“I am a cage, in search of a bird” – from The Blue Octavo Notebooks
Emptiness echoes off my pretty bars,
as polished and shiny as they are
and, every day when you pass by,
you will hear me heave a sigh.
I am a cage trapped here below,
gazing into an expanse of blue,
in search of a bird to fill my space
with a cheerful song and a friendly face.
Kim M. Russell, 24th September 2019
My response to dVerse Poets Pub Poetics: Kafka for Kids
Amaya is back this week with a rather unorthodox prompt. She tells us that she recently read a comment on how to proceed should a neighbour’s tree fall on one’s house, which described the hoops through which one has to jump for the insurance money as making ‘Kafka look like a children’s author’.
Which is why Amaya has asked us to look at a selection of quotes from the modernist German writer, Franz Kafka, and picture one as the basis for a nursery rhyme.
The challenge is to use one of the quotes either directly within or to inspire a children’s storybook/poem. We should remember that many children’s books have only a sentence, a phrase or several words per page. Our poems don’t have to be prolonged, complex ballads with half a dozen characters. Amaya says sweet and refined octaves will do.
writing in north norfolk 
Oh my gosh- we chose the same one- LOL. Very sweet Kim!
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Thank you, Linda!
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My choice was the same quote… but we went in totally different directions… I think this is a bittersweet poem that echoes the quote perfectly. I think every bird knows that even the gilded cage is still a cage.
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Very true. And times have changed – I haven’t seen a caged bird in a long time.
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I agree with Bjorn, there is a double meaning here…which so many nursery rhymes contain. (K)
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I chose the same one! Though I think mine has a happier ending…
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Great minds and all that… I do like a happy ending in poems I read, but they tend to elude me when I’m writing.
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I am glad the cage wants a cheerful bird.
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I don’t think it will get one, though, Frank. I don’t think caging birds is popular these days. I’ve seen vintage cages with flowers and other objects in them, but no birds.
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Good one, Kim. I chose the same prompt too!
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🙂
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Golly I chose this one too, but it turned out very different. Yours has way more elegance and the poor lonely cage- I fear I might know what happened to the bird…
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I’m off to bed shortly, but I’ll be back first thing in the morning to read and comment. I’m looking forward to seeing what you’ve made of it.
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This would have been a good one for the “waiting” prompt also! Lovely phrases and a feeling of wistfulness.
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Thank you, Jade.
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You’re welcome, Kim.
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This seems to be a popular quotes. I haven’t seen a bird caged in ages either. I hadn’t a clue what to write. You wrote a lovely poem.
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Thank you, Toni.
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Canaries& parakeets & parrots, oh my. You’re right, caged birds are no longer the vogue. A bird in a cage, and a fish in a bowl was in every home in 1957 This quote for me is very existential. We are incomplete without a partner.
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You’ve got it, Glenn!
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love this from the perspective of the cage. you always find the best pictures to illustrate your poems
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Thank you, Candy. The one I really wanted was copyrighted. I contacted the photographer for permission, she was very nice about it, but couldn’t grant it. This was the next best one, found after a lot of searching!
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That’s really neat poetry and quite apt for a kids book!
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Thank you!
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That is a very interesting way of looking at the empty cage with its door open. Usually one would see that as a symbol of hope: the oppressed finally found freedom. You, and Kafka, help us to see it from a new perspective. One of gathering together. One of an invitation to the prodigal to come home.
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Thank you, Amaya.
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Very nice take on the prompt. Could apply in many of our social interactions.
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Thanks Dwight.
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This is superb, Kim
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Thank you so much, Ken.
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I like this Kim. The cage seemed more lonely than threatening.
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😊
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A sad cage… Very creative. 🙂
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Thank you, Crystal. 🙂
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