<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=us-ascii"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;" class=""><b class="">Caged Bird</b> </div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; min-height: 22px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">A free bird leaps</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">on the back of the wind</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">and floats downstream</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">till the current ends</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">and dips his wing</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">in the orange sun rays</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">and dares to claim the sky.</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; min-height: 22px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">But a bird that stalks</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">down his narrow cage</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">can seldom see through</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">his bars of rage</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">his wings are clipped and</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">his feet are tied</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">so he opens his throat to sing.</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; min-height: 22px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">The caged bird sings</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">with a fearful trill</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">of things unknown</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">but longed for still</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">and his tune is heard</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">on the distant hill</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">for the caged bird</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">sings of freedom.</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; min-height: 22px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">The free bird thinks of another breeze</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">and the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright lawn</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">and he names the sky his own.</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; min-height: 22px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">his wings are clipped and his feet are tied</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">so he opens his throat to sing.</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; min-height: 22px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">The caged bird sings</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">with a fearful trill</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">of things unknown</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">but longed for still</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">and his tune is heard</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">on the distant hill</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">for the caged bird</div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class="">sings of freedom. </div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; min-height: 22px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>- Maya Angelou</div></body></html>