She’s been tethered, snared and chained,
to her path.
She knows that diamonds
aren’t a girl’s best friend if stuck with gold.
But still she smiles at him,
wrapped in silk his parents paid.
She’s a showcase gem, a piece of art,
the beauty queen who’s
never asked before she’s caged.
She’s been trained to be his chalice;
his blood and bone,
smile and answer yes.
But she cannot cease to think;
to dream; sing
pretending she could ride on the back of the wind;
to be free.
She, a woman, destined
to be tethered, snared and chained
answers yes.
© Douglas M. MacIlroy
I wrote this as a poem because I need to catch up and reach 30 poems in April, and since I wanted to avoid writing about disc-golf I wrote about the cage it looks like 🙂
Rochelle selects the picture for us to write a story of 100 characters we follow her and do our best ekphrastic effort.
—
April 18, 2018
Björn Rudbergs writings 
Oh, Bjorn! It does seem like our stories play off one another or are meant to interweave. How splendid is that?
But she cannot cease to think;
to dream; sing
pretending she could ride on the back of the wind;
to be free.
I love this part most. Nicely done.
I love that your story might have given her that freedom…
That ability to dream will someday come to her rescue and set her free, I think. In spirit if not in fact.
I hope so… freedom is what makes us sing I think
If only she’d been taught how to use her wings.
We did indeed both see the chains as something holding back a woman. Nice metaphor Bjorn, well written.
She’s been trained to be his chalice;
his blood and bone,
smile and answer yes.
very powerfully worded and placed within this prose/poem flash piece.
Wonderful poem – rich and beautifully done!
Susan A Eames at
Travel, Fiction and Photos
Is your beautiful woman deluding herself by dreaming of freedom? Are we all deluding ourselves? Or are there just different degrees of captivity? Your poem poses some profound questions, Bjorn.
I fear that most caged birds forget their voice. Good story
Wonderfully done, Björn. I’m thinking that at this point, she cannot free herself or will not?
Freedom cannot be denied even to a bird in a glided caged. Very well done.
Excellent, Bjorn! Loved the words and rhythm.
This is sooo real, Bjorn. I hate thinking that there are ladies subjected to a life like this.
..
Beautiful and poignant.
Loved your powerful poem
do you disc golf? I (sometimes) play ultimate frisbee ~
Excellent take on the prompt. Bjorn.
Beautifully written. A gilded cage is still a cage and the bird still longs for freedom. Seems this one will never fly. Sad but well told
I hope one day she finds the strength to gain her freedom.
There is much to introspect here.
The picture you’ve painted makes me incredibly sad. I think that’s your intention, right?
it’s true, indeed. even a caged bird can sing.
Truly in the image of Miss Maya Angelou, indeed! Great poem!
Tragic poem, Björn. So sad and claustrophobic. Reminds me of a quote I saw that “Birds born in cages think freedom is a crime.” Perhaps she wants to be free, but nothing is physically holding her back. As your poem suggests, she was trained to be this way and can-untrain herself to set herself free.
I love it. It’s so topical at the moment too with women making a stand for their rights although it could be applied to anyone searching for freedom. A real gem. 🙂
I immediate thought of the trophy wives–Melania Trump comes to mind.
Dear Bjorn,
Her despair and feelings of entrapment are tangible in this piece. And ending with Maya Angelou’s beautiful piece is the perfect epilogue. Well done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
Oh, the caged the bird. I hope she doesn’t forget to sing. I hope she doesn’t forget to dream. 🙂
Makes me think of the woman in The Eagles’ “Lying Eyes”. Caught in a trap of her own making?
Wow, what a stunning poem Bjorg!
I mean Bjorn, a thousand apologies 🙂
Good story, beautifully told as usual, Bjorn
I felt a twinge of sadness or was that regret?
Superb, Bjorn, I love this.
And thanks for the introduction to Maya Angelou, her poem is a sublime piece of work.
Such a moving piece – the woman whose destiny is mapped for her. I wonder why she can’t escape her cage, and whether her dreams of flight will be enough to sustain her in.
A Lovely poem, Bjorn. Many women are indeed chained like this.
A tragedy. I hope one day she is able to free herself.
Wonderful poem, Björn and what a powerful take on the prompt. Many are caged by oppressors, some are caged by their own idea of a good life.