We were asked to finish a poem a sentence using feelings, thoughts, and specifics. I don’t remember what they are, but it was a teaching strategy you could use with your middle schooler’s to get them chatting. We were asked to share about a bird song. I began to write about it… then started to think about Maya Angelou.
The Bird Sang
Not the caged bird
But the canary outside
On the telephone pole
Celebrating this glorious sunny day
So early in the morn.
The bird sang
It was the whistle releasing
The coal miners from the dark depths
And the soiled faces emerged
Smiling.
For life, another day, and warm meals.
The bird sang
The sad song about harsh winters
The cold child without a jacket or shoes
To tell the heartbreak to the world
The bird sang
Not really it crowed
To indicate it was more than a scavenger
Just a lonely bully
Looking for love
The bird sang
A song about ships on the sea
And the way they ebbed to and fro
About the waves of the ocean
Washing, lapping, crashing, rocking, rushing, swell
The bird sang
About the desert
How hot and dry it is
How the cactus is full of water
The bird sang
For hope
To fly in the wind currents
In the blue sky
For the sun warming its wings
The bird sang
Not the caged bird
But that living within your heart
The one ready to sore and start anew
The one waiting for tomorrow.
Tags: bird, maya angelou, poetry, traditional poetry
