Years of captivity tried to break the once-proud lion.
But when he closed his eyes at night, he entered a world of his own making.
He was no longer in his cage as he blissfully dreamt.
He was home once more, happily ruling his kingdom in the warm sun, or he imagined his escape.

One night, by chance, his cage was opened.
As he wandered out to breathe free air once more, he realized it was too late for him.
His home, his friends and all his loved ones were long gone.
The cold steely city around him wasn’t freedom… it was merely a larger cage.

And he never felt as alone as he did that moment.

He bowed his head in sadness and resignation,
And found his place back in his cage with regal dignity
As he closed his eyes for the final time, and drifted off into oblivion…
… he was finally free at last.

Each day is a curse.
Freedom is merely a state of mind.