This poem
is based loosely off of Maya Angelou’s “I know why the caged bird sings.”
Caged Bird (A
Tribute)
The saddest
thing is not a bird
Who laments
being kept in a cage,
But rather
A bird who
does not recognize
That she is
trapped.
I know-
Sometimes
the cage is so close
That her
eyes cannot see the bars.
Sometimes
The light
flashes across her
And for a
moment, she is strong.
Strong
enough to fly,
Or to try
to.
Her wings
beat against metal bars,
Fierce but
silent,
And only
for a moment before they come
Again
And clip
her wings.
The color
drips from her feathers
And gathers
on the ground-
Lovely and
tragic,
A pallet
spilled by careless hands.
When her
wings are stripped of their hue
And left
slate grey,
The color
of rain,
She no longer
tries to sing.
The caged
bird does not sing.
Not because
she’s lost her voice,
But
Because she
has forgotten the words.
I have always felt that part of my soul connected with that of Maya Angelou, especially through reading "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings." Her words, "A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song," are those which I have tried to live by. That being said, your tribute piece naturally caught my attention, and I'm glad a took a moment to read through it.
ReplyDelete:The color drips from her feathers
And gathers on the ground-
Lovely and tragic,
A pallet spilled by careless hands."
These lines especially are so aesthetically lovely, and pleasing to the ears when spoken out loud. It's a beautiful piece, and one from which I've gained a fresh perspective on the subject at hand.
Erika,
ReplyDeleteThis poem is beautifully crafted. It does an excellent job to convey the powerful emotion behind it.
Just from this piece, I can tell that you have some real talent.
I'd hate to seem like I'm trying to promote something, but if you haven't heard of Daedalus and/or Literati, you should check them out. Both are Lit Mags on campus in which you could publish some work. Art as well, since you also have talent there. If you want anymore information about either, feel free to ask me.