I
As darkness cannot exist without light
Or pleasure without pain
Without submission there can be no Dominance
As night cannot exist without day
Or child without mother
Without Dominance there can be no submission
In strength, there is weakness
In surrender, there is control
Separate, but entwined
Incomplete, but whole
Two sides of one coin
Existing together
In balance and harmony
II
A bird
Is born with feathered wings
But must still be shown how to fly
Through guidance and patience
Trial and error
Missteps and corrections
With firmness and love
So the Master teaches the servant
Never imposing One’s will
But nurturing the submission
That always dwelled within
III
Do not cower in fear;
Lower your head to please
Do not be gagged into silence;
Stay quiet out of respect
Do not let bindings leave you helpless;
Keep still because it is wished
Do not be tethered at One’s side;
Have nowhere else you want to be
Do not be submissive against your will;
Be a servant of choice
IV
In chains, you may find release
Held captive, you may be freed
Though bound to the Earth
You may take flight
Soar ever higher
Restrained but limitless
Under the guidance of another
You may find yourself at last
V
A slack leash
May create the illusion of freedom
But is still attached
To a collar
VI
To dance, One must lead
Or both partners remain still
The Dominant is dominant
Out of a yearning to lead
The submissive is submissive
Out of a yearning to be led
And though One leads
And the other follows
The two perform a single dance
VII
A Dominant no more controls the submissive
Than a mariner controls the sea
The waters may be rough
Or the waters may be calm
One can only guide the rudder
Set a course
Provide direction
But whether the ship capsizes
Or enjoys smooth sailing
Will be decided by the tide
VIII
Iron shackles, leather straps
Links of chain and lengths of rope
May all keep the body still
But heartstrings are the strongest bonds
A wooden paddle will sting the flesh
But cannot tame the spirit
Harsh words cut twice as deep
As any lash
Silence will cut even deeper
IX
To be Dominant is to know submission
To be submissive is to know Dominance
One has no reflection where no mirror exists
Without water a fish cannot swim
Every child is born
To a mother and a father
To a man and a woman
Part of both
Yet neither
A boy with his mother’s eyes
Still sees the world as a boy would
A girl with her Daddy’s temperament
Is still His baby girl