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December 15, 2007
Caged Bird
A free bird leaps
on the back of the wind
and floats downstream
till the current ends
and dips his wing
in the orange sun rays
and dares to claim the sky.
But a bird that stalks
down his narrow cage
can seldom see through
his bars of rage
his wings are clipped and
his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.
The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.
The free bird thinks
of another breeze
and the trade winds soft
through the sighing trees
and the fat worms waiting
on a dawn-bright lawn
and he names the sky his own.
But a caged bird stands
on the grave of dreams
his shadow shouts
on a nightmare scream
his wings are clipped
and his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.
The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.
-Maya Angelou
An amazing piece of writing, do you agree? I was recently reading this poem and felt inspired to think about my own life, so I thought I would share it with you all.
For the vast majority of my existence, I have been like the free bird. Mostly, I think that I've consciously designed my life in this way. Occasionally, I am like the caged bird, when life's responsibilities weigh heavily on my soul, or keep me from doing what I wish to instead be doing. In this poem, the caged bird sings because it inherently knows of something beyond its cage, but it does not know what that something is. In contrast, when I feel cooped up and controlled by life's responsibilities, it is precisely because I know how freedom feels.
Over the past 7 days, I completed several of life's responsibilities that were weighing heavily upon me. At this moment, I'm supremely enjoying those proverbial fat worms.
Posted by Meghan at December 15, 2007 6:29 PM
Comments
hmmmm...i wonder what those responsibilities were!!! school? that's the only thing that i know of that was on your plate. Well, whatever they were, CONGRATULATIONS. breath a little easier indeed!!
Posted by: Audrey at December 16, 2007 7:33 AM
great poem! and yes I have worked hard to design my life to be free from a lot of the daily crap (grind) people go through but yes it is important to still pony up and deal with & be responsible.
but then go back to being freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee :-) as soon as possible-lol
Posted by: Bob Gentile at December 16, 2007 11:48 AM
A beautiful poem. Sad thing is, often people build the cage around themselves without even realizing it. I've tried to find the balance in life - family, house, job, school. Homeschooling was some of the freedom we sought, now our runs are the freedom. Life will always have responsibilities - without them there would be gaps and losses that it is worth trading a little freedom for - families and life partners come to mind. Not that either is a cage, but that they bring responsibilities to our lives - yet their loss would not be worth the freedom.
Posted by: backofpack at December 16, 2007 1:39 PM
Very beautiful poem.
Hope the running is going well.
Posted by: Anonymous at December 16, 2007 3:56 PM
Meghan, if one of the "responsibilities" was to redesign the page, you've suceeded marvelously. Looks great.
Posted by: Roslyn at December 16, 2007 4:09 PM
Meghan, if one of the "responsibilities" was to redesign the page, you've succeeded marvelously. Looks great.
Posted by: Roslyn at December 16, 2007 4:10 PM
Beautiful poem Meghan!
PS LOVE the new look on the blog! :)
Posted by: Beth at December 17, 2007 9:22 AM
Hey, my post said I was "Anonymous". It was posted from my iPhone (which I'm starting to hate). Somehow it lost my identity and I couldn't even tell your blog had a make-over. VERY nice!
Posted by: JeffO at December 17, 2007 10:29 AM
since you are on the subject of creatures...
The Fly
God in his wisdom made the fly
And then forgot to tell us why
The Hippopotamous
Behold the hippopotamus!
We laugh at how he looks to us,
And yet in moments dank and grim,
I wonder how we look to him.
Peace, peace, thou hippopotamus!
We really look all right to us,
As you no doubt delight the eye
Of other hippopotami.
Posted by: corrado giambalvo at December 17, 2007 1:46 PM
Hi all!
Audrey- My life was packed a little too full when I was working my full time job with some overtime, working my part time job at about 15 hours per week, taking 6 graduate level credits, and doing my own training. Now, I have only my full time job and my training on my plate, and I appreciate this pared down life!
Bob- Lovely that you've been able to successfully design your life in this way also!
Michelle- You're so right about life necessitating responsibility, and about finding balance with it. I feel like I'm becoming more balanced!
Anonymous/JeffO- So, how are thsoe iPhones? Sounds like you're having a few issues?
Roslyn- I was responsible for screwing my blog's layout up, and others are helping me realign things! :)
Beth- Thanks!
Corrado- Darling poems, thank you!
Posted by: Meghan at December 17, 2007 9:08 PM
Interesting, I went from feeling a free bird or at least striving to be one to a caged (or thinking of necessety to become one) 4 times last night at the gym. I think I shift these thoughts around a lot. It's one of those: I want to be free and don't need anything at all, to - I do have kids, a.k.a. responsibilities...and my normal kids do not fit much into "I don't need anything", nor will other relatives allow me to do so. Thus I pace between both ends, sometimes calmly, at times franticly...I guess this is what is called "life".
Love the header:)
Posted by: olga at December 18, 2007 1:42 PM
I am glad to hear you took care of some of the things weighing you down. You certainly were meant to fly free. More bird, less burden. Thanks for sharing, Ms. New Khaki Earth Tone Themed Blog Birdie.
Posted by: K Borgcoo at December 18, 2007 8:58 PM
Olga- Interesting observation on your life, but that can be tough to live. I'm wishing you perfect happiness.
KB- Thanks!
Posted by: Meghan at December 18, 2007 9:10 PM