What do you do
If you are given the task of taking care of a bird from a wild beast?

You cage the bird.
Though it does not ensure its safety.
And most definitely does not assure it of its rights.

Why then do you do it?
Just because you cannot,
You do not even think of fighting the beast yourself.

And you also do not want to believe,
In fact, you refuse to believe,
Believe that the bird is capable of taking care of itself.

You say you do it all out of love.
And care.
And concern.
And best wishes in mind.

But the bird is hurt.
The bird is ruined.
The bird is smothered of a lifetime.
Is that the strength of your love?
Is that your overpowering care and concern?

But you gain some solace, Some satisfaction out of it.
And I wonder.
I wonder.
What could you possibly have to gain from crumbling your love to bits and smearing your tears with its ashes?

A sense of having fulfilled your responsibility?
Of having done your bit?
Done something at least?
A false sense of power?

Can’t you understand?
It only makes you feel falsely content with yourself,
And does no good to anyone else.

You say you love the bird in your cage more and that’s why you want to keep it close,
But you adore and admire in awe the bird that soars to great heights,
And even point it out to your caged bird.

You show it the dream you’ll never let it live,
You tell it what it could be,
You don’t tell it that you won’t let it be.

You are naive enough to think that caged birds can’t fly,
You are ignorant enough to think birds that fly don’t come back home.

You are scared that if you let it live, it’ll leave you alone.
And I wonder why.
Why?
Is it because that’s what you would do?