Dusk and Daybreak

I am the contrast between dusk and daybreak. Calm on the outside, and stormy within. Wise, yet naïve. Untouched by the things of this world, yet affected all the same. -Paper. Hand me paper! I must record it all.- Sheltered from pain, yet hurting from invisible chains Certain, yet unsure which river to sail. -I said, please give me paper! Perhaps this pen will soothe me.- The straight one, or the one with bends? The mind says to take the high road, But the wild spirit yearns to break the mold and grab life by its ever-changing horns, To taste the thrashing foam and for once be free. Here’s the catch. Pressure. Pressure from all sides to continue toiling in that years-old harness, a contraption That “they” call safety. If I break from this cycle, the whip will crack, scathing My untouched smooth skin for the first time. The tip glides across the untouched white. Suddenly, I don't feel alone. Is this what I want? To be permanently altered? The high road is a guise. It bucks just as wildly as my unsettled spirit! There’s the invisible current, trying to tug me away from my heart. If I obey, I lose half of myself. If I turn away, my identity will be exposed to all. Protect it with every visible word. I must have faith that it is strong from enduring the invisible iron around my neck. But what if my entire being changes? Perhaps it’s not as bad as I think. Oh, an unnecessary mugging! I recoil into myself again. Perhaps it’s worse than I think. Fire, scorching and reproaching, burns inside and I must come out for cool air. A shooting! I flinch again, but hold myself steadfast. I must, or else the flames will consume me. I brace myself, leaning on my pen for support. Here comes the flogging. I gasp as my skin is broken. Pressure from all sides. I knew it was coming. Another slice. And another. But I am free! I turn on my master and snatch that dreadful device away. I have made my decision. Foreign music floats from down the bending river. It is more beautiful than anything Forced upon me. Children dance and play in the fields beside me. And then, my wisdom expands, engulfing old knowledge. The world is full of hate and crime, but there is a balance. I bandage my wounds with paper. The paper is now full. I welcome the scars for the price was small. Gone are my bonds. Gone is my mold, lying beside me sliced in half. I am the victor of dusk and daybreak. -Quick, hand me another sheet!-