We live in the shell of The Self
And breathe in the breath we breathe out
We listen to the voices in our head                                                                                                  And speak no words.

She wastes away playing solitaire
You stare at the white walls of your cage
He blows his brains into paperwork
They all dream of birds.

I avert my eyes from the grim reality
But suffer visions of underwhelming truth
I ache lonely and howl to humanity
Who goes by silent in herds.

I hear no voices other than my own
I inhale no air other than my own bitter bile
You refuse to come out of your-self's shell
And I have no pronouns for my verbs.