Still Just a Rat in a Cage

It's a terrible thing
to be impotent, to know
when it comes down to it
you'll never get what
you want, no matter
how hard you try, because
in the end, you just
don't have it in you.
That's the life of failure,
knowing you'll go down
with a whimper, maybe even
with people laughing,
still thinking you're
a good show, just for
none of the reasons
you want them to.
You fight and you strive
for the right to be yourself
when everyone around you
is just making it go
for the benefit of
those around them, bereft
of any potential, hindering
you, obliterating you,
piece by bloody piece.
What does it matter if
you eventually win,
when you won't be able
to enjoy it? Is that
so selfish, to know
you made a difference
and not just a shadow
on the wall of the cave
you lived your whole
miserable life in?

I wish to god it weren't.