The Roommate
Black pools ripple in her eyes
Dilated spheres of emptiness
Proof that she’s gone again
She often does this
Invoking her own insanity
With those little white pills
She is home
She is what I come to each night
She is screaming, lies, and rage
A beast sleeping but three feet away
Only an arm’s length of space
Keeping me from her storm
But I’ve adapted
A fearless, empty face
An icy, steady voice
These keep me safe in danger
To feel would mean death
As the animal she becomes
Feeds on honesty and openness
I’ve learned to live here
I’ve learned to battle
I’ve learned to hide
I’ve learned to survive