Caged+Bird

Caged Bird Maya Angelou (1983)

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 <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">so he opens his throat to sing.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">The caged bird sings <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">with a fearful trill <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">of things unknown <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">but longed for still <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">and his tune is heard <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">on the distant hill <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">for the caged bird <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">sings of freedom.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">The free bird thinks of another breeze <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">and the fat worms waiting on a dawn bright lawn <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">and he names the sky his own <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">his wings are clipped and his feet are tied <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">so he opens his throat to sing.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">The caged bird sings <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">with a fearful trill <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">of things unknown <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">but longed for still <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">and his tune is heard <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">on the distant hill <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">for the caged bird <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">sings of freedom.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">accessed at: The Poetry Foundation, http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/178948