Poets United Midweek Motif ~ Two Souls: Caged and Free

"You can cage the singer but not the song"--Harry Belafonte

Source

"A Robin Redbreast in a Cage
Puts all Heaven in a Rage"--William Blake



"Stone walls do not a prison make, nor iron bars a cage"--Richard Lovelace


"Each work has its own space, which should neither be conceived as a sort of cage nor regarded as extending to infinity."--Marino Marini


"My father always said,"Malala will be free as a bird."--Malala Yousafzai

Midweek Motif ~ Two Souls: Caged and Free

There are many poems on this topic. But today I have chosen only two with distinctly different notes: One by Maya Angelou and the other by Rabindranath Tagore. Tagore’s one is originally a song done in Bengali.

I have also included the song here, for anyone interested in it.

What you have to do today is read the poems closely and then write your own poem about either a free or a caged soul or both.

So….Play with your words.

Two Birds

by Rabindranath Tagore

Cage-bird was in the golden cage, the forest-bird in the wood,

Whatever was the will of God a meeting between the two ensued.

Gushed forest-bird, “Dear cage-bird let’s fly together to the green”.

Cage-bird whispered, “Forest-bird dear, let’s stay here quietly, within”.

To which forest-bird shuddered, “Oh no, I will never be in fetters”.

Cage-bird uttered, “Alas! How will I be out to the woods to be better?”

Forest bird sat outside chirping all the wild notes.

Cage-bird sang the ditty only it had learnt by rote.

Forest bird said, “Let me see you sing the forest songs, dear.”

Cage-bird pleaded, “Why not learn the cage songs my love, here.”

“Oh no”, trilled the other one, “Dictated words are not for me”.

Cage-bird sighed, “Alas! Songs of the woods! How do I sing?”

One said, “The sky is deep azure, nowhere is there a trace of a bar.”

The other replied, “Neat is the cage, and how firm on all sides is the cover!”

Forest bird chirped, “In the midst of the clouds, open out yourself free.”

“Tie yourself safely to secluded home corner”, cage-bird cheeped.

Forest bird refused, “Oh no, where’s there room to fly?”

The other one murmured, “Alas! There’s no perch, up so high!”

Thus these two loved each other but couldn’t get any closer,

In between bars their beaks touched so did their mute stare.

Both failed to grasp the other’s plight as well as their own.

They only beat their wings; called each other to be close; forlorn.

Forest bird cried “Oh no, who knows when shut will be the door”.

Cage-bird sighed, “Alas! My wings have no strength to soar.”

Caged Bird

by Maya Angelou

        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.

 Please share your new poem using Mr. Linky below and visit others in the spirit of the community

                               (Next week Susan's Midweek Motif will be ~ Teaching    )