You said you wanted these eyes in your sights for the rest of your life You want the heart and soul of me but you deny the whole of me You forgot about my wings Those hulking, iridescent things They sit on my shoulder blades and long for the skies Even I migrate to warmer climes where I might find my piece of mind. Out of the two of us, I find it is I who follows the teachings of Christ Of love for all, and forgiveness too But I also follow ipheginia, boudicca, Joan of ark and any other woman who had her spark quenched by a man I know you did not mean to rein me in Your fear was your scalpel, and you clipped my wings I know now why the caged bird sings And I know why the house bird hisses when you bring him food He longs for the open skies Doesn't care what lies beyond the curtain And if in the end he dies, at least it'll be on his own terms. You didn't inflict a cage on me I tore those wings from seam to seam Thinking that wanting you should be enough for me That wanting anything more was heresy You made me think a part of me was broken. That it was selfish to fly south for winter, Even if I'd die in the cold. You always used to shout at the birds when they sang too loud, And I wonder how I didn't know before. You said you wanted these eyes in your sights for the rest of your life But if we did that We'd never be apart.
This is another poem about controlling relationships, and how often it's a fear of disappointing the other person that motivates people to perpetuate their own lack of control.