A bird of paradise
in a wooden cage
Made from branches
We both collected
They have kept me safe
From this creature who
With selfish pleasure
Could devour my very soul
Broken open now:
hearts and minds
This cage was never
Woven from the Earth
The branches are the trees
Above the blue, wings stretched
My soul glistening in every feather
Joining the souls of all those brave enough to see it
Without laying claim to its beauty
~r