• The slap of bare feet on pavement
    The roar of blood in my ears
    And the snarls of dogs on my tail

    Salty tears sting my split lips
    and small pebbles cut at my feet
    the deep breaths of frigid air burn my lungs
    but stopping is so much worse
    I see the dark road before me
    To one side, rock
    To the other, sky

    The dogs stop when I round the bend
    There's a light before me
    Freedom
    But They are there too
    Large muscled bodies hold flashlights and guns
    Sharp white teeth gleam in the light
    They are smiling

    Spinning I see more
    They're cocky, the know they have me caught
    They walk forwards, slowly
    For me it's death on every side
    Rocks, Them, or the sky

    But I won't let them have me
    I won't go back
    If freedom is death, then death is sweet

    In my last burst of strength
    I run towards the cliff
    In my mind, the men are gone
    And when my feet feel nothing
    So is the ground.

    Wind in my ears, shouts behind me
    My coat billows around me
    I take a deep breath unfurl my wings
    and Fly