I know, I really know

I know why the caged bird sings
Why its wings flap intermittently
Why it cranes its neck in anticipation
Sharp beak darting to and fro
Ever vigilant
Always ready
To spread it's wings and go diving
Curling through the open door
Soaring out into the air
And beaming ever upwards

I know why the caged bird sings
As the sun's rays gleam along metal bars
The lattice and framework creating a glittery web
A mesh of shimmering steel
Interlocking seamlessly from prism to prism
Creating the illusion of a lacy bodice
Draped seductively over the bird's delicate breast

I know why the caged bird sings
As night turns to day
And the winds drive in rain
Which soon dries in the midday sun
Why the caged bird tweets about peace
Chatters gleefully and thankfully for it's life
Why even though born in a cage
It's lifelong persistent desire
Is a life beyond the bars

I know why the caged bird sings
To soothe our thoughts and anxieties
To pierce the deepest tension and conjure up  tranquility
Eyes ever fixed on the little portal
The gateway to unknown freedom
Where in an instant and flurry of feathers
It can be transformed
Like a moth into a butterfly
Before flitting prettily off into the realm of freedom