Plato was Right

We are all chained
By money, rules, and commitments
But knowing our chains doesn’t loosen them
Only a key can do that
A key forged from sheer will and determination
With that key, the chains will break
And without chains to bind us
We can explore a world beyond our comprehension
Break free of our comfort zone
The mere thought of this can instill fear
In the strongest of warriors
And the most ruthless of criminals
One more chain to hinder us
So even when all chains are released
Do we go?
To live in a world of uncertainty
Knowing we can never return?
Or do we stay?
In the world we’ve formed around us
That we know how to control and handle?
A true key-holder takes the plunge
And enters the void of the unknown
They will be lost at first
Having no knowledge of their surroundings
Wandering aimlessly in confusion
And possible horror
Experiencing a life they had never imagined
Not in their greatest dreams
Or darkest nightmares
But as time goes on
The confusion turns to understanding
The horror changes to awe
And the foreign land becomes home
The key-holder adapts
And revels in their freedom
They take pride in the knowledge
That they will never be chained again
Then they begin to ask questions
That they dared not consider before
Who teaches us what’s real and how to laugh at lies?
Who teaches us to scoff at strange notions?
Who decides why we live and what we’ll die to defend?
Besides ourselves, who chains us?
Is there more than one key to freedom?
And as more questions arise with no answers
They question reality itself
Until making their first fully conscious decision
Reality is a prison