January Poem Contest

Sonnet on Freedom

By Hayashi Okami

Age 14
 
Born on freedom’s curse, the untamed and swift.
Our freedom is our cage, capture us.
Spirits broken, mended again, we lift
And are broken again by foolish trust.
“Children, children,” she whispers, “you are free.”
Free we are not, wind you are mistaken,
We are locked in cages without a key,
In cages lacking bars, voices taken.
Sweet relief, do not cry, for we feel joy.
“Return to the earth, my children,” she cries.
“Return now my loves, for this is no ploy.”
The life we have lived, oh those are all lies.
Listen, freedom’s curse is the lovely air.
Let us free, shed those tears, if you do care.

 

This poem holds a special significance in the life of a horse. It is a Shakespearean sonnet.