One Poem by Guna Moran

 

The Pet Bird

                                                                        

Fly away  oh bird

The iron cage

I’ve opened

 

Fly away

to the twig

of your chosen tree

 

Fly away  oh bird

At will I’ve let you

come out of the cage

Do fly away

far into the distance out of sight

 

Fly away  oh bird

I’ve  picked you up

and put you on the house top

Do fly away

 

Perched on the ridge

are you looking around

Do you know how many springs slipped away

while you were in the cage

Do you know whether your buddies

are dead or alive

Are you scared of

being swallowed by the vastness of the whole sky

if you lift your eyes

 

Fly away  oh bird   do fly away

Why are you looking at me and not flying

 

Suddenly you’ve flown back

and perched on the hand

of this cruel man who kept you in captivity so long

You seem tamer than before

 

Oh my dear bird

is it your kindness to

or pity for me

 

From now on you’ll be looking for me

in life and in death

From now on I’ll live for your sake

From now on the cage has no use at all

Guna Moran - is an Assamese poet and critic. His poems are published in more than a hundred international magazines, journals, webzines, blogs, newspapers and anthologies and have been translated into thirty languages around the world. .He has three poetry books to his credit. He lives in Assam, India.

Twitter-@gunamoran