Caged Birds | Teen Ink

Caged Birds

April 7, 2009
By E.L.W. PLATINUM, Glen Allen, Virginia
E.L.W. PLATINUM, Glen Allen, Virginia
31 articles 0 photos 59 comments

Favorite Quote:
Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels.
The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes -
the ones who see things differently.
They're not fond of rules and they have no respect for the status quo.
They push the human race forward.


Caged Birds.
innumerable months imprisoned
by the Fuhrer.
Lives spent living in the umbrage, the tenebrous shadow of
die Nationalsozialistisches.
Enclosed by the guard towers and perimeter walls,
those who dare to run are shot in a moment.
No hesitation, no trial, no jury, no remorse.
Cruel, heinous, stygian acts of manslaughter--
blood stains your hands;
forever a print on humanity.
Bare skin, visible ribs, starving infants, chattering teeth, twins, Jews,
submissive to your glare.
Go to Hades, flourish in Hell, all you who caused it.
Forever remember, hold close, keep near
the memory of what has happened
many years ago.
Not only caged
as though some sub-human creatures had taken their place,
but tortured and seperated
killed with glee
as though tolerance and love
were of no object.
Nay, nescient Nazis, those who are different CAN be called human
as you clearly cannot be.
Faith and Love has become their aegis
against your MP38s.
See--
Arbeiten macht frei?
Is that so, Mr. Hitler? Or is it another of your lies...
How could the susurrus of death never wake the rest of the world?
Caged in Dachau, in Aushwitz, in Bergen-Belsen,
you never let your birds free.
They shivered and died
and withered and cried
and dead,
now they be.
Never remorseful, nor contrite,
though apology could never do much.
Your birds are gone and dead, expired.
Behind humanity is these deaths and before us, new life.

The author's comments:
This is a piece about the holocaust, using caged birds as a metaphor to those imprisoned. I was inspired by my visit to Dachau, to write about the atrocities