Drifting

I will be fine, I say, weaving the reluctant words
into a blanket of pretence I wrap around myself 
not noticing the shroud of silence that it has become

I see myself as a romantic recluse
turning my back on the harsh truths
that will illuminate the lies I tell myself

The seclusion I profess to embrace with such ardour
silently digs its fangs into me, filling me with venom 
that poisons the courage I need to get through each day

The walls I've built crowd menacingly around me
The solitude I once craved is suffocating
All I have done is set myself adrift in an empty world

© 2014 Uma Venkatraman ~ All Rights Reserved