Gilded cage

sorenbarrett

She inserts her hand into the cage withdrawing a small bird.

She has nursed its broken wing and gave it seed and water.

Her heart pangs as she opens the window releasing gratitude to the wind.

He would return but she closes the glass.

He beats against it.

Her cat enters in. 

Comments +

Comments13

  • nephilim56 ( Norman Dickson)

    Love, freedom, cruel to be kind

  • Paul Bell

    I like the cat image, and we know cats like birds.
    Some goodbyes need to be cruel to be kind sometimes.

    • sorenbarrett

      Bingo. You hit the heart my friend. Thanks so much for the read and comment Paul.

    • arqios

      Could stand in for several types of situations where love is mixed with control wherein even cruelty is disguised with kindness and caging in what should be free. 🙏🏻🕊️

      • sorenbarrett

        Thank you my friend I appreciate the read and comment. Yes it could indeed and sometimes we are the one that needs to make that decision not the bird looking for a meal.

        • arqios

          So true. Always, R 👍🏻🕊️

        • Tristan Robert Lange

          Soren, what a haunting portrayal of conditional care. She repairs what was broken, sends it away, and then refuses the bond her kindness created. Tenderness and abandonment sit painfully close together here. Excellent write, my friend! 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦‍⬛

          • sorenbarrett

            Thank you my friend for the read and comment it is true love what does what is best for the one loved not for oneself.

          • orchidee

            Now if someone had not let the cat out of the bag, it would not be among the pigeons/birds!
            Cease! says Fido - enough metaphors, allegories, or whatever they are. lol.

            • sorenbarrett

              If Fido had been around the bird could have stayed. Thanks Orchi for the read and comment I knew you were good with metaphors

              • orchidee

                Speaking meta-wotsitly... lol.

              • mylastwrites

                Who wants to leave the place where they were cared for. Very nice. Thanks for sharing.

                • sorenbarrett

                  Thank you so much for the read and comment you make a good point.

                • Kevin Hulme

                  But of course Wild Birds are not meant to be Caged. So she had no choice.
                  Just hope the Dog gets the Cat.
                  Good Write.

                  • sorenbarrett

                    Thanks Kevin I appreciate the read and comment yes people often try to do what they should not do.

                  • Doggerel Dave

                    Where conditions are right,all caged birds with a chance of survival...I loathe the whole thing.
                    Small unresolved issue here: Since cat came in after the bird was released...
                    Smooth neat write, Soren.

                    • sorenbarrett

                      Thanks so much Dave I had an aquarium for years but no longer will I keep anything caged. Even a potted plant makes me feel bad.

                    • Goldfinch60

                      Birds must always be set free soren.

                      Andy

                      • sorenbarrett

                        And so is love. Thanks so much for the read Andy

                      • gray0328

                        Nicely done

                        • sorenbarrett

                          Thank you Gray means a lot

                        • Jon Nakapalau

                          Wow - several layers here!

                          • sorenbarrett

                            Thanks so much Jon your words are most appreciated

                          • soheil khodaparasti

                            A beautiful and quietly heartbreaking piece. The simple act of setting the bird free feels like an act of love, but the ending changes everything. The closed glass and the arriving cat leave so much unsaid, making the poem both tender and deeply unsettling.

                            • sorenbarrett

                              Thank you my friend for your keen eye and kind review. Yes the cat is introduced as a conundrum for the reader, is it in her love for the bird that she closes the glass and shuts him out or is it her love for the cat over the bird that causes her choose that cat over the bird. Is love relative or all or nothing.

                              • soheil khodaparasti

                                Thank you, my friend. Your explanation makes the conundrum even more intriguing. I especially like the way you leave the reader suspended between two interpretations of love and care: whether it is an act of protection for the bird or an act of preference for the cat. Perhaps that ambiguity is what makes the question so compelling. Is love relative and capable of taking different forms, or does choosing one over another inevitably make it conditional? A fascinating question, and one that gives the poem much to contemplate.

                                • sorenbarrett

                                  Your reflections make writing a pleasure

                                  • soheil khodaparasti

                                    Thank you so much. That is very kind of you to say.

                                  • Joseph M Marion

                                    This is very cute I've read stories like this

                                    • sorenbarrett

                                      Thank you so much my friend for your review and comment. It is most appreciated.



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