Slavery

The pictures painted are of collar chains,
Of black oiled skins and dirty nails,
Of half-naked men and grungy hair,
Of loads to carry physical and mental.
Of Black is the slave and White is freedom.

You might think slavery is long gone.
The 21st century is of freedom and rights.
But lo! The chains have been rebranded.
The nails and skin are well polished and oiled.
Colour is still debatable depending on where you travel.

Your lense defines your view of the world.
To be a slave is not being locked up but limiting yourself.
You still can lock up yourself and be ruled by the unknown.
Every fear that controls and bounds your action is your master.
Every obedience to fear is slavery.

We do not know how to live free.
Going through life pushed and following orders.
Scared and living with our heads down.
Shutting any idea that our brains think.

Life pushes people who do not think for themselves.
If you cannot dare defy the rules already set,
Are you not a slave?
If you are not free internally or externally.

If your wishes cannot become a reality,
If you are cannot free yourself from stress, debt or addictions,
If you are not free to be who you want to be
Political, physical or financial freedom is not 100%.

“I bargained with Life for a penny,
And Life would pay no more,
For Life is a just employer,
He gives you what you ask,” Jessie Belle Rittenhouse