An Old Acquaintance

Someone
a ten thousand years old
mute
and scared
woke me up last night.
It was between a disturbed evening
and a cold morning,
I was trying to sleep.

She was my master for the longest time,
she got calm when
I fed her what she asked for.

There were times
I was almost dead
or wounded and needed an escape.
Right then she wiggled her chains around
made noises
said No with the corner of her eyes,
Are you sure
you can?
Wouldn't it be scary out there, alone?
She made me late,
she made me miss my trains.

She waited for me
at every step in and out
of my room,
No, you are too alone
my dear
don't go, try
find someone to help you
try listening to them,
they love you.
You don't get love, hope
gods or civilisations, easily.

It took me so much time
to learn
I was tied to her.
Tired and scared of being lonelier,
each and every loop
of those knots
I thought I untangled
with patience.

But last night,
she came back to me

between a disturbed evening
and a cold morning;

the slave inside me
a ten thousand years old
mute
and scared.