I remember,
As probably everyone does,
The days when the dark men were kept in cages-
Cages only fit for dogs.
I remember that cage
I remember how hard it was to breathe-
For in it there was no air.
And on its walls were stains of blood-
From the times I had tried to break out.
Around my chest was locked a weight-
A heavy ball and chain.
While I hated the ball,
Made of a silent cold blackness.
I treasured the golden chain.

And there was a longing
That hung about that place-
To be perfectly equal, perfectly different.

I remember you,
For you’re a man hard to forget.
While others banged against the walls,
And violently shook their cages,
You calmly but strongly sang.
You sang songs of dreams and justice,
That caused those both inside and outside
To stop and listen.
And your voice weakened the barriers.
But you were warned,
“Dreamer, you’re done,
We’ll have no more of your songs.”
So you looked at me,
In your hand was a key.
You told me it would help me reach my longing.
You said,
“You need to breathe.
You need to get out of this cage, run up there
And breathe in some fresh mountain air.
But most of all, you need to unlock that weight,
The one squeezing your heart.”
“Take this key,”
You then told me.
“But to free yourself of that burden,
Will require all of your strength and
All of your faith,
That you must remember.
For I’ve seen where you’ll get
And what it takes to get there.
And I can’t go with you.”

And as we were warned,
Your songs were silenced.
Now the longing that hung about that place-
To be perfectly equal, perfectly different.
Caused us to fiercely shake
Those condemned cages.
The walls fell to pieces,
And I was free!
I grabbed hold of the ball and chain and ran.

I ran,
Higher, higher, higher.
I ran until I found a village,
Half way up the mountain.
And I decided to stop there,
To set down the weight I carried,
And rest.
It was then that the mayor found me,
And welcomed me into his town.
He saw the key,
You had given to me,
And with a broad sweep of his hand,
Pointed out that there was no need of a key such as that,
For here all of the people,
Like me,
Had a weight locked around their hearts.
So I threw the key over my shoulder,
For I thought I found a place to be equal.

But I became fat and spoiled on,
Having equal,
Equal shares, equal titles, equal things
And I forgot about the melodies behind your songs
I forgot about the promise land.
I spent my days admiring the way
My golden chain looked in the sunlight.
And all the while the ball at its end
Grew larger and harder to move.

And the longing still hung about me-
To be perfectly equal, perfectly different.

Then one day I tripped over that ball,
Landing flat on my face.
When I opened my eyes,
I saw your key.
It was so dirty and bent,
I doubted that it would still work.
And if it did,
Was I willing to give up my golden chain?
I picked up the key,
And left the village,
But I could not find my way.

Now I sit upon this mountain,
Lost, without a leader.
And I wonder if you are
Disappointed in your student.
For although, I can breathe in the fresh mountain air,
I am too weak and scared to use the key-
The key that will unlock my heart,
And make them and I
Perfectly equal and perfectly different.