Binding Freedom

Running as fast as he could,
He runs inside his office
Slamming the door behind him.
Just as he sat down
His phone rang.
The first thing that went through his head
Was that they had caught him.
They finally found out that he was the one,
The one stealing money from the company.
He answers.
After a short one-sided conversation,
He begins to hurriedly pack up his belongings.

Just one choice,
Just one decision,
Just one accident,
Could bring out your other self,
And bind you to him forever.

As the man takes a cab home,
He begins to think.
Think about how he will tell the wife.
Think about how his kids will look at him after they find out.
He looks up and sees the cab driver
Looking at him with interest and concern
Through the rear-view mirror.
“Is there anything you want to talk about?
Is there anything I can help with?”
These were the only words of the cab driver.
The man blew him off just as he blows off everyone.

Just one choice,
Just one decision,
Just one accident,
Could bring out your other self,
And bind you to him forever.

The man gets home,
Just to see that the only thing left in the house
Was his own,
And a scribbled, tear-stained letter on the kitchen table.
“We are leaving…
I said that the next time you mess up I am gone.
I took the kids with me.”
He knew it was coming,
But didn’t know that it would happen this fast.
He pulls out his wallet,
Takes out a old, creased picture
And sobs.
He knows that he will never see his kids again.

Just one choice,
Just one decision,
Just one accident,
Could bring out your other self,
And bind you to him forever.

Anger rising like never before,
He does the only thing he learned from his father,
He went to the bar.
When he got there he sat on the end on the bar,
Ordered drink, after drink, after drink.
The bartender, concerned with this man’s well-being,
Walked over to him and asked,
“Is there anything you want to talk about?
Is there anything I can help with?”
The man, being the man that he is,
Just blew this man off,
Throw down him drink on the bar,
Shattering the bottle,
And stormed out of the bar.

Just one choice,
Just one decision,
Just one accident,
Could bring out your other self,
And bind you to him forever.

A few months later,
Everything began to go downhill.
He lost his family,
His car,
And even his house.
This wealthy, business man was at the top,
But now he is at the bottom,
Living with the people he always despised.
Living as a homeless man,
He found out that the world is harsh.
One day, a homeless old lady came up to him,
With a look of curiosity and concern.
With tears in her eyes she asked,
“Is there anything you want to talk about?
Is there anything I can help with?”
Just looking into the eyes of this old homeless woman,
Made the man think that she could see what was wrong.
He came off as angry when he said,
“Well where has help been in all this trouble?”
The woman looked into his eyes with compassion,
Speaking through sobs and said,
“Help has always been around.
The cab driver,
The bartender.
You just would not open up,
Just so you could be bitter.
So the homeless woman sobbed deeper
And said with a voice of forgiveness.

Just one choice,
Just one decision,
Just one incident,
Could bring out your other self,
And bind you to him forever.

But just one choice,
Just one decision,
Just one incident
Could bind you to freedom forever.

It is your choice…


-Turner Roberts