The Stockholm Syndrome

Traumatized for eight years she wasn’t the same

Her features were wild and her demeanor was tame

Eyes full and staring into empty space

She aged in her body but hardly in her face

The characteristics were familiar, it had happened before

Over in Stockholm, in Sweden, hostages attached to captor

Captives were in a bank for six days, from August 23

Kirsten behaved like those people did back in 1973

Her obedience was astounding, it was only for him

Obsessed by his instructions, she trusted only Jim

Learnt what he had taught her over those years

Many nights during nightmares he had hushed her fears

She learnt to cook and care for him and never went outside

Youth snatched away and from others she learnt to hide

No daylight caught her eyes and no stars at night

Dog collar on her ankle taught her not to put up a fight

Rescuers pleaded with her to make that first step

Out in the open, across the door where she was kept

Night came, then the stars and a memory too

Eight years melted when she saw the room she once knew