Dancing Bears

Life has one absolute:
         There are none.
There are only shades of grey,
with splashes of the rainbow.

-- Life was a portioned ritual,
Bells rang and people moved.
We used to think
that was prison.
Then we walked across a stage.

According to the speaker,
that stage was a portal.
The destination
land of decision.

We assumed that meant we’d have choices,
That someone would hear our voices.

-- We packed ourselves off to college,
where minds are supposed to grow.
Instead we are ridiculed,
told to think this way,
         Not that.

You say what you can
to please the man.
Confront him?
You’ve lost your way. 

Kept inside the box,
to wither, and to rot. --

Too many people dealing in absolutes,
makes as much sense as dancing bears.