Bleeding

 For how long can you keep bleeding? For how long can you not cry while you are in intense pain? One day he cried and let us listen to what he has to say.

“I pray, let me rest. I am dying!

I am wounded and continually bleeding.

My veins will be drained shortly.

Master! Please mend my injury.”

I cried, “You would declare me useless 

when I’ve spent all my blood for your purposes.

I will die and be thrown away like others, like garbage.

without having a chance to taste old-age.”

He replied, “Oh dear! Why do you cry?

You are meant to bleed. You were born to die.

Although, your master required your service

For a while, with your cap on, you shall drowse”

“You can rest until I return to refill your veins

After which, undertake the orders of my hands!

You are a pen and you will serve me

While I write, just keep bleeding for me.”

 

Let me explain

The speaker is a ball-point pen. He speaks to the one who uses him to write. The ink is the blood of the pen - the liquid that sustains his life. He begs the writer to allow him some rest. He is bleeding and eventually, this will bring about his death. He claims that he bleeds not for his own needs but of the writer’s. He also understands that he would be thrown away when he can no longer be used for writing, when he runs out of ink. The writer on the other hand finds his prayer rather amusing. He openly tells him that he was destined and created to undergo such intense agony. The writer, realising that the pen has almost run dry, goes away to get more ink and offers him that time to rest. Before he leaves he emphasises that when he is back with ink, he must work again; bleed again for his master.

Nobody’s condition must be exploited to virtually enslave them. Slavery crushes desire and creativity, along with the meaning in life and kills them before it is time. Once a slave, his emotions and all human considerations disappear. Everyone considers a slave’s miserable life to be normal. Slavery has been abolished but these days, many are just paid slaves. Men are forced to do menial works against their will, in return for money. The rich uses the poor for personal gains. We must respect everyone and their emotions irrespective of what they do for a living. In history, slaves were starved if they didn’t work. The question is: how different is it from our present society?