What must he be thinking, alone and chained
Bloodshot eyes gazing beyond the steel bars
Of a cage littered
By feces and dried urine?
Have you ever wondered how it feels
Feeling no self-pity,
Tamed to serve, nothing more
Than a machine that barks
Brainwashed to protect a total stranger
At the minimum wage of a pat in the head?
How his heart must have swollen beyond words
At the thought of being kept alive
Until of no further use
And to follow one’s urges and impulse
Is subject to whips
Violating no rights?
At the refuge of ignorance
You can’t even question
The survival of the fittest
And how you’re just a trash
An expendable safety precaution?
As you feel something crawling
Beneath those furs of youth
Can you still hope for water
A kind master washing your back?
When you thirst and hunger,
Can you still wait patiently
For the master to feel like feeding you
Even for once in a day?
When short life is at its twilight
As butchers sharpen their blades
To serve you
For an incoming birthday,
Can you still hope for afterlife
In a heaven of a merciful God?
Not too merciful to vanquish
Any hope of vengeance against his people?
If reincarnation is true, then
I don’t want to be man’s best friend
For to be so close to those demons
Is an undeserved hell.
Call me gutless, call me pathetic
Tell me, “It’s just the way things are”
It’s so easy for lucky hypocrites
To speak and take things for granted
Grinning,
Sighing,
When standing safe
On the other side of the fence!
