Black Bird On a Wire Edited Version

Black Bird on a Wire Black Bird sitting on a wire back turned towards me Do you wish to hide the intelligence of your eyes I see here at this old dump picking through the unwanted wanted things I wish I could search along with you check out what the Jones's have no more use for The bits of their unfixed the not new enough Their "I think we deserve the very best." "This ain't good enough, let's buy more and more stuff!" At one time I wore their discarded garments without pride I should have been proud for I dug for them with my wanting hands Hands that waded through their decadence the refillable the recyclable their unused reusable Black Bird I watch you and your brothers as you feasted on our last suppers Ripping open black bags fighting for morsels Unconcerned with the rotting intoxicated by fermenting fruit the pungent aromas There are bones that need to be picked clean I noticed but did not recall until now the depth of my wanting the hunger within Back then I was hoping praying for a bicycle Desperately wanting to ride far away from here so that I might escape my then my embarrassment my "I hope no one sees me!" "Garbage picker!" "Where did you get that coat?" "We threw that in the dump!" Boy oh boy do I like clothing now. No one will ever again make fun of what I wear! Part of me wishes to return with you Black Bird to see what I have left behind So that I can reclaim and recycle that little boy But I can't The dumps aren't open anymore It is like those old bones bleached picked clean Manicured Items placed in appropriate piles All the while you sit on your wire back turned to me Intelligent eyes hidden knowing I can't disturb you In a while you will feed on yesterday for this place is not closed to you! This piece grew out of my childhood experiences. We got our clothing from the dump and I still remember a girl saying to my sister " That's my coat, we threw that in the dump." I felt so bad for her and also for myself.