Matthew R. Callies

Broken Chains

In shadows cast by neon lights,
Where echoes whisper through sleepless nights,
A hidden pit, where rough men sneer,
And frightened dogs shake, bound by fear.

 

Once loyal hearts, with eyes so bright,
Now dulled by pain and endless fight.
Their muscles taut, their spirits scarred,
They\'ve learned that love comes much too hard.

 

Each clash a roar, a desperate plea,
Not born for war, yet forced to be.
They’re prodded, driven, leashed to hate,
By hands that bend and twist their fate.

 

Behind those walls where sunlight dies,
In suffering’s cage, their freedom lies—
A life denied, a spirit chained,
A battle fought, but never gained.

 

For somewhere else, a meadow waits,
Beyond the doors of blood and gates.
And someday, justice may descend,
To free them all, to make amends.

 

Until that day, a silent cry
Drifts up to stars across the sky,
A prayer for peace, a call to heal—
For every heart they tried to steal