The Bird In The Cage

The Bird in the Cage

By: John Kazerooni 

I am the bird in the cage. I was born here, within these unyielding bars that define my world. My life has been shaped by this small, confined space. I eat in the cage, sleep in the cage, and probably one day, I will close my eyes for the last time in the cage. Yet, even as I remain bound within these walls, my mind refuses to be contained.

The cage is all I have ever known. Its boundaries are my horizon, its bars my sky. My wings stretch only as far as the space allows, and my eyes see nothing beyond the familiar confines. I cannot touch the clouds or feel the wind rushing through my feathers. The vastness of the world remains a mystery, obscured by the walls that keep me in.

And yet, I dream.

Though my body is caged, my thoughts soar far beyond these bars. My imagination takes me to places I have never been, to skies I have never flown, and to landscapes I cannot describe because I have never seen them. In my dreams, I feel the sun’s warmth on my wings and the cool breeze lifting me higher. I glide over vast oceans, touch the peaks of mountains, and lose myself in endless horizons. My vision extends beyond my limitations, far above what my eyes can see or my wings can reach.

This is why I am alive—not because my heart beats within this cage, but because my dreams know no boundaries. My spirit finds freedom in imagining what lies beyond. Though I cannot escape my physical reality, my mind refuses to be imprisoned. It dares to defy the bars, daring to create a world where I can be truly free.

In this way, my cage is both my confinement and my teacher. It reminds me daily of what I cannot do, yet it also fuels the fire of what I can imagine. It keeps me grounded, yet pushes me to reach higher in my thoughts. My dreams are my wings, my freedom, my rebellion against the limits imposed on me.

I am alive because I dream. The cage may hold my body, but it cannot hold my soul. As long as I have the power to imagine, to envision a world beyond these walls, I will remain more than just a bird in a cage. I am a life, a living testament to the unyielding power of hope, imagination, and the desire for freedom.

It is a fact that some are born in a cage and die within it. Others are born free and never know the confines of a cage. And there are some who are born in freedom but find themselves caged later, or those who escape their cages to taste freedom before the end. Each story is different, shaped by circumstance, choice, and fate.

The lingering Questions in my mind:

Are the cages in our lives physical, or do they exist within our minds?

How much of freedom is about external circumstances, and how much is about our ability to dream?

If given the chance to leave the cage, would we be brave enough to step out into the unknown?

How can we balance accepting our limitations while still striving for something greater?

What is more important to a meaningful life: physical freedom or the freedom to imagine and dream?

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