The Animal In the Cage

The Animal In The Cage Locked in a cage Steel bars of my own making The floor lined with the bodies of those who came before Alongside the bones of those who conspired to harm me My fingers claw in desperation Ripping the flesh from the ends Exposing claws lost eons ago through evolution My teeth tear into the metal filing my mouth with orange powder Powder that corrodes my throat making it impossible to talk Impossible to scream or plead for my life Alas, the more I try to escape the smaller the cage becomes Compressing my hopes and dreams Shrinking any spirit or soul I may have left. Why would be owner of the cage treat me so? Men, women and children walk by my cage Pointing and laughing at the animal trying to escape They must know the pain I am in Maybe they can see past the hatred I feel Maybe they can see the torture it in my eyes All they have to do is look Maybe if just one person looked and saw the real me One bar would fade and I would be released Maybe I could be human again If only just one person took the time The time to see that the animal before them was a man If just…