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Monday, November 10, 2014

Waiting for this Moment

Recently Daddy and mouse went to a poetry reading, it was a series of classical and contemporary. One of the poems selected and read was by Maya Angelou, and called I know Why the Caged Bird Sings. It was admittedly moving to hear. If you know nothing at all about it, when you hear the words you understand. It's about civil rights, oppression and the reason the bird in a cage sings.

Through the years, many musicians, since music is mouse's poetry have sung about the bird struggling to fly, being caged as a metaphor for some sort or oppression. Like the Beatles song Blackbird also written about the civil rights movement. It's a song about freedom. "Blackbird singing in the dead of night, take this broken wing and learn to fly." Carly Simon wrote in her song, "That's the Way I've Always Heard it Should Be" a song that's a bit jadedly optimistic about marriage, "You say we'll soar like two birds through the clouds, But soon you'll cage me on your shelf - I'll never learn to be just me first by myself"

The band Rush described fame as being inside a "guilded cage." in their song Limelight.

There's an oddball common thread for mouse to turn over (and over) in her mind. Actually, the Beatles, Carly Simon, and the Rush songs were already inside her head when we went to the poetry reading. The odd common threads, birds, cages, oppression and mouse had been pondering these...well since...Omega proposed marriage. See, the Carly Simon song really influenced mouse, the cynical part of marriage mouse has seen played out by friends too many times to admit.

Of course, mouse decided to marry him, but still the idea of bird in a cage confused mouse and seemed to cumulate when she heard the poem being recited that evening. On the way home, mouse asked Daddy why he thought the caged bird sang. Not knowing where mouse was going he said nothing but asked for mouse's thoughts instead.

That's what he always does, soon mouse was musing outloud about how maybe the caged bird sings because it's happy. The bird feels safe, secure inside the cage. It likes being provided for and not having to worry about its next meal or the neighbors cat. It doesn't have to worry about being injured or hurt, or having its nest raided by another predictor.

At this point Daddy pulled off to the side of the road, sensing the meltdown that was soon to come and pulled mouse close. It's the confusion that happens in mouse's head. The mental tug of war, between the idea that her consensual slavery is somehow wrong. People fought for freedom and here is mouse saying that she doesn't want it.

Daddy stopped the cycle before mouse went too far, by reminding her none of that really matters. What matters is why the caged mouse sings and she sings because she's safe, loved and cherished. All the rest needs to be left behind. It was a good talk we ended up having .

 

7 comments:

ancilla_ksst said...

Well, I love that poem. The way I think of it, is that we do have freedom. And that in our freedom (hard won by feminists) we have the freedom to step into a different kind of cage, the consensual kind, rather than the kind made by society.

monkey girl said...

im always so amazed at how in tune Omega is with you, so much so, that he often knows before you do when you're going to struggle(perhaps not the right word). a little jealous too. that connection is so rare and takes much work, commitment and insight.
it's been beautiful to read over the years, thank you.
hugs mouse,
mg

Anonymous said...

There's a world of difference between choosing submission and having it forced upon you. You exercised your freedom in choosing to marry Omega. No-one anywhere anytime would ever choose to experience true slavery or forced submission. Those who say or think they would have no idea of what they're talking about. What you have with Omega is born of love, and love never forces anything. Peel back the layers and you are just as much a freedom fighter as the writers of the songs.
N

Tiffany said...

Beautiful post

Anonymous said...

Great post. I love how well you both know each other.

- JayBee

Florida Dom said...

You are so fortunate to be safe, loved and cherished. And thanks for stopping by my blog..

FD

Unknown said...

this is really interesting conundrum to pose.

For me I sidestep by not seeing it as a cage at all, but as a warm, safe cave that I am sheltering in.