Once a rich man
Wealthy, spoiled, loved by all
      Later a humbled man
      Giving all he has to others
           Now a broke man
           Given to an old comrade
           To be the rich man’s burden
                To the darkness he goes
                Without a single torch
                     To guide him
                     Towards the boat
                     That brings him closer to hell
                           His freedom comes off
                           When his chains come on
                           While becoming the rich man’s burden

His metal chains
        dragging him down
his friend’s eyes
        speaking silent words

   “keep on working
         unless you want to be beaten
         by the whip’s blazing anger.”
    The sun beating
         against his back
  like the fire of the hottest pepper

Harder

         L O N G E R

                    Faster

     Complete the master's wishes

CRACK!

The whip hits hard,
         Like a thousand hands
Slapping your face

THUMP!

His body falls hard to the ground
His back sizzling from the whip’s coal grasp

 Harder

         L O N G E R

                      Faster

“Get back to work
You slave scum!”
       Their master spitting at their faces.
       With no final glance
 of your fallen friend

Dead

his back burnt to a crisp,
From the sizzling stick
marking the symbol
Of the slaves in chains.
If only

“If only
someone
anyone
Would save us”
From the grasp
of the slaves chains
To relieve us
From the rich man’s burden.