By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo

 

A friend of mine told me that freedom is an illusion. Another mentioned that some have more freedom than others. Are we truly free? In “Freedom”, a poem I wrote about the idea on 04 July 2014, I think I found an answer:

“Today, we are free.”
i was told.
“Are you truly free?”
i asked the larvae
weaving its cocoon
but it lay quiet
eating its food
gathering enough energy
to fly, soon

and so i asked a full-grown fly
with a pair of flight wings
and a pair of hind wings
“Are you truly free?”
but it has no teeth
and free to eat
only the rotten

In the poem “Have we lost it?” composed seven years after (28 February 2021), I thought we were free, but later on, squandered it:

we have lost so many lives
so many dreams
we have lost freedom
we have grown callous
to suffering
to the pain of others
we have forgotten
to care, to love.
this land is going
to the dogs
digging their teeth
deep into the skin
sucking blood
have we lost it?
that we so fearfully huddle
in the false safety of our homes
wearing masks and face shields
without demanding reason
and sanity to men
who protect us with guns?
what do we gain from the silence
that little by little, mute our voices
maim our feet to run
pierce our eyes
holding hostage our spirit
buying our souls?
have we lost it?
can we find us?

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