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This is the way

That the hearts of our fathers

Would harden and turn to stone

Callused by lash

Bonded by rope

Breaking the spirit

Breaking the home

The deafening strike

Of leather and hide

Silences dreams

And buries pride

Extinguishing hope

By threat of the grave

Turns man to beast

And beast to slave

And what of our past

Will we betray

In order to live

Another day

The scars of time

Have set their stay

Once loving embrace

Shudders in shame

The stables we tended

Are now hollow frames

Bitter memories are clinging

And regrets are maintained

The memories of olde

Are burdened this way

As we flee from our past

Carrying on our mistakes

The spirit in you

Screams to be seen

As the whip tamed the heart

Of who we used to be

I can see in your eyes

The light that fades

Gasping for life

With each passing day



The pieces of you

That still remain

Glimmers of hope

A chance to change

And how will we break

These unwanted chains

And walk our path

Again

Rise

Discard from me

All the injury, shame, inherited pain

Rise

And restore to thee

All the patience and strength

Our old teachings create

Rise

Discard from me

All these memories

That keep us in place

Rise

Set us free from this injury

To face the past

And free the soul

Return us to the teachings of old

Renew our path

And break the hold

For generations to flourish once more

Give us the strength

To heal from these wounds

To re-spark the flames

And carry the light

On our darkest of days

So we finally see

Who we were always meant to be