Just a Caged Bird

I am a little caged bird, you see: I look and I see tiny silver bars crisscross my view; I’m never seeing the world in full, Never, Only bars and squares of thin silver-coloured rods. Outside, the wind blows fresh and strong; But it never blows my way, never once! If only I could be let out once Just so I can flap my wings; Just so to get a stretch, Just to be sure I can still fly. Years have I been here; Possibly my wings can't fly. Maybe my bones are filled out now, Maybe I have become too heavy - Maybe, I’m not even worth being let out. I flap them once in a while Just to check them out, But that's nearly not enough: It doesn't really test my feathers out. I see the other birds soar and glide, I see them flap and jump, They toss and yaw, And swirl and hover; But me, poor me, I can only watch them in their glee, And I say: If only I could be let out once! Here, they give me food and water; That's generous of my keepers, But corn and rice are hardly my favourites. If only I could sip from the stream And beak into remains of fruit and greens; If only I was made to search worms: Those treats, And even pieces of bread thrown about; But I’m always here - alone. I had friends, too - even lovers! I grew where many a ripe cock courted me; I was the toast of our nest And all about it, But since I've been here I'm sure they're all taken. I shall never have fertile eggs, Never make a nest, Never raise chicks, And will die alone here in this ‘mesh-meshy’ prison. I am just a caged bird, you see!