A tale of privilege

​I’m tired of carrying these bags
Who can I get to haul this extra weight?
You there
Carry my bags
Ah yes, this feels nice
I feel free to move now
 
And suddenly I realize I should have never had to toil so
You there
Since you’re already carrying my bags
Carry my food
I’ll still want to eat it all
Clearly, I’m more important because only one of us is walking free
Though I don’t like how you are looking at the food
I don’t trust you with it but I also don’t want to carry it
What a stressful problem
Do you see how hard my life is?
 
Plus why do I have this coat when I’m not currently cold?
You there
Since you have my bags and food, take my coat
How frustrating for me that you move so slow
That’s more proof that I’m superior
See how nimble I am
You should really be able to keep up
 
Now, I’m suddenly aware that even items in my pockets make me feel less free
You there
Take these things from me
Nothing should hinder me
I’m too essential to be held back in the slightest
But don’t steal my things
Your role is to hold my baggage but don’t think you have the right to use it
And stop asking for help
Do you think you are owed free handouts?
After all this time struggling to keep up?
What have you done to deserve help?
Work harder like me
I’m getting so much done
All on my own
 
But I might one day need to know how to carry heavy weight
I haven’t had the practice
I feel insecure even thinking about it
Surely I can find a teacher
 
You there
 
By Marshall Lyles