Breaking the Chains of Judgment

In the shadow of a badge, I’m walking on a line,

Counting every second, but I can't call this time mine.

Tuesday came crashing, heart heavy with despair,

Said a few kind words, but I felt her cold glare.

Every paper pushed, every rule that I bend,

Just another task on a list, I'm left to pretend.

Loneliness creeping, it's eating me whole,

Thoughts of escape whispering into my soul.

A probation officer that's tightening the noose,

Feels like I'm drowning, with no way to choose.

Back off, back off, can’t you see I'm breaking down,

Every visit, every word just feels like I’m drowning.

A number in the system, but I’m trying to heal,

I’m more than a crime, can’t you see it's real?

Echoes of lies linger like ghosts in my mind,

Falsely accused, left in this prison unkind.

The shadows can’t hide, and they know my name,

In a system that’s broken, I’m stuck in this game.

Flashbacks are calling, they haunt me at night,

Wishing for silence, craving for light.

All she cares about is the paper she's signed,

While I'm just a story that’s lost in her mind.

Back off, back off, can’t you see I'm breaking down,

Every visit, every word just feels like I’m drowning.

A number in the system, but I’m trying to heal,

I’m more than a crime, can’t you see it's real?

But I’m gathering pieces, I’ll rise from the fall,

Not just a statistic, I’ll reclaim it all.

So hear me now, I'm stronger than before,

This weight I’m carrying won’t keep me from more.

So back off, just let me breathe and find my way,

I’m more than your case file, I refuse to decay.

With every step forward, I’m breaking these chains,

I’ll find my freedom, release all this pain.