Your Voice

You stand
With your lips sewn shut
And your heart cut open
Bleeding passion and compassion and
Falling
Just a little at a time.

Your hands in shackles,
Your eyes wide and radiant
You see the world as more than
The meeting grounds of
Heaven and Hell.

You, bound to silence by words you cannot speak;
You have been my savior.
I have heard your voice, and
It is strong.
I have seen you bleed and
Watched you fall
With a grace you pretend not to possess
And each time you have risen
Stronger still.

Let your shackles fall away.
The lacerations they leave in your skin will remind you
Of the beauty in your silence
And the strength you found in captivity.
Tear the stitches from your lips
And let your passions spill.

Your voice will change the world.