Cage

By Hilda Kolawole
Left only to you
I would live caged.
In my space only a water bowl and
Some nuts and on pretty days youd fling the gate open
And Id fly away.
With a rope tethered to my weak ankle
Binding me to the cage,
To you. And Id come back at night
Weak from my flightless flight,
Because Im not really flying
Am I?
Next to my nuts, is my freedom.
Hidden under a small toy
Disguised to look unthreatening
But its there.
Left only for you to look
Left only for you to search for.
I squawk and tweet and speak
In the only language I know
But you dont understand.
You speak in roars and dominance
Of animals who have never known cages.
A language I will never know.
Left only for you to teach me
Left only for me to understand.
And this oppression feels comfortable,
Like a well worn sweater
And jeans that have never stopped fitting.
I dont know what I am missing
Left only for you to teach me.
And the day comes, when you have looked

And have seen.

My toy gets thrown up
And shatters under the sound of your voice.
I dont understand your language,
A language I have never learned,
But it sounds like dominance
So I squawk back submission.
And you convince me that I never
Needed what was under my toy
And I listen.
Maybe this cage is a version of a head and
Ill spring out full armor on one faithful day.
Left only to you
I would live caged.
You always told me my beak
Had no purpose, I eat nuts
I swallow them whole.
I dont crush them, cant crush them
I swallow them whole.

It never occurs to me to nip

At the rope, you roar dominance
I squawk submission, you told me
My beak had no purpose
I listened.