cogs in the machine

battled, bruised and brittle
mutinous knuckles start to swell
cuts on your face meet the frigid floor
is this my living hell?

you lose the ones you love the most,
the voice inside has won
are you happy my waves turned into tides
that crash from dusk till dawn?

I often wonder why shattered souls
begin this life behind
why innocent hearts and fragile minds
start broken with nowhere to hide

perhaps we’re not protagonists
of this haunting, timeless tale
are we simply cogs in the machine,
and some are meant to fail?

but even if that cog is stuck,
it’s never stuck for long
each soul’s a note, in tune or not
in time’s eternal song

I wrote this poem after my brief experience in a psychiatric hospital that provided a lot of perspective on my own mental health and the crippling system so many people are forced to rely on. Enjoy.