How Can A Little Bird Fly In His Cage?

Hello all,

I apologized that I have not been able to keep the blog updated. I have been busy with school and other personal things. There has been a lot going on that needs time to take in. A lot of important things have happened. A brief update, COVID-19 is still here as we continue to live in uncertainties, there was tragic news that addressed mental health for our Karenni community, and the movement to fight for democracy in Myanmar.

I wrote an allegory story to tell what is happening in Myanmar. To some readers, the narrative of people, places, and things might be confusing. But if you look at the news, you can point out the hidden representation and maybe understand the whole meaning. You are always welcome to reach out to me for explanations.

How Can a Little Bird Fly in His Cage?

A little bird that lives in a cage is said to be safe. If an eagle attacks, the eagle won’t be able to hurt him. The iron steel bars built are for him. Only the owner can control the door of the cage. The owner reminds him that there is nothing to fear under his control. The little bird is treasured and loved with the best of everything. He feels happy to be in the cage.

One day, the little bird sees another bird soaring in the sky. The bird in the sky was flying anywhere it wanted to go. The wind glides its wings without anything to stop its direction. The little bird flaps his wings up and down, and his feet are off the ground. He keeps moving his wings until he hits the top of the cage, and he instantly falls.

The little bird tries again and again. He went up and all around the sides of the cage, but only to hit the iron steel bars to fall back to the original position. The owner hears the sound of the little bird’s movements. The owner watched as the little bird tried to fly and kept hitting dead ends. The little bird saw his owner walk closer to the cage. The owner picked up the cage and saw the desperation in the little’s bird eyes.

The owner opened the door to the cage. The little bird moved his wings, but when he got to the door, the owner closed the door. The owner became angry and left the cage on the floor. Soon the owner’s grandsons came over. They took the little bird outside. They threw rocks at him to play. The owner poked at him with his cane. The little bird tried to dodge the painful hits, but the little bird couldn’t fight back. He knew he was stuck under the control of his owner.

The little bird came up with an idea. He kept making noises. Sounds of desperation, the cries of pain, and the uproar of eagerness to fly. The owner became annoyed and covered the cage with soundproof walls. Now the little bird is trapped inside. He keeps moving around his cage non-stop. He was in lots of pain, but he kept fighting.

The little bird felt gravity pulling him down. The cage rolled. The soundproof walls fell off of the cage as the cage continued to roll. The cage finally stopped when the lock on the door came undone. The little bird got his wings ready. He saw that the owner was running toward the cage with a cane. The little bird flips his wings up and down. Up he goes without looking back. When he reached the sky, he looked back with tears of joy. His owner stumbled and fell as he was running to catch the little bird.

A little bird can fly when he breaks free from his cage.

By Tay M.

"Reflection." Picture by Anonymous and precious