Trapped.  Caged behind the bars of my mind.  A wild animal.  I thrash around violently, in a pitiful attempt to escape.  I watch in loathing as the world roams around free.  A terrified beast, untamed. Wild. Barbarian.  Once.  Someone opened the door. First, unsure, I timidly stepped out.  Revealing a dark, sinister side of me I have never seen before.  It was exhilarating. The freedom, after years of  living trapped in the shadows, I roared in triumph.  I was powered by a mystical force, of which I did not fully understand.  But this rebirth also brought forth repercussions.  My friends grew afraid of me. I became afraid of myself.  Not knowing what I was capable of, I looked for a way out. Alone, I was unsure of what to do.  So, I crawled back into my cage, looked back, and with a single tear in my eye, I slammed the door shut.  My sanity echoing through my head.  Turning my back on my short–lived freedom I drifted off alone.  But then she found me. A true goddess of beauty.  Drawn to her, she glowed with a heavenly light. Reaching for her hand, she looked looked past my many faults, gave me a second chance, and guided me to a new life.  She taught me love, patience, and kindness towards others.  I am, because of her, a better person.  I will never be able to truly repay her. But I try.   She may not see it, but she is the true "diamond in the rough."  One of a kind.  There is no one else like her.  The rarest and most precious of them all.  I don’t know what I do to deserve such a special person like her.  But, everyday, I thank God for sending her to me, and for guiding me out of that dreary place.  I have seen both Heaven and Hell.  And when we are together, I know I’m very close to Heaven.  Her laugh. Her smile. And that look of love in her eyes that pierces my very soul. But I have nothing to hide.  For who would hide from an angel?  Not I.  And though the wrong people continually abuse it, three words can sum up how I feel.  I love you.  And I do.