Checkmate

She was living in a little box, she knew

Putting people into checkered black and white grounds

Ticking and crossing off those unending lists

Massaging her temples, taking shallow breaths

Rummaging through the cold room

Searching for something-- anything

The pictures of happy faces crash down

Checkmate

She was consuming caffeine like oxygen

Walking amidst red lights and screeching sounds

Her ears bleeding like her heart

The office blurring into the background

The shouts and insults melting into a haze

She knew there was more noise in her head than on the streets

The lights dim out

Checkmate

Crowded streets hung with an air of lonesomeness

Tall dark building shrouded against pale skies

Even the sweet birds have turned to black ink

Seeping into her soul

The city has caught on fire as she walks on

The laughter dies down

Checkmate

Her face white like her thin bedsheet

The bright light too painful for her

The house dark cold and numb

The bed all crinkled up

In the moonlight, her empty eyes glisten

The colors die out

Checkmate

The world around her now black and white

Listen to the song of hopelessness

Checkmate