There once was a bird locked in a cage
Alone and vulnerable regardless of her age
With grace and beauty like that of a mage
And small enough to fit in any size of page
Timidity and shyness made up her form
With feathers and wings able to hold off a storm
In spite of her meekness she was incredibly sweet
Able to melt hearts with just a single tweet
With cute little eyes smaller than beads
Sharper than even the stingers of bees
As beautiful as she was, her life was not easy
Hard in a way to leave one quite queasy
With a dysfunctional family that was anything but nice
With eyes of cruelty and hearts of ice
Willing to cut her with just a single slice
She was tossed around for others to roll
All for something she could not control
On and on she was tormented and belittled
By those who believed they were entitled
They bashed her, insulted her, called her names
Getting others to join in on their sick games
She thrashed, she struggled, cried and pleaded
Reaching out for help that she desperately needed
But not a single soul came to her aid
And not a single ounce of attention was paid
They just watched as she was thrown carelessly around
Be it tossed into the air or stomped into the ground
Her tweets for mercy fell on deaf ears
And those that heard her shed no tears
They laughed at her misery, relishing in her pain
For it was something all of them could obtain
With no fear of consequences or retaliation
And no desire to see her get any gratification
And so, she was left, alone and cold
Her suffering increasing with each cruel word told
Growing inside of her like bread having mold
Or a rock containing an obscene amount of gold
Then a shining light cracked though the dark
Even though it was no smaller than a spark
Bright enough to make a dog cease its bark
And gain the attention of an entire theme park
Making absolute sure that it left its mark
It reached out and took the caged bird in its embrace
Pulling her out of the darkness with such controlled grace
Making the tiny heart inside of her race
As if she was inside of the fragments of space
This ball of light then took the caged bird in
Smoothing her feathers and cleaning her skin
Treating her as if she were her own kin
All the while bearing an affectionate grin
She fixed the caged bird’s body and mended her broken mind
Not out of cruelty but because she was kind
Helping her out of what had her in a bind
With an incredible resolve that nothing could grind
Through the graces of time they learned about each other
Curious about what there was to know about one another
As if the shining light had suddenly become a mother
And the caged bird had just became her daughter
They went through happiness, sadness, joy and drama
The caged bird coming to see the light as her mama
Even if she no longer had a papa
That mama helped the caged bird grow
Into something that any pure soul can show
Into a light that was able to glow
And give anyone an unforgettable show
When the darkness enveloped her at her bleakest hour
And the caged bird was no longer standing at the highest tower
Feeling devoid of any and all power
She looked for that light at the end of the tunnel
Even if it was as small as a bundle
When it came, she grasped that light with all her might
Until it completely enveloped her sight
Making her smile wide and bright
And feel as if she was going higher than a kite
Then she wore it like a gleaming crown
And showed her abusers she won’t to be torn down
Nor would she be treated as if she was a clown
They tried resorting to their usual schemes
Ready to crush her resolve by any means
Alas, the caged bird was not who was she once was
And she made sure they knew it just because
Making their foolish minds go off in a buzz
She let her divine light shine in their eyes
Leaving them unable to resort to their lies
Or try to tear her down with family ties
Even though her resolve was countless times their size
She let them all know that she was done
No longer would she be the smoking gun
That she would instead shine as bright as the sun
And take back all her missed days of fun
She said she was going to spread her wings
The very same tools that they resorted to as things
And use them to fly far away
Regardless of what they tried to do to make her stay
That no matter what they tried to do
Regardless of any plan they resorted to
She would finally fly that day
For this was her way of making them pay
Then, she took off at the count of three
With enough force to destroy an entire tree
Higher and higher into the sky
Not even bothering to say goodbye
She soared as high and as fast as she could
Daring any to catch her that would
But they all stayed still where they were
At a loss for words from what they saw occur
They watched as she vanished into the sky's blueness
Its endless size matching how much they were clueless
Eventually she managed to find her flock
One that liked to fly around the clock
They welcomed her inside with open arms
With feathers and wings the size of farms
Ones the caged bird thought she would never see
Regardless of how she wished how true that wouldn't be
After some hesitation, she joined in the group
Feeling as warm as a bowl of hot soup
And she joined them all in their glorious light
Out of mind and out of sight
Vanishing into the light of the sun
Towards endless days and nights of fun
Her shining light watched her go
With a joy inside of her none would ever know
And an unbearable warmth that would continue to grow
Until it was well past ready to blow.
