Poem--Gaol Birds

Destiny chose her
As my companion—
And she was a friend
Like no other;
She let me be myself;
Showed me the treasures
Within me, and without;
She gave me a world
Of perfection—opened my eyes
To the enchantment
Of Imagination…
She taught me to listen
To the music of Life;
Subdued strains keeping rhythm
To my heartbeat…
She helped me weave
A pattern of vibrant colours;
A living, shimmering picture
Of endless possibilities…
She taught me to fly!
She clipped my wings—
Possessive in her friendship,
She chained me to herself;
She built a wall around us—
A glass wall
That showed me all
Yet kept me from it…
My voice echoed within—
A hollow emptiness…
But the Babel of voices
Beyond my glass shell
Drowned my despairing cry;
She embraced me, all-pervading,
Secure in her possession—
Her victim, her companion for life:
I am hers alone—and she, mine;
Her name:
Loneliness…