Buried To Belong You hide the parts they said were wrong, You mute your voice, suppress your song, You bend your shape to fit their eyes, And trade your truth with a disguise. You wear the mask, you play the role, Let silence slowly take its toll, You shrink your fire, dim your might, You learned that “safe” was laced with fright. Their voices echo in your head, Long after every word was said, You build your cage from past regret, Mistaking safety for a net. The lies you learned to keep you small, Now guard the edges of your wall, A prison built by hands once tied, But now it’s you, who stays inside. You chase the same familiar pain, Mistake the comfort for the chain, And all that’s kind, and fierce, and free Can not reach parts you won’t see. The things you fear, they’ll think or say Are ghosts you feed to block the way. What once was done, is done, and yet You reenact what you regret. But pain repeated is a choice, And silence steals your true st voice, You forged the chains to feel secure, Yet wonder now what else is pure. So here you are, will you see clear? Will you still walk with shame and fear? Or will the hidden parts step out Uncaged, unmasked, and free from doubt?     Cathrine Hottran 2025