Buried
your first breath filled your lungs with dirt
your insides felt hollow and empty
you clawed your neatly trimmed nails at the intricately
woven and hidden string that wired your mouth and eyes shut
free, you see the darkness that has swallowed you
you can feel your favorite watch, heavy on your wrist,
the one that you only wore for special occasions
you wiggle your fingers down to the silk tie,
too tight around your neck, and down to the metal buttons
you try to move to the left, but the tightness of your
cage forces you back down, to cross your hands,
like the well-behaved child you were in fifth grade,
but unlike the reckless adult who never wore his seatbelt
you press your hands to the roof of your confinement,
but the weight of the earth above you presses down, relentlessly