Of Horses and Pearls

They tell them:
   "I'll show you the world."

They then show them one narrow line.

Glued to it in the same way
a horse sticks to the carriage it pulls,
until the time comes for it to be
boiled into the adhesive that
constructs their own reigns.

And heaven forbid they make the
wrong turn when commanded.
As if human experiences are the
narrow-line switch they use to
whip the loyal steeds into submission.

Their doors to the world are
a tightly shut oyster,
it is far too dark for them to see
any sort of pearl.