The shining light knew that she did her job well
A job that she knew her young chick would tell
And no matter how many times it was said,
Be it for the first, second time, or even the third
The shining light knew that her chick
Was no longer the caged bird
beautiful and sad
9997482
Beautiful and sad indeed.
No I got the perfect song for this.
OMG I'm crying.
9997486
No...thank you for always staying strong and staying true to yourself.
9997489
This is better, because it reminds me of my love for animals!
9997490
Who wouldn't cry over this?
9997494
But... It is perfect. So fricken well done. My fucking Jesus.
9997498
Yeah, you take a moment to think about how wonderful this was and how it hit you in the FEEEEEEELS!
bird or the cage?
9998261
Caged bird.
9998265
oh.
9998321
Sorry if the title was a little misleading.
9998322
its ok
I like it. Like a molodious version of The Ugly Duckling.
10019781
Thank you! It was a little gift for a friend.
10019806
You're welcome!
This just wrenched my heart and I get the feeling it is based on something that actually happened
10046227
10046225
You have no idea...
10046623
Sorry about the double message my phone glitches in a weird way
10046911
That's alright. I have a couple more sequels to this poem that're much more flushed out. So feel free to read those if you'd like.
So Snowdrop has something to do with this?
10050554
The first poem, no not really.
10050594
Okay, so they´re related because they are bittersweet poems.
10050607
Definitely.
This first poem was initially a little surprise gift for Rivershy, but then...well, it went onto more of them.
10050609
Nice. You are very kind.
10050614
Eh, just a little Fang trying to help a beautiful river out.
10050623
And may your poetic heart be as free as a bird.
10050640
My feels... they were not prepared for this!
This was a beautiful poem, wonderful job!
10204070
Go to the other three, they're just as heart-wrenching, especially the last one.
10204104
I'm planning on reading the others; I have a weakness for poetry...
10204107
Then prepare to have your heart ripped to shreds!!!
10204109
*Grabs tissue box* Let the pain commence!
10204120
Good Luck....
10050609
You don't have to do it, but there's something that I think would be really helpful soon. I really want River Shy to be happy, but if you look at her last few blog posts, you can see that she's in a tough family situatuation. I was thinking that maybe if you made another one, then that might be kind of helpful and encouraging for her. I know that it's a long time since you wrote the last one, so I'm not sure if you would want to do it or not.
Thank you,
My Sister Tia
10466033
Now that you mention it, I should. I did mention that I was going to write a poem involving her and me anyway. With what’s happening now, she really needs it.
10466137
I hope that she enjoys it.
10466156
Oh I know she will, given the very first poem.
Hi! This was reviewed here. Thanks for submitting!
10525105
Thank you for the review, and you're welcome for the submission! If you want, feel free to check out the other poems.
I like the rhyme and meter in this poem. The structure itself makes the abuse seem so clinical and robotic, which reminds me of how I assume abusers see their action in a detached and emotionless way. Also, this poem is just heartbreaking. I love the metaphor of the bird escaping from her cage, finding her flock, and flying off into the sun as representing the person escaping abuse, finding friends, and leaving her old life behind.
My heart goes out to all those out there facing abuse. You are seen. You are heard, and I will be here to listen and give emotional support.
10561801
Well said, Poke-A-Dot... well said.
That was a bittersweet and emotional little tale of a bird of how she showed those abusers she wouldn't be held down by them. Great job. :)
10584593
Indeed it was!