A Nameless Man

A nameless man in a nameless city

He walks the nameless streets.

Alas! You, who look, are not touched by pity,

At the nameless actions, he repeats.

To breathe is not to live my friend!

Nor do mere steps a journey make.

Man’s life was meant for more than this-

Much more; than mere, give and take.

At my balcony, I stand,

Gazing at my prison wall,

Wrecked by doubts and fear,

And hate of unseen jailers, dear,

Invades of an ideal home;

And my despised keepers call.

I feel envy of an idol,

Hatred for a hero;

That I vow to become-but cannot.

Cursing my chains I embrace them,

Hating them all, I accept them;

And despite myself, why I could not?

So many times, I have tried,

To break free of me,

And failed!

Miserable in failure, unsure in success;

A blight upon my dreams!

An earthy check to my soul,

That I have lost!

My sorrow is not a tragedy,

My fear cannot be death;

Nor is it life.

I know not why-I will give up,

Yet I know-I have been false;

Even, as just now, to myself.

It’s not my lies,

Nor what all I’ve done-

And that’s quite a lot.

But what I am,

And what I could have been-but am not,

‘Cause I say to myself, I know not why,

And like all else,

I lie.