A Rat in a Cage (a poem from my book, Seasons Come, People Grow)

Begged and bribed,
Pellets coming my way,
Running about, doing tricks,
Just a rat in a cage,

Grabbed by the tail,
Laid about on the scale,
How much will I receive this time?
We shall wait and see,

Placed in my cage,
Trapped, with nowhere to go,
Climbing the walls,
Wanting to get out,

I hit the bar repeatedly,
Get fed bits and pieces at a time,
Until I get sore and tired,
And don't have any more stamina left inside,

I sense the eyes around me,
Watching my every move,
Should I stand here and ignore their wishes?
Or do what they want me to do?

The cage surrounds me,
Every second of every day,
How I want to be free at last,
And not be just another rat in a cage.

This book and my three others can be viewed and/or purchased at the following site:

http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/thetaoofroz