Poems (collection 1.0)

Rapunzel

She likes to hide in dark places
Where she knows nobody ever goes
And she finally lets herself cry
Tears leaving tracks all down her nose
She has to keep up an appearance
Always has an excuse for where she's been
So no one suspects her of weakness
She hides the wobbling of her chin
Her heart is big and soft and fragile
And vulnerability is her worst fear
So she keeps it locked up tight
And never lets anyone get too near
You think you might really know her
How she works both inside and out
But you'd be wrong in thinking that
Because it's only the mask you know about
Her mind is a deep, dark labyrinth
You'd never be able to find your way around
Because even she has gotten lost in there
And she is still yet to be found

"Hope is the thing with feathers"
But it does not flutter in her chest
No, it's been too long since the time
She put that bird to eternal rest
What keeps her going is not hope
It does not rise or fly or soar
It drags, claws, pushes, and pulls
It is fighting a relentless war
It is not good or strong or brave
And it is known to never give
It could be the fear of dying
Or just simply the desire to live
Either way it pushes her onward
Even on the most horrible days
When the cuts become too deep
She wraps them up in a haze
'Cause if she bleeds too much she knows
It would sap every bit of her life
So the stubborn beast inside her belly
Strives, and writhes, and gives her strife
But the fortress around her soul
Doesn't let in very much light
And the weak heart trapped inside
Is getting too weak to keep up the fight
It decays and molds and rots
Damp from so many shed tears
And it struggles for every beat
Grown weary after all the years
She's spent so much time decaying
She has forgotten how to grow
Even when seeds are planted in her heart
There's nowhere for them to go

She has been locked up in a tower
Hidden as well as she can be
She lays deep down in the dungeon
To which there is no key
You say "Rapunzel, Rapunzel,
Please let down your hair!"
But she cut off all of those golden locks
Without a single care
And you call "Rapunzel, Rapunzel,
I know that you're in there!"
But you hear nothing in response,
Not a single gust of air
Because she's convinced that this is it
That there's nowhere else for her to go
Even if she has the slightest doubt
She'd never let it show
Her heart that was once so warm
Has grown so very, very cold
And where it was once so full and young
It is now shriveled up and old
She guards it from the world
To protect it from getting hurt
But in the end she's the one
Who's walking all over it like dirt

Rapunzel is locked up in her tower
And won't let anyone inside
But there's really no reason
That she would need to hide
She's in a cage of her own making
Because she thinks she's on her own
When really it's her own fault
That she's been so alone
Because she's the only one
Who can let herself be free
No one else can do that for her
No one else can make her see
She just needs to open up
And realize her cage is unnecessary
Because you can't go your whole life
Always thinking everything is so scary
Bravery is not having no fear
It's stepping out despite it
Courage is just getting of the box
where you think that you fit
Because there's a whole world outside
Waiting for you to explore
And you'll miss it if you're like Rapunzel
And never open up the door
You can't wait for someone else
To find you and help you escape
You have to do that for yourself
'Cause not every hero has a cape
You are in control of your own life
No matter what happens to you
It's up to you to decide
What it is you're going to do
So give yourself a chance
To do everything you can
Because it's only when you get hurt
That you can really understand
Real happiness only comes
After all the sadness
Because then you'll never again
Take your joy for granted
Learn to live and to heal
After being broken so completely
Because that's how you get stronger
And learn how to fly free