Poem: A Slow Alarm

A Slow Alarm
by Britnie Campbell

I feel hopeless and alone today
and in my bottle
the carbonation build up
ready to explode
a slow leaking the only salvation
it hisses softly, never ending
barely making a difference
it leaves me drained but
the pressure still rises
fills me up and pushes me outwards
how much can the glass walls of my body contain
until it shatters and I
implode
explode
the weight of your expectations
crushing me
the shattered glass ground to dust under your foot
my soul aches
the hissing so loud that it has become
background noise
unheard by human ears
there is no fire escape
no safety exit
the walls of my home held together only
by the sheer force of my will
tension high
muscles tight
I try to rebuild my sinking ship
the hissing of the leak
a fire alarm that nobody noticed
my siren calling for help
the car alarm in the city neighborhood
in the dead of night
while my car is broken into
and everyone hears but
nobody checks to find out if it was truly
a false alarm.
my heart, broken and aching,
holding hands with my will to survive
and knowing
that I will get through this
because I always do
bruised and bleeding
hope that has been wrung dry.
the question
barely a whisper
but still asking:
what will survival cost me this time?

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5/11/2020 update: corrected a typo