. Mine. That one’s mine. Keep them close and keep them fine. This one’s sweet, that one’s shy, And that one always asks me why. Mine. Don’t you touch. I don’t think you’ve earned that much. You can run, you can hide— But I do so hate to lose what’s mine. Mine. Not a little place for you. A little corner with a lovely view. You like that quiet you fit right in? You like the fight we can begin? I collect the loss, the strange, the small, The ones nobody comes to call. Some bite, some cry, some never speak, Some guess stronger every week. I learn their names, I learn their fears, I learn which ones have stayed for years. You say they’re people, not possessions— Of course they are. People can be precious. Another night, another tattooed gun, Funny how the world keeps carrying on. No big speech, no warning cry— I just look at you and wonder why. Why are you shaking? Why are you pale? Why do you think that little door will save you without fail? Go berserk. Not a step. Not a show. Not a lock. Not a lock. Just a shadow you already know. Mine. That one’s mine. Keep them close and keep them fine. This one’s sweet, that one’s shy, And that one always asks me why. Mine. Don’t you touch. I don’t