The world has changed in the blink of an eye,

My eyes are opened wide,

Seeing the world through a secret filter,

So different and surreal.

The lights are now the stars,

In this beautiful wonderland,

People around me laugh

as I smile and throw back my head.

The outside world forgotten,

Just wanting to be still,

Floating in the freedom,

the worries are behind me.

I can see the city's pulse,

Waves upon the pavement,

Glowing with the energy,

of a quiet neon sign.

In a crowded room,

I hear voices which surround me,

I cannot understand them,

What happened to the quiet?

Replaced with confusion,

The laughter is not welcome,

I try to escape,

but in this maze I am a captive,

 A Continuous Trip

Distance gives some peace

to this paranoid confusion,

It yearns for one thing only,

and that thing is not here now.

My feelings have turned sour,

and my mood's below the clouds,

The quiet is uncomfortable,

I am very cold.

Will this journey ever end?

I am lost and very small,

As I watch the world go by,

The truth is in my face.

Crouching in the corner,

Waiting for that place,

The feeling I must have,

Finally coming near,

My body is uncurling,

My feet have met the ground,

I greet what I can almost touch,

The serenity that I crave,

The warmth that wraps around,

telling me I am safe,

and here I'll stay 'til morning,

That cloudy dismal day.

Barbara Busch
1998