Shame, it fastens to his ankles
And it wears him down
To a lifeless shuffle

It encircles his being
In mournful shades
Of black and grey,
Dividing every sea
Of humanity he greets

Disgrace is the name
So happily shed from sneering lips
In a hasty whisper

And still he wades on
To the dying chorus
Of a rebel’s song,
Born lifetimes ago