escape?

40 years  
of hell  
each day excruciating  
long  
 
here  
he said  
he don't belong  
   
belong he had to  
as there was  
no other way  
out  
   
till that day  
   
that very special day  
where he awoke  
to no scorching sun  
no falling skies  
 
no lashes on back  
chest or arms  
no berating screams  
no kicks to the gut  
nor to the nuts  
   
simple  
plain  
blank  
emptiness  
of the right kind  
 
yelled  
where am i?  
is this a dream?  
or am i dead?  
or this some kind of a sick joke?  
  
there were no replies  
none.  
 
welcome  
to the  
life  
behind the stonewall
.