The Cage
A glorious creature, restrained,
In a box of steel and wire.
The keeper attempts to engage
But also feels her fire.
Her eyes
Show a hurt, beyond disguise.
The cage
Is a vile place to dwell.
She murmurs the growl of the pained
And paces 'round her cell.
She was not his, she never was,
Never even could be.
He had the power that would assuage,
Put things as they should be.
And so,
He sadly lets her go.
The cage
Swings open in the light.
She steps out and then, after a pause,
She walks into the night.
He watchs as she lopes away
And merges into the wood.
While he stood for what seemed an age,
In his heart, he understood.
Wet eyed,
He turns and walks inside.
The cage
Now empty and unneeded.
He senses that he too, in a way,
Is now unimpeded.
---
© J Cosmo Newbery 2013
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Really like this poem, reminds me of Rilke's The Panther except in this case the big cat is set free which gives it a happy ending. Nice!
ReplyDeleteThis is profound, JC. (One of your best!) It takes a large investment of energy/time/heart to cage someone/something. If one opens the cage, there is freedom for both.
ReplyDeleteI think circuses should be outlawed. Zoos do some good work...educate, preserve, etc... but I still get sad thinking about beautiful creatures confined.
ReplyDeleteThis is lovely ... you have reflected the bond beautifully ... awesome piece JCN !!!
ReplyDeleteNothing more to be said...
ReplyDeletesadly beautiful ... I agree. It is one of your best.
ReplyDeletexxx
It's beautiful how you turned this into such a rich metaphorical piece.
ReplyDeleteLovely poem... vibrant flow of tragic emotions..
ReplyDeleteBeautiful.
ReplyDeleteHow very beautiful and moving - cages are no places for animals.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant,such depth and despair - We all need freedom from the lies of the cage. Well Done
ReplyDeleteit must be hard andyetso rewarding to being a creature back to life and set them free
ReplyDeleteChanging places with the tiger...the uncaged becomes the caged. (Anyway, that's what struck me first when I read: "He turns and walks inside.")There are depths in this poem that beg to be explored again and again.
ReplyDeleteTolling Bell
beautiful... so glad he set her free. No one should be caged physically... and yet often we cage ourselves in our own habitual thoughts.
ReplyDeleteA universal post. Could stand for so much. Courage and sadness.
ReplyDeleteBTW, thanks for making me smile with your comment.
BTW2:
DeleteMind if I steal your phrase above your comment box?
Brill approach.
Aw, sweet freedom. Beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThis is so beautiful and touching... it gives me so much to think about. The last line is powerful... sums it up perfectly.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful and filled with the haunt of letting go!
ReplyDeleteLove how you approached this!
:D
Lovely poem.
ReplyDeleteThis begs to be read and reread! The freedom experienced by 'the keeper' is so complex, there is a sadness at the parting but a potential for joy in the ending too. Lovely!
ReplyDeleteGreat final verse, really brings it all together.
ReplyDeleteThis poem has such an impact - the lion's pain, the man's awareness, and his love being selfless enough to set her free. I recently watched a documentary about lions being raised as domestic pets in the US, and it did not end well for some of the lions. Wildlife are meant to live freely. LOVE this poem!
ReplyDeleteGreat ending-the setting free to be set free-been reading "The Life of Pi" recently so the tiger picture and your descriptions really spoke to me :)
ReplyDeleteWow. Loved it.
ReplyDeleteHow the heart aches when one must release a love while its fires still burn. Lovely in both a literal and metaphorical sense.
ReplyDelete