I'm held hostage in my mind.
Too many days I have died.
For every flower, there’s a flame,
For every sleepless night, there’s a meaningless day.
I've been numbed with pain.
I don’t feel anything I have gained.
Heart placed in the casket,
Mind in the fire.
They have wrapped me with barbed wire.
Here lies the soul of the soulless creature,
She’s too sad to see who impeached her.
I’ve lost everything I've held to my hand,
The one covered in scars I’ve made using glass found in the sand.
I’ve seen more tears than words.
I’ve turned them into gourds
Ones that I place on my head,
And try to balance as I bend.
Down to society's standards,
Down to my perfection seeking,
Down to my depression whom I love,
Down to every person who has hurt me before.
I’m held hostage in my mind.
Keertana Sreekumar is an internationally competitive artist and writer. Her artwork has been exhibited in the Hayward Gallery, a national endangered species foundation, and wildlife restoration organizations. She has aspirations of publishing her poetry collection in the upcoming fall. She is 13 years old and attends seventh grade at Pine Valley Middle School in San Ramon, California. When she is not writing or drawing at her studio, she enjoys reading poetry and pondering life's biggest questions.
