So Freedom’s Flame Can Burn

by Babui / Arjun

Workers, disunited, to predators, are prey.
They’re easiest to capture, when caught in disarray.
Workers, when united, are forceful and escape
The fate of those that singly dare to masters disobey.

The snake engulfs the frog, the spotted leopard stalks the deer.
Who’s predator, and who’s the prey, in every case, is clear,
But when a species harbors those that feed on fellows, then
The ones who are the prey have cause, from kindred kind, to fear.

“Oh serve me well”, a master says, “and I will let you live,
And sustenance, for you and for the ones you shelter, give.
But slack at work, and you will hear and feel my cracking whip,
And know, that if you cross me once, this master won’t forgive!”

Another uses tactics of another, subtler kind,
And plays, with expertise, upon the striving worker’s mind.
And so, the worker races and, with others, must compete,
While worshiping his master — being, to the capture, blind.

And each, on climbing ladder, steps on ones that climb below.
And those, who once were equals, now are seen as high or low.
And this how they’re captured, as they capture, in their turn.
So evil is established — and, to evil, workers bow.

Workers, disunited, know the power of the boss,
Who’s driven, in her turn, by those who’re counting profit, loss.
And each must labor harder yet, and smarter yet, and faster,
And never dare to those above, of wealth and power, cross.

Workers, when united, have confidence to learn.
These structures of oppression, they slowly overturn,
Replacing these with structures, with less of hierarchy.
Then work again has meaning — and freedom’s flame can burn.

But words like these may conjure up a vision of illusion,
And ardent ones may sacrifice and die, amidst confusion.
And though some see with clarity, the others are beclouded,
And pettiness and evil reign — and end is disillusion.

Beware — that revolution brings not freedom, but yet more
Of slavery, with masters new, with worker-serf at chore,
With nothing changed, except that now perhaps it’s even worse,
As bosses new have newer lies to add to lies of yore.

So this is how it must begin — to do away with bosses.
The one, who wishes to be free, his “leader” gently tosses.
We’re equal in the eyes of God, the faithful loudly claim.
But in the eyes of men, we’re not.  And so, we suffer losses.

The falsehoods, that are used to capture us and brutalize,
Are fetters binding workers down.  When workers realize
That this is so and strive to sort the falsehoods from the truth,
These tethers lose their strength — as they are woven out of lies.

There is no substitute, we see, for work of mind and heart.
Our ignorance has grown profound, and we have grown apart.
Let’s set ourselves to work, my friends, discard what we’ve been told,
And reconnect with soul again, so sorrow may depart.

Babui / Arjun
2011 March 5th, Sat.
Brooklyn