Riding the Hook

Riding the Hook 1/17/2013

We are all fish in the sea
Following each other
In one huddled mass
Even with all the room in the world
Afraid to break free.

Turning in unison
For a great shining lie
We forget the truth
And die like we live
Unconscious and dumb.

Some of us are like
Fish in fishbowl
Swimming from one side to another
Forgetting every few seconds
Who they are
And what they see.

And some of us
Just swim in a bucket
Staying fresh
And just waiting to die.

And some of us
Are free in the sea
Protected by fate
Or just dumb luck.

Free to swim
And dive deeply
Or beach ourselves
In despair.

Some of us have been hooked
And thrown back again
Too small to eat
Or just the wrong kind.

If you have a fish hook
Lodged in your mouth
Blood will trickle out
And mix with the water.

Spreading out behind
In a bloody cloud
Alerting the predators
That food can be found.

The more you struggle
The more you lose
As the fisherman lets you swim
And tire yourself out.

Soon you shall be thrashing
And laying on the deck
Weighed, measured,
And gasping for breath.

They will laugh
And tell stories
About how you fought
And take lots of pictures
Before they cut off your head.

It’s better to live free
Than it is to bite the bait
Swallowing it down
Before they rip it out.

The bait is before us
And plays on our emotions
Letting out the slack
And jerking it tight.

We can follow along
Or we can learn to survive
Mastering our emotions
And questioning our lies.

They say that fish
Rot from the head on down
And ike so many other things
That I have seen and found
Wise men live
And old men, are right.