Human Rights

slaves around me, slaves everywhere, I am myself a slave, slave to scares. bound by chains unseen, in prisons without walls, enslaved by beliefs from births, tutored to worship, trained to fear, insecurities of life, in ever peril of death, slaves we are, to centuries of lies! branded by hot irons of culture, whipped by rules of social laws, hand fed as reward for obedience, persecuted for insolence, slaves we are, slaves all of us! born free, born free, naked and free, but slaves within weeks with a name, a religion to tow, a world to know, freedom lost, slavery begins, at the very threshold of school with education! the books are false, they do not teach my soul, only the body to work and be a slave, why kneel in fear? in fear of God? when I have not sinned, I have hardly lived at all!! Slaves at work, slaves in marriage, through childhood, to the end, we have created a purgatory of our own! what of human rights? if we are just allowed to be human, that would be right! Written 05 December 2021 Honourable mention Human rights poetry contest Robert James Liguori sponsored