downtrodden

we shout, but now even i must strain
to hear what we are saying to them
our own opinions are worthless
crushed underfoot by those of greater
thinkers, we yield to them

we try to scream, but our wordless thoughts
are taken as tacit approval
of their own grand plans, which so often
seem doomed from the start, but they need not
worry, we take the blame

we are of no value to them now,
except as an entity. they know
should we be lost in the fray, there are
always more pawns to fill our places
identity is lost

we huddle for warmth, find company
in the only ones who will listen:
ourselves. we can hear our own voices
if we take the effort to do so
it is our only hope

we shout together, they must hear us
our only opportunity to
make our collective voice audible
clamber up the scale as a group, but
already we have lost

we see the light and some burst away
somehow finding freedom and value
fewer puppets for them to toy with
but we lose our only strength from it
we start to sink again

we speak, but our words fall on deaf ears
deemed unworthy of our existence,
i can only yearn for the day when
my thoughts, opinions, feelings are
valued by another