We Are Dead

The winged reaper caws

laughing

in a world with no color.

They fly away like free men

as the screech of metal scrapes

against cracked stone

footsteps and jingling of heavy chains

echo in the once serene hallways.

They walk happily with their bounds

keeping beautiful fake smiles

on sparkling snow white masks of perfection

as the overseers watch in high towers

and lecture them

with guns and fists they called

discipline.

One step out of place, one mistake, one sign of rebellion

you are shot down instantly like a rabid dog.

“Freedom now just extends your sentence to a painful life”

they warned

as if death was sure to come if we did not listen.

Day by day the world turns to grey

our life seemed to be stuck on rewind

the record is broken

replaying the same scene

over and over.

We try to run away

in search of a glorius fantasy with beautiful colors of light

to pick up the pieces of ourselves

but we keep getting knocked down

and handcuffed

by those who are supposed to color our world

they end up shattering us instead

leaving our world colorless

except for the ruby color of our blood mixed with tears

left on the broken pieces

we tried to put together.

Yet they tighten the chains of expectations

to choke us

and hold us to the earth

when we want to fly.

Bt even if we conform

they tighten the chains

as they grow larger

our masks sewned to our faces

smiling

endlessly.

We are the animals in the zoos

of society and “humanity”

playing tricks while listening well

so we can get measly treats

or just to avoid being beat.

Our health diminishes

our lives shorten

our world

completely grey

splattered with dried blood

and tear stains

because you killed us

because we weren’t you

and when we were dead

you killed us again.