A Chained Man’s Dilemma

By Madhushree Sarkar

Another day spent agonizing over my pain,

Praying to obtain lost freedom that wasn’t meant for me,

And God turning a blind eye on my misery again,

And thinking that there was nothing better left to see.

But only until the day when everything changed,

When I saw an open door sure to lead me to freedom,

And seeing the piercing light that I hated, I felt amazed,

And when I thought I was free, I was faced with a conundrum.

If I were to break free from the chains that bind me,

If I were to let go and run away,

What would become of those who weren’t set free?

What would become of those who were forced to stay?

And here I was worrying about the cause of my misery,

The people whose burden I was tired of bearing,

And here I was thinking about keeping the same responsibility,

I called God inconsiderate for giving me.

For the first time, I saw their lives and mine as being intertwined,

And in doing so, I saw the burden that I must bear,

For the first time, I thought not with my heart, but with my mind,

And in doing so, I saw the heavy crown I must wear.

I may be able to live with the title of a coward,

But I can’t be someone who abandoned responsibility,

And maybe that is motivation to venture forward,

And maybe that is fate, absolute freedom is not my destiny.

And these chains that bind me may get rusted with time,

However, I will still not break free,

For if I do, the repercussions would be immeasurable in size,

And I’d be burdened by another weight despised by me.

By Madhushree Sarkar