Each morning dawns a new-born beautiful day
Serene and surreal, like a blooming flower
Unfurling with delicate grace
But how heartless and ruthless
Our unsparing, selfish fancies are
To deny the caged bird its fond glorious pleasures
Like a forgotten dream, the caged bird reminisces
The feel and bliss of flying
Under the canopy of blue sky
With raging desires
To reach far beyond the horizon, wild and free
To glide through the snowy clouds of ethereal white
To cozily nestle in the comfort of their snug nests,
Feeling at home, tranquil and safe
To ruffle the feathers and give a friendly peck
To their fluffy comrades, a chirp away
But fate conspires, and the vulnerable bird fails
To fight against our hearts of stone
And the inevitable bars of the awful cage
No one hears the caged bird’s silent wails
Painful despair and agony
Is all that generously reigns
The caged bird’s burning hope of being set free
It starts to slowly but certainly diminish and fade
Maybe the caged bird’s helpless plight
And endless tears surmised our ill-fate
And we bear the burden of blame
Like a bolt of lightning,
The deadly blow of the pandemic
Set lives ablaze
An invisible enemy, though intangible
Was clearly unfazed
The covid virus deftly turns the world topsy-turvy
Rebelliously shaking the might of the world
Leaving the entire system a mess,
Chaotic and restrained
Need we explain?
Cooped up in our homes,
Craving for sunshine and nostalgic normalcy
We were forced to remain confined
Just like the sad caged bird
Just like the sad caged bird
Craving for our loved ones’ embrace
A warm hug or even a hearty handshake
Pining for unconditional freedom
To be carefree, to discover and experience life
Devoid of any fatal fear
To live mask-free, to simply breathe
And be fully alive
The caged bird’s woeful story was now ours too
The dilemma was deep,
And the paths of aversion
Lead to the grave
Now we could distinctly realize
Heaving a solemn sigh
The tragic price of our heinous deeds
That mercilessly destroyed
The caged bird’s lofty dreams
And all that we could never suffice, never suffice
(Sarah Fathima from Bangalore has done her Diploma in Creative Writing from Symbiosis University and is currently pursuing her second year BA (English)
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