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The Caged Bird Sings

A new sun rises beyond earth’s edge,

Golden luminescent rays melt dawn’s mist,

 Birds rise from their nest beds,

 The soft wind ruffles their plumage,

And they sing,

A chirp, a tweet, a twitter, a song,

A melody of happiness.

A voice joins in their chorus,

That feeble voice on the other side of the window.

The caged bird sings.

 

The sky gives away its dark robes and turns a bold blue,

Silver dew fall off the evergreen blades,

A rainbow of flowers blossom,

Fragrance is spilled into the delicious breeze,

And they sing;

The free birds sing of the wonders they see.

They sing of joy, thrill, and the life in living.

But that lonely soul behind those bars of despair sees no marvel,

Yet it sings their happy song.

The caged bird sings.

 

The captured bird knows no flock,

It flies no nuptials,

It tastes not the sweetness of the honeysuckle nectar,

Its sore wings ache from the dreary years of disuse.

Yet it sings;

The caged bird sings with the free birds of the spring meadow,

Not because it shares in their happiness,

But because it dreams of their freedom,

Because it hopes to ride on the red sunset clouds someday,

Aye, the caged bird sings!

 

Written in honor of Maya Angelou.

 

A star leaves the lowly earth into the skies;

the heavens where she belongs. 

Rest in Peace Maya Angelou.

 

 

-Samuel Owusu Achiaw

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