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Branded
by jude Monday, Mar 19 2018, 11:13pm
international / poetry / post

the herd is guided by
trained blue dogs and green riders
but owners never get their hands dirty

millions of dumb animals are easily led
to their slaughter but only after they are exploited
as beasts of burden until unable to produce
for their owners any longer

the young are rounded up daily and branded
with a mysterious brand that owners
have designed, invisible to the naked eye
but clear and burning to trained eyes

the brand circles the brows of the dumb beasts
and its power is renewed daily tho the beasts remain unaware;
they are owned and their every move is monitored
and guided tho they imagine they choose of their own volition,
such is the ease with which an invisible brand
manages the many

it’s slaughter time today

various beasts are prepared for their fate and herded to distant
lands where they are killed for the benefit of the few

various breeds join in the game of death until they
assure each others’ mutual destruction,
the owners delight in this game of death --
herd beasts have always been expendable

occasionally a branded beast becomes aware
of the band/brand around its brow and charges,
which alerts the blue dogs
and riders,

owners have specified that these beasts be neutralised immediately
one way or the other;
these beasts now aware they are enslaved and exploited
are dangerous to owners as they could disrupt entire herds,
which occurred in days past

one such aware beast whispered to the enslaved herd and promised
freedom in a land of plenty;
he led the others to their promised land
where the herd became enslaved again
with a newly arranged brand/band around their brows

and so the cycle repeats itself for the want of one freed beast
to pause and read the invisible name on the band --

its symbols are arranged thus:

‘B-E-L-I-E-F’

it is this band/brand that Binds and enslaves