as I sit upon my perch.
My song is melodious and it pleases him.
He strokes me hard,
he breaks my wings
so that I cannot fly away and still
I sing only for him
but my song has become heavy
with the want of his attention.
He ignores me until
I become annoying and he
becomes angry.
He covers me.
Banished to deep black
I am stilled, quiet but not calm.
I long to see light
streaming in through my bars.
I long to feel the sun; warm kisses upon my face.
I long to flee from this cage,
to feel something other than pain,
to be more than just his plaything.
I am broken....
Wrapped up in brightly colored feathers
to make me beautiful,
but I am not nor will I ever be.
His disgust for me has silenced my song.
My eyes have become dull, they are empty.
They will never sparkle.
He takes me out of my cage and
places me in his hands
when he shows me off to his friends.
He says "I love you" and I
mimic the words back to him
because that is what
is expected of me.
I comply, all in the name
of good impressions.
Words repeated without feeling.
I do not know what love is....
They think me exotic, his friends
who rub me with rough hands
and leering smiles.
They hold me tight enough
to crush my fragile bones,
they pull out my feathers and laugh.
It hurts
but I remain statue still.
I will not cry out.
They toss me up
expecting me to fly,
but I fall to the floor
with a thump.
All eyes watch me with amusement,
I am the entertainment.
They tell me they love me
as they pluck me until nothing is left and
they leave me on the floor where I lay,
motionless.
Each attempt at shallow breath
sends pain through broken ribs.
I close my eyes and
dream of flying.....
