six paces.
the length
of the rope
left me to hang
the remains of my
humanity,
yellowed cinderblock walls
canvas for narration
of unhappy endings.
inset fluorescence
glared down; i
glowered up,
voiceless fists
on concrete bars
in subtly shouldered
rage.

they told me later
it was nothing, just…
justice, this:
a little
girl
in a little
cell
losing life
a little

at a time.

this poem also published @ Poets for Human Rights