Fields Poem by Richard Betts

In the fields where you used to roam,
You lay tangled up in his chains.
And now when he leads you home,
Your spirit is choked by his reins.

We stood silent as you were led,
To the loneliness of your stable.
The stories and lies you were fed,
Hid the truth behind the fable.

Do you pretend or pray,
Or imagine you're back in the fields?
In your dreams, are you free to stray,
Or do you find that you still yield?

Can you feel the wind caress your face,
And whip through your mane as you run?
Is it raining in your sleeping place,
Or can you still feel the warmth of the sun?

Once you owned a purposeful stride,
But - broken - you pulled up lame.
It's hard to rise upon shattered pride,
And he trained you to be timid and tame.

Is it guilt that weakly guides you,
And forces your head down in shame?
Is it fear that roughly rides you,
And allows him to slip on those reins?

In the places where you once roamed free,
There you will find the liberty you currently lack.
In the face of all that has come to be,
In the fields no one waits for you to come back.