Caged



As I lay amongst the countless white bricks, a chill runs down my spine. For the bricks are cold. I stare upward, longing the bright blue sky, the gaze of the sun peering through the cotton candy clouds, the light wind brushing my face. For I now know, just that view, just that breeze, just that moment is a luxury. I am ripped back to reality as the rickety wheels of the lunch cart wonders about the halls. No longer am I admiring the beautiful blue sky, or the gentle breeze of the calm wind touching my cheek. My eyes are met by the dim ceiling of the empty cage separating me from the outer world. As I sit in solitude, I am forced to wonder, "Do I belong here? Is this my future?" I hope and pray it is not, for I am scared and alone. Neither of which do I voice aloud. I sit in silence, for speaking makes me vulnerable. The monotone voice overhead informs me I have visitors. An overwhelming joy fills my body, but is masked by a face of stone. "They cannot know I feel", I tell myself repeatedly. For feeling is weakness and I must be strong to push through this. I stand in front of a large metal door, the only thing separating me from the ones I love. I pull open the heavy door, anticipating a bombarding of hugs and a room flooded by tears of joy. The door opens fully. I see a computer screen resting behind a thick layer of glass. I see my father's face. His spirit is broken. He tries to mask the emotions racing through him. As I lift the phone to speak to him he tries to be casual. He believes he has failed me. I hold back tears and force myself to smile to ease his pain. I feel as though I have let him down. I notice an old friend in the background waiting patiently to speak to me. The phone is handed to him. He says to me, "Everything will be alright." I feel something damp run down my cheek. My trembling hand is lifted to wipe away the droplet of water before I could become comfortable with that emotion. I crack a joke and quickly change the conversation. I told him my fear of dreaming, how it scares me to imagine a life filled with such positivity, only to be awakened to the disappointing reality of my current situation. He responds, "Would you rather settle for nightmares?"

Font size:
Collection  PDF     
 

Written on January 10, 2017

Submitted on February 01, 2023

Modified on March 05, 2023

2:08 min read
8

Quick analysis:

Scheme A
Characters 2,216
Words 429
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 1

Julian C. Hersh

Student of strife, learner of life. more…

All Julian C. Hersh poems | Julian C. Hersh Books

0 fans

Discuss the poem Caged with the community...

0 Comments

    Translation

    Find a translation for this poem in other languages:

    Select another language:

    • - Select -
    • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
    • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
    • Español (Spanish)
    • Esperanto (Esperanto)
    • 日本語 (Japanese)
    • Português (Portuguese)
    • Deutsch (German)
    • العربية (Arabic)
    • Français (French)
    • Русский (Russian)
    • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
    • 한국어 (Korean)
    • עברית (Hebrew)
    • Gaeilge (Irish)
    • Українська (Ukrainian)
    • اردو (Urdu)
    • Magyar (Hungarian)
    • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
    • Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Italiano (Italian)
    • தமிழ் (Tamil)
    • Türkçe (Turkish)
    • తెలుగు (Telugu)
    • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
    • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
    • Čeština (Czech)
    • Polski (Polish)
    • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Românește (Romanian)
    • Nederlands (Dutch)
    • Ελληνικά (Greek)
    • Latinum (Latin)
    • Svenska (Swedish)
    • Dansk (Danish)
    • Suomi (Finnish)
    • فارسی (Persian)
    • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
    • հայերեն (Armenian)
    • Norsk (Norwegian)
    • English (English)

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Caged" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 5 Nov. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/149740/caged>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    November 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    25
    days
    23
    hours
    22
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    A poem consisting of 14 lines, typically with a specific rhyme scheme, is called a _______.
    A sonnet
    B epic
    C haiku
    D limerick