Letter From the Outside

I know you probably won’t believe me, But I wanted to tell you something— Something you need to hear. I want to remind you that you were once free. You were free to imagine, to play, to think, Free to love and be loved, Free to simply be yourself, Free to share in all things beautiful. You were once a child of nature, Charged with its protection and care, But your mind has been corrupted, Your heart hardened. They have made you a slave, you see. I know you don’t want to hear it, But that’s what you are— A slave. You are a slave to greed and desire— To the men that exploit your body for gain, Who tell you nature is alien and distant, Who carve out your soul and fill it with plastic But none of this is your fault, you see. The shackles are so tight that you don’t even notice them, For they have become part of you though they do not belong to you, And somewhere inside you know this. Once in awhile you feel their weight, As they tug on your helpless body, Molding you, disciplining you, reminding you, That you are not yourself. You sometimes glimpse the chains of others, As they pull on your brothers and sisters, Forcing them into silent obedience, As they carry out the genocide of the Earth. But even if you don't believe me, I wanted you to know that you were once free, That you were once beautiful and happy, And that it’s never too late for you to change.