I sit on the spotless bed
in the spotless house
that was never
a home,
in the city
in the world
that has trapped me in chains.
I do not let the moment linger
my last moment as a prisoner.
The pebbles hit my window,
that is my signal.
I open up the window
and look down.
My breathing stops, my pulse quickens,
not because of the height.
There he is,
standing halfway in the darkness,
halfway in the moonlight
that illuminates his
dark eyes
dark hair
dark clothes
my dark angel.

I use my arms to pull myself on the ledge
and flex my body
as I swing my legs over.
I shift my weight,
ready to jump.
I take a deep breathe
and let myself fall.
The wind yanks
my long golden hair
like society yanks at my life
and I am weightless
I am flying
I am free-
finally.
I fall in his arms,
the arms that always catch me.
We stand still for a moment,
but we know there is no time.
He reluctantly pulls away
and asks, "Are you ready?"
Yes, I am ready,
ready to leave the place
where we are told
what to do,
what to think.
I nod my head and we run.

We reach the fence,
that tall, metal structure
looks more intimidating at night,
dull gray under the full moon,
rather than glinting in the fire of the sun.
We are at the barrier,
almost in the wild that is seen
beyond it,
and beyond this so called
"civilized world."
My hands on the wire
I lift my foot up
jam it in a loop
and strain my arms
as I pull myself up.

Suddenly
there are shouts,
there is light:
we freeze.
Fear flashes in his black eyes,
but then it is gone,
for we are almost free,
almost at the top-
BAM
and he falls down,
red flowing across his snow white body,
I fall after him.
And before we hear the final shot,
he smiles
and I smile back
because we beat the system,
because we escaped,
because
we
are
free.