She breathed slowly
and waited patiently
as metal scraped against bone.
Harsh sounds battered her ears,
sparking hope in her breast.
She stretched her arms
through the bars,
in plaintive longing,
to ease men's furrowed brows.
The last drop of blood,
a rich, reflective pool
of ponderous meaning,
fell,
twisting through the air
like a feather from a great height.
It struck the dusty earth,
with a heart-wrenching thud,
breaking open the cage
whose door had rusted shut.
Freedom's song
poured through the lowlands
and filled up the highlands
like a flood
exploding from a dam.
It rent aged structures
to the ground,
shattering them to dust.
It opened Imagination's stalwart doors,
and rendered Evil laughable.
Hearts beat
like mustangs wildly racing
through a desert
on a starry night.
Boys and girls danced
with the lovely lady
on silver-white clouds.
Ink skipped joyfully across pages,
and paint boldly sprang from canvasses,
grabbing men by their suit coats,
waking them
from their dazed slumber.
Lady Liberty
ground Tyranny into the earth
with her velveteen shoe
and healed the wounds of the oppressed
with gentle fingers.
People blossomed
in rich prosperity.
When she lay down,
exhausted from her labors,
words flowed freely,
seedlings of happiness sprouted merrily,
and people throughout the land
rested in her loving arms.
At first,
men guarded Lady Liberty
with all the weaponry
they could muster.
They fought hand to hand
and from great distances.
Sometimes salty rivers
flowed down the faces
of family, friends, and strangers,
yet feet could walk
where their owners deemed to go,
thoughts could blossom
into realities,
and prisons
held only criminals.
But while the soldiers
risked life and limb,
Power crept into the land
under the cover of civility,
compassion,
and fair play.
He slipped about
from town to town,
pouring droplets of poison
into the water,
envenoming minds
and distorting hearts.
Only a handful
saw the flash of lightning
and its resounding crack
as Power clapped
a delicate bracelet around
Lady Liberty's beautiful wrist.
She looked into his eyes in dismay
as he smiled wickedly
and the people
danced in oblivion.
Whenever Power
piped his melodious tunes,
ears pricked up in anticipation;
women flirted in their finest clothing,
men wore gold and flashed diamonds,
and children,
the dear children,
became monotonous parrots,
full of vim and vigor.
Only a few cried out
in alarm as Power fastened
chain after chain onto Lady Liberty,
leadening her feet.
Most laughed at those fools,
dismissing them
without considering
the blood
that had watered the battle fields
for the sake
of freedom.
One day,
the blazing sun rose,
illuminating the downtrodden
men and women
who chanted warped words
that Power had scorched
into their minds
from the time
they were babes
as the price
for his promises.
And Liberty, Lady Liberty,
lay on the dry, cracked earth
unable to move
under the burden
of her chains,
while the children
of parents
brave and true
whispered words
of emancipation
and prepared to
win her freedom
once more.
Reviews
No reviews yet.