I stand here by my window looking outwards

In a house across the street are pairs of newly caged birds

Parrots , sparrows and some fancy exotic birds all in a single cage

I knew in that tiny contraption, they were filled with ultimate rage

Maybe their wings were cropped and space scarce

I have seen their movements change in due course

They’re a restless lot , their struggles relentless

But their desire to fly is boundless

To the owners, they are just beautiful pets

A sense of ownership , something to possess I guess

But to these birds, this is sheer hell

How in happiness would they possibly dwell?

Birds are natural dancers

And they are such graceful prancers

In fact everything alive is meant to move

To be nourished in frredom for it to grow

it was never meant to be still and stuck in tiny places

That is why God made this world so huge with expansive spaces

It was meant to fly free

It was meant to be.

It seeks fulfillment as it flies

Across the sky and watch the world go by

I hear their songs of sadness as they chirp everyday

They aren’t singing tunes of hope, life for them is bleak and grey

Its more a woeful cacophony than a melody

Perhaps as the time goes by, they will learn to live by

And accept their new surroundings

But alas what a waste of wings

If only they hear the plight of these hapless birds

And sense the sounds of silence, what a waste of life’s joy in flight

Cos their clipped wings can never flap in delight…

Whose loss is it anyway?

Is what the world might indifferently say

And perhaps justify as karmic cycle being repaid

Alas! Isn’t another vicious cycle being relaid?

Savvy Raj

http://www.savvyraj.com

Sharing these reflections written a year ago when I was living in the city of Mumbai where hearts are big but living spaces small like any other bustling city. I have moved on to a much greener city and today it is truly a blessing that my terrace opens out to a protected patch of forestland and I often find myself refreshingly awakened early morning, hearing the cheer of the chirping birds .

 On a rainy day I  can often find a peacock perched happily on the branch of the nearby trees.  Seeing the joy in the flight of these birds and at  times getting lucky to catch a sight of delightful murmuring of birds in the horizon  definitely makes my evenings truly enthralling. Savvy