(no subject)
I approached the master with nary a whine,
Though my arms were bound and over time
Had swollen and oozed from wounds beneath;
Shackles held both of my feet.
He looked at me: "Child," he said with a sigh.
"Woman," I righted, to which he replied:
"Child you are and shall always be.
What gives you the right to come up to me
And act like a fool, chains and all.
Despite your captivity, you've got gall.
Born to obedience, a struggling home,
I'm surprised you didn't end up alone.
Your life was first orange, like dawn after war.
Their wounds were still fresh and feeling sore.
That bright, oozing light carried through
Til age five, when you started school.
Bright red turned your life with gusto for learning
But the people you met set your guts churning
And aching for want to just stay at home.
Again, it's a wonder that you're not alone."
"Dear Master," I said with a clash of my chains,
"You forget the friends I met in those days
And still hold close, despite the distance
And change of personas and habits between us.
True that my learning has caused me dismay
And even when my life turned gray
The lessons I learned remain with me still,
Like 'please' and 'thank you' and 'yes, m'am, I will.'
Like courtesy and manners, then dealing with strife.
Those are the lessons from my early life."
"What about greed, envy, and sloth?"
Master said, "These sins you almost forgot
To mention. How could you? You use them each day."
"Errare humana est," I started to say.
My chains gave a clatter and started to crack.
"Wrong," said my master, "And what you most lack
Is acceptance of mortality: it's not an excuse.
You're human and must face the results of abuse.
Youre life turned to green, and through such a facade,
The calm of the water turned out all for not.
You gave up the thing which could have made you succeed.
But you turned away. No one wanted you to leave."
"Tell me then, Master, if I am so wrong
To leave something that hurt and preyed me so long.
I refuse to dwell in things of the past
After my lesson. That time has passed."
"What do you -want-?!" Master finally shouted.
"Just for you to know that you're finally outed.
You've done your job well and I've learned things, you see,
Like courage and empathy and humility.
My chains, they are breaking of their own accord,
So I take that as signal to mean no more.
Time for my life and time to move on.
I thank you and will reflect after I'm gone
Of the people who put me here today."
I dropped all the shackles and walked away.
"Child..." he murmured from habit for sure,
Then: "...Woman," he corrected. I walked out the door.
In other news...
I feel really happy about graduation. Like, I really never thought this day would come. I thought I would be the little girl forever.
And now, I'm grown woman wearing an incredibly hot red cocktail dress.
Woopwoop to me.
And props to Eric for winning that prize. :)