Paradigm Poem by Joe Fraccalvieri

I was only a letter
A letter of a word
In a sentence on a page
Among pages that exist in a book

Sentenced to live in a cage…
Death, I would have preferred
than being treated like a common crook

Oh, the powers that be would lord over me
afraid that I'd lash out with rage

Yes, I'll admit, I would gnash my teeth-- I would swear and spit--
I'd bite on the bit-- like some animal without any brains
And while I was whipped, I would stumble and trip
as I strained against the pull of their reins

My only crime was wasting time…
Licking my wounds to soothe my pains
Won't someone save me from this uphill climb
Ease my burden… Break these chains

I didn't want to be a symbol or sign…
A scribble… A line
I wanted to be more than a letter-- more than the Word
So I stole away from heaven with better than a third
I wanted to know if I was part of the book
And then I was punished for having a look

Without any risks, there can be no gains…
There's Vengeance, not blood,
that flows through these veins

My freedom, they took… The mountains I shook…
With malice aforethought and hate!

I came of age in this cage you call earth
Sentenced at birth to live among man

And such was my fate, for taking the bait
Proving my worth, by foiling God's plan