Maya Sings
Published by deviousdiva November 28th, 2007 in Art.I know why the caged bird sings
Maya Angelou
A free bird leaps on the back
Of the wind and floats downstream
Till the current ends and dips his wing
In the orange suns 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.
The caged bird sings with a fearful trill
Of things unknown but longed for still
And his tune is heard on the distant hill for
The caged bird sings of freedom.
The free bird thinks of another breeze
And the trade winds soft through
The sighing trees
And the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright
Lawn and he names the sky his own.
But a caged BIRD stands on the grave of dreams
His shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
His wings are clipped and his feet are tied
So he opens his throat to sing.
The caged bird sings with
A fearful trill of things unknown
But longed for still and his
Tune is heard on the distant hill
For the caged bird sings of freedom.
Gees, that is awfully bad verse. Very trite. Try some WH Auden or TS Eliot. However, she married a Balkan Peasant. She should have known better not to stoop to such a low level. Anyway I am off to bring the sheep in, feed the chickens and tend the vines before sunset. We have fasolada tonight just like the last five nights. Then I will light the kandyli, pray to Ai Giorgios and go to bed. I have to get up early tomorrow because Barba Yianni is coming round to read my letters sent from my son in America. Life is difficult but we manage to get by.
Maya Angelou is overrated. She’s a good poet, but I prefer as Legein says, some TS Eliot myself. Eliot and Cavafy are my favourite poets.
In the English language Eliot is a master. I also like Ezra Pound. In other languages I think it is difficult to go past Rilke, Holderlin, Bauldelaire or Lorca. I forgot to mention Pirandello. In the Hellenic language there are so many great poets it is difficult to come up with favourites. Archilocus was a genius. Saphho was all fire. The Tragedians. Theocritus. Agathias. Solomos and Kalvos. Cavafy. Elytis and Ritsos. The great Karyotakis. Calas and Patrikios. Ritsos “Arga mesa stin nihta’. Damn Kavvadias why de he have to die? And the majestic Homer. Not bad for a bunch of dirty peasants hey?
OK. Now you are just being vindictive. You are entitled to opinions of course but don’t stoop to the level of just sniping at my posts for the sake of it. The “peasant” sage is getting very very tedious. Can we move on?
Dear DD,
Thank you for this post - it reminded me of the following two lines from Audre Lorde:
“I have come to believe over and over again that what is most important to me must be spoken, made verbal and shared, even at the risk of having it bruised or misunderstood.”
“I am not only a casualty, I am also a warrior.”
I needed reminding. Thank you.