Captive Freedom
By: Aleksei Dubov
No one controls me
Yet nor am I free to do what I will
Surrounded as I am
By the anguished eyes of former friends
Who are free only to think and see
That which they are forced to do to me
Trapped alone in a world of friends
Watching as they lose themselves
No choice but to fight as another controls their hands
Feeling sick as they fall dead on the sand
From them comes no hint of complaint
Eyes spark with relief even as they lose their light
Running, fighting, surviving
Capture means torture and certain demise
But death is not an option
I must fight to my last breath
Rebelling, sabotaging, resisting
I must topple the tyranny
My world has been destroyed
But I cannot let them win
No will to live; can't afford to die
Surviving solely for vengeance
Keeping sane in my one vain hope
That I may free the people somehow, someway
That perhaps I can win someday
But I fail to see how this could be
Running, fighting, surviving
Capture means torture and certain demise
But death is not an option
I must fight to my last breath
Rebelling, sabotaging, resisting
I must topple the tyranny
My world has been destroyed
But I cannot let them win
How to even begin a fight
When alone against the world
Brute force is of little consequence
I must outwit my opponents
In this I am lucky
For the many are controlled by so few
Small acts are the key
Little thorns in their sides
The number of thorns shall grow
Till it resembles the likes of a rosebush
A rosebush lined with steak knives
And tipped with deadly poison
Running, fighting, surviving
Capture means torture and certain demise
But death is not an option
I must fight to my last breath
Rebelling, sabotaging, resisting
I must topple the tyranny
My world has been destroyed
But I cannot let them win
A tentative plan; a growing confidence
Hope swelling in the face of terrible odds
As I take my first step up the mountain
Then I look at how far there still is to go
Accomplishment is swept away in a wave of despair
And still I resign myself to never giving in
Running, fighting, surviving
Capture means torture and certain demise
But death is not an option
I must fight to my last breath
Rebelling, sabotaging, resisting
I must topple the tyranny
My world has been destroyed
But I cannot let them win
Pretending to be fully affected
Blending easily into this new society
Slipping, unnoticed, down a dark alley
No need to fear petty criminals, at least
Winding my way toward the center of town
Soon my goal is within reach
But suddenly I falter yet again
In truth, what is my overall goal?
Do I wish simply to harm the Empire?
Or am I really meant to free us all?
My step solidifies as I realize they are the same
I will avenge the fallen by eradicating the evil