I Know Why
the Caged Bird Sings
(An excerpt)
By Maya AngelouThe free bird leaps
on the back of the wind
and floats downstream
till the current ends
and dips his wings
in the orange sun rays
and dares to claim the sky.
But a bird that stalks
down his narrow cage
can seldom see through
his bars of rage
his wings are clipped and
his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.
timeless
MAYA ANGELOU, the great American
author and poet, was known for her
award-winning autobiographies, as
well as for her numerous plays, scripts,
poems and essays. Maya is also is
widely known as a voice for women,
especially black women, and her works
have courageously covered themes of
identity, racism, and family. During a
1988 interview, Maya said, “One isn’t
necessarily born with courage, but one
is born with potential. Without courage,
we cannot practise any other virtue with
consistency. We can’t be kind, true,
merciful, generous, or honest.”
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