Who's System? Not Mine.

Sometimes the system is hard to beat.
They’ll tell you to bow down, to grovel at their feet.
They’ve put themselves on a pedestal,
And they won’t have peace, won’t rest till-
They’ve sucked out all individuality, all creativity and freedom of expression,
All capability of thinking, of making your own decisions.
And the multitude is suppressed, the majority is beat,
For what can they do, when they’re staring at defeat?
They’ve accepted the rules, the laws and the chains,
And in the very end, even hope doesn’t remain.

Till one glorious day, one man dares to raise his head,
“Why should I bow to a force that’s been bred-
From feeding on my dreams, my happiness, my needs,
Like just another dying leaf, in a garden full of weeds?
Who are you to tell me, that I’m living my life wrong?
Why should I be like them- the masses, the throngs?
My life is mine to live, my views my own to give,
I’ll stand up for myself, I will start to live,
On my own terms, on my own two feet,
And I’ll show people to stand up for everything in which they believe.

The system didn’t accept him, they didn’t like his spunk,
And maybe secretly they were afraid, even envious of all his pluck.
His fortitude scared them, and his popularity made them sick,
And no matter what they did, he remained undaunted, a wall of brick.

This continued for eons, the system did all the harm they could,
Till one day the man realized, that his heroics weren’t doing him any good.
All at once he felt the system, bearing down on him,
And as the walls closed in, his demeanor turned grim,
“How much longer will it take for them to see-
that they are wrong to interfere,
To demand compliance, obedience, ignorance and fear.
And why do people follow, what they do not even believe?
Why do they never question, demand, why are they so naïve?”

And slowly, a small loyal group of followers, raised their heads to him,
And they shouted in unison, their eyes all filled to the brim,
“But what will become of us, if you choose to give up now?
Where will we go? Will we ever succeed? How?”
The man raised his head, slowly, for his heart was in a state of turmoil,
For this wasn’t what he had envisioned after so much toil.
“I’m not sure yet, if I will give up.
The system has taken its toll on me, and the going is getting tough.
But if I have to leave you, all I can pray for-
Is that you have all learnt what I have tried so hard to teach.
That wherever you go, you will stand on your own two feet.
You will question and not blindly accept or submit,
To anyone else’s whim, or fancy, or will.
You will reach within yourselves and find the strength to be,
Beautiful, honest, and caring human beings.”

And the small band of followers, suddenly smiled with glee,
For they realized that though his presence was uncertain, he would always be
The one person they emulated, and looked to for inspiration,
His ideals and his motivation were forever theirs to keep.
And so they made a resolution, to fight the wretched system,
To carry out their dissent against it, using every tool with them.
And they knew that though he wasn’t in their midst anymore,
The man was content in his satisfaction that his followers were no longer subject
To the system, for he had empowered them, and everywhere they went,
Each was the master of his own destiny.

Riya