Open your Cage

Once upon a time,

there lived a little rhyme.

And that's about as far as he went.

A tiny patter of words,

in simple fourths and thirds,

but nothing that really gave vent.

Until one fateful eve,

He met a stranger – Steve,

who took him out of his home zone.

The paper walls came down

as they quite tore up the town

And Wonder made Rhythm a loan.

Now little rhyme's grown up, man

he's taken on the world, my man

and he don't care no more 'bout grammar.

Cuz everything he's wrote

screams out from your own throat

the mess of LIFE is splashed across that banner.

It's livin on the streets, gurl.

Its creepin round your feet old gurl

and it sings from out the pores on all ya skin

and even though the beatin's odd

with time that breaths in ragged sobs

it sings with real life. Real life. REAL life.

Full of pain

that lifts the Joy

to moments that transcend mere being.

Full of love

that shadows hate

and makes the whole dang thing worth living.

But even as you write this down,

your face can't quit the furrowed frown

as words keep marching with their own intent.

For all is bigger than you see

and tiny feet are jogged, not free.

The rhythm stutters

The candles gutter

So all we make and stir and throw

is just so much a game of blow

and in the end we find we're done

by all that started off the fun.

Life goes on, so live it.

Just live it. Live!

Chris L 8/3/14 (edit 15/08/2021) (Not that it's much better than the original...)