Caged

poignant

“Caged”

 

A fish swimming free

In a little pond

Can barely think

Of the stars beyond

While is fins are bond

It swam nevertheless

With saddened heart

Thoughts of what lies in the deep

Now a hollow mask

 

Thoughts of freedom,

an elusive dream.

the oceans foods

those tasty treats

 his tongues long forgot

the taste of sweet

while he struggled

in its narrow pond

 

eyes seldom sees

beyond the cage rings

dreams once strong

now drown in deep

he sings a song

with a hidden rage

barely heard,

trapped in an open cage

 

the oceans songs

 a lasting echo

his longing heart

remembers old tales

shivering’ neath cold

in bitter wails

longs to embrace

the oceans bumbles

in the streaming maze

while growing old

 

entrapped in sorrow

reminiscing,

the oceans width

a forgotten thing

 

when he swam free

 with jumps and lips

claiming the sea,

in every mile deep

as darkness creeps

through each peaceful hole

all now shattered and torn

in countless piece

and endless goal

 

the thoughts of beloved

what a joke!

A wasted life

With unseen hope

Legs bare,

Fins grew frail

Eye glares in tears

Looking pale

Sorrow amounts

In boundless folds

As his life ends, lost

In his confined jail

Stories left untold

 

Author's Note

Feel free

Reviews

[Aarti Sriram]

Very nicely painted metaphorical poem dear Tumi. Brilliant metaphor of life using the trapped fish in a cage or aquarium. Or may be you want to describe through this the plight of pets we humans cage for our emotional need or console ourselves by adopting a orphaned pet of giving it a better chance of survival.
Through its pain of confinement, asking us to consider our own lives filled with the barriers preventing us from reaching our full potential. Like it is growing old and getting frail and many of our experiences reamain unfulfilled or unexplored . And thus you are showing our tragedy and how we resigned to our fate, gave a miss to great opportunities that could have come our way and perhaps enriched out lives, now it’s a lost and late cause.

[Tumi]

Thanks so much for your warm review
It means alot

[Thomas W Case]

Powerful metaphor and symbolism.

[emmajoygreen]

A tragedy, feeling trapped, not able to escape from what- or . Sometimes life is a trap, trying to do the right thing or what one is used to. Trying to cope, perhaps neeing to swim but not being able to. Such a fine poem, feeling controlled but.. Something sadly lacking, perhaps drifting?

[Tumi]

Thanks a lot for your kind review
It means alot

[Marie]

A finely penned allegorical write. The affects of confinement and the loss of freedom are well expressed and both words and imagery are complemented by an excellent choice of graphic...

[Tumi]

Thank you so much for the kind review
I'm glad you enjoyed reading

[Marie]

Most welcome...

[Pryde Foltz]

Strong symbolism and analogy here. As I just said to another poet at the cafe, water represents our psyche in metaphor. The mind can be the source of flow and take us to imagined and then material places but when one is absorbed with negativity that water might as be cement. Your poem illustrates beautifully the connection between thought a being. Wonderful work:) Enjoyed.

[Tumi]

thanks a lot for the warm review, i'm glad you enjoyed reading

[Dave W.]

I kept hoping the fish would find freedom, so sad, that's life I suppose. Thank you Tumi for sharing

[Tumi]

thank you more for you kind review

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Needs a bit of proofreading ...but I really enjoyed the idea of this...the fish that feels so small until it is somehow able to achieve its freedom and swim in the big ocean with all the other stronger fish.
We humans want to have stories to tell...we want to swim in that ocean of life as well.
j.

[Tumi]

Thanks for your warm review
It means a lot