Bound

I once asked a woman what was the most liberating moment of empowerment she had ever experienced. And she told me this story...about a silk red rope.

                                            

                                                                                                              Bound

                                                                                                     (A silk red rope)

                                                                                                                 By

                                                                                              Carlos Lorenzo Estrada 

                                                                                                           Kinbaku.

     I am bound.  The ropes entwine my body like the coils of a feeding snake.  Taunt against my skin, constricting my flesh, I have submitted myself, body and soul, to a bond.  An oath.  Tethered physically to the words which make me subservient in spirit toward my righteous nature.  To some such an vow would be akin to a master seeking the dominance of my soul, and the pliancy of my form.  But I surrender to no one but myself, and it is I who I am slave to.  I shall not be free of these bonds till I am free of myself.

                                                                                                          Shinbari.

     There is a peace and a comfort that reside in the threads that bind me.  They know of my secrets, and their familiarity whisper to me in most intimate of ways.  They cloak me in the comfort of a second skin, drawing from me simple pleasures.  These bonds taste my carnal frailties.  And soothe my more venial vices.  They do not reveal what only I can, but yet they are aware.  They weave like the web of a spider throughout my body and like the insect silk they are perfect in design and nature.   I am bound, and in my imperfections I find the sublime.

                                                                                                           Bound...

     

Reviews

[augustus]

Without doubt, we are all bound in our desires, and not always able to surrender to them.

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

It was difficult to understand the perspective of the woman who inspired this work, because she actually found freedom and liberation being bound by her desire. Thank you for your thoughts on this work.

[Betty Hermelee]

Bound by words which. Which make one subservient. I must free myself of those bounds, no one else can do it....on the other hand I am bound to peace and comfort in that which binds me....and although I am not perfect, I accept my fate.
Complex poem with deep thoughts,,,, read it three times
Thank you for sharing
Best, Betty

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Thank you, Betty, for your insightful assessment. I'm starting to see the clarity of it now in your description. I remember during the discussion with the woman who inspired these words and her telling me I wouldn't understand because she believed I still harbored biases that kept me from seeing things from her perspective. That may have actually been more true then I thought. Perhaps it's because we don't comprehend the struggles women have had to endure in a society that men try to control. The ideology of liberation is foreign to us because of this patriarchal society. Thank you for this enlightening discussion.

[Betty Hermelee]

You’re very welcome!

[LCat80star]

I really like this piece. The contrast in both sides are amazing. The first verse shows some of those sadistic elements and the second one shows how the narrator is a victim that it can not escape and instead is captured in this cycle. Really great work! Keep it up!

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

thank you for the kind words. The woman who inspired this work held these strong conflicting beliefs. And you are correct about the contrasts in the verses. They also reflect the individual names above them if I am not mistaken. Kinbaku is the traditional Japanese definition of binding that goes back centuries if I'm not mistaken. While Shinbari is the western interpretation of this exotic art. Understanding very little of binding myself and seeking to better comprehend the female reasoning behind it I was moved by her words. Thank you for taking the time to review this. I truly appreciate it.

[Samuel Dickens]

I read this the other day and didn't know what to make of it. Perhaps it's part of some belief system that I'm unfamiliar with. Reading it again, now, I may have developed some understanding. Seeing it in a simple way, it looks like the narrator finds comfort with self-imposed restraints.

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Thank you, Samuel, for reading this. I myself struggled to understand the esoteric meaning behind the explanation given. As I listened to her reasoning there was a spiritual awakening and or liberation in the act of binding. An empowerment of womanhood in almost a divine level I was incapable of understanding. As a storyteller I strive to be objective when having discussions with others on subjects many may find taboo. I had heard of binding but never understood the reasons one would want to subject themselves to it. But I think I kind of got her explanation in the end, and the sense of liberating freedom conveyed for her in the act of Shinbari. Though I myself am not a practitioner, nor would I feel comfort in being bound. Perhaps that says more about me then the act itself. If one gains enlightenment and a higher insight of self, and it causes no extreme harm to anyone else or themselves then I hold no judgment on how they personally choose to be better humans. My path is simply different, not better, simply different.