The Chains That Bind Me

We all have our chains, but what are you bound to?

My hands, my feet, even my arms and legs. "Just let me go!" I scream. Everyday. All I want is to be free of this, I hate it. You keep me here, destroying my life! 

Why? What did I do to deserve this? I never wanted this torment...

But here I am. Bound by unforgiving chains, chains that don't care about me or how I feel. I'm just one more victim that gives them purpose. 

I'm not alone here though. There are others, crying, screaming for help. Each bound by their own chains. 

I see people younger than me, older than me, of every skin color there is, of every height and size. 

We aren't different you see... Me and You. Me and Them. Everyone here is the same.

We all have our chains, unforgiving chains, chains that don't care about us, or how we feel. We're just more victims that give them purpose. 

There's an old man down the row, struggling to breath. His chains have something they're attached to. Cigarettes..

There's a girl, younger than me sitting a few people down. She's covered in scars, knives and words keep a firm grip on her chains.

And the lady next to me. She keeps mumbling about her son. She says he's never coming back..that he hates her. She has a look on her face...like she's given up.. no, like she's lost the only light she had.

I look down to see what my chains are holding on to. I see a word, "Depression" and another word, "Regret".

The words slowly become more and more clear. So many words...

I look at them, some so true I try to brush them off as lies, excuses to keep me here..but they're not lies..I know that much.

You see. Every one here is refusing to let go of something, refusing to quit, refusing to forgive.

I blink and look at the crowd around me. Everyone shuffling here and there, busy and talking. The old man is outside smoking, occasionally coughing. The girl walks by, looking scared and with a hopeless look in her eyes. The woman walking next to me is talking on her phone, a voice yelling at her through it. I can't take it anymore and walk out of the busy store...

But I look back..just once. Do you know what I saw? I saw you..sitting, bound by chains, begging for help, screaming. So I walk over and take your hand. "What is binding you?" I ask.