A Prison Named Paradise

An outside surrounds society

completely and undeniably.

It cannot be escaped.

It beckons to all.

We hear its song and call,

but have been taught to ignore.

"Dangers may await!"

Society warns.

"Just stay in place."

Those who dare question

are fools indeed.

For what lies beyond is unknowable.

The wise concentrate on what can be controlled.

Using reason as a blindfold,

they enslave humanity

to the tangible.

"But how can you be free"

the fool reasons,

"if you cannot see your chains?"

Preservation is paramount.

Status quo is a must.

A fool is a danger to that,

earning the wise's distrust.

The only unpredictable variable

that the wise cannot drown: Freedom of thought and mind,

lest the wise also be bound.

"It is better this way."

the wise say to guide,

"Stay in our dominion.

It is madness to go outside."

The wise contain those who might run.

A fool might undo what has been done.

If they depart, others may follow.

Foolishness is contagious you see,

an illness treated for the system to be.

The wise dream of eradication.

Then no one would need to be free

and question the wise walls of reality.

Content with an overseen existence.

Asking for more? Don't be ridiculous.

This is the way it's always been.

The walls block danger out

and keep us safe from harm.

To feel otherwise is a sin.

Only a fool would entertain

that unspeakable thought:

"The walls are there to keep us in."

What is at risk?

"Society itself!" the wise plead.

"So keep your restraints on!"

Unsurprisingly,

the structure of society

cannot be altered

according to those at the top.

No room to consider the outside:

A place where all are equal?

Perish the thought!

The wise have had their blindfolds off

and are part of the machine.

All the others with vision

are the ones that must be screened.

Certainty over exploration,

fracturing humanity as a whole.

Far better to be a jailor

than begin to lose control.

Heaven forbid the sight spreads

and a critical mass flee.

Society needs its labor

and that labor must not see.

The fool continues their journey,

merely seeking license to leave.

But though the application exists,

the wise hold the wall's key.

Too noticeable to not have the option.

Too risky to formally refuse.

An attack on the fool's sanity

makes for a good excuse.

"It is wrong to think of elsewhere.

Wrong to think to leave.

What exactly out there

do you think you will perceive?

You are not happy here, but

'here' cannot be the problem.

It is not fair to the rest.

Put your blindfold back on.

It is your duty to do what's best."

But try as they might,

they cannot force the blindfold on.

Only charge the fool with treason.

The fool calls the wise's bluff.

Forcing the question by applying reason.

"Why do you need me to be blind?

Am I not free in thought and mind?"

Surely, you aren't trying to deny that?"

"Of course not!"

The wise say sheepishly.

"We are simply concerned for your well being."

"Then I am allowed

to think beyond the wall"

the fool concludes.

Through debate,

the wise will never concede.

But the boundaries created

are very real indeed.

No longer concerned

with bringing the fool back into the fold.

Now the wise are on damage control.

The fool will not bow

and cannot be persuaded.

The necessary oversight of all

outweighs concern of a single dissuaded.

"The fool is mad!"

The wise shout from the rooftops.

Lest people hear otherwise.

If the blindfold won't be put back,

perhaps a muzzle of discredit

can be devised?

Discredit becomes a spotlight.

The fool makes too much sense.

All know the fool now.

Of what is their offence?

The fool does not have their blindfold on

and caused others to remove them too.

The wise are getting nervous.

They cannot ignore the fool.

"If only compliance could be forced"

the wise wistfully wishes.

Alas, consent must be obtained

if no one is to get suspicious.

Instead the wise offer

a different kind of temptation.

"Join us and ascend!"

"No." The fool insists.

They do not wish to exchange

one prisoner's uniform for another.

Refusal is met with offense.

It is a privilege to rule!

To become part of the machine

instead of its mere fuel.

As if they would ever trust a fool.

They will install a ceiling of glass.

This is the path of membership

to the wise's lowest class.

"Fine!" The wise declare.

"Leave! Never return!"

Society is better off without fools.

Some will believe the wise

when they claim with gall

giving the fool the freedom they wanted

is a victory for the wise and their wall.

Others will see the fool leave

and be reminded of the truth.

There is something outside.

The wise themselves provided proof.

The outside's call has never stopped;

The inside will always be cruel.

Do you dare answer that siren song

and also become a fool?

Dedicated to C.M., one of my only English teachers and someone who made me actually like writing. There's a good chance this poem (and maybe even the blog in general) may not have existed without him. To wherever you happen to be: Thank you.

Also, if you liked the poem, be sure to check out the Proof of Concept companion piece.