Photo by nikko macaspac on Unsplash

Here again in this soulless place

No hope here, only process and shame

The ritual starts again, eyes gazing at others

Yes, my time arrives — bureaucracy at the ready

Read here, sign that, do you have the form?

A voice behind, a murmur erupts

Helplessness rises, tension grows;

I try to ignore, I just have to get out

Sign the form — bureaucracy done

Free for another two weeks, to make my own way

Emerging from the soulless place

Light splashes onto my eyes and I squint

The tension slows, the relief builds

I can be myself again, search for my own path

My own place in the world

October 2011