‘I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings’
– Maya Angelou
1.
Just moments ago, a little boy,
tenderly returned his canary to its cage
after petting its bright yellow feathers.
Does the bird wonder why, the huge
noise, why the surrounding darkness?
Does it realize it has only a few more minute
to live as no one will lift it, the little boy,
or his family from the smothering
rubble of their home?
2.
A thin girl holds her father’s hand
as they pick their way along the ruined
road to their tent of sheets flapping in the breeze.
The father hopes the tiny wood fire will warm them,
that the bright presence of the canary
they’ve just purchased in the market,
its small song, will transport them
into the remembered space of home.
Please listen.
Sandra Larson
This poem was inspired by a story entitled “How the songbirds of Rafah help Palestinians cope with the terror of war” which appeared in the Al Jazeera on-line news journal on February 17, 2024.
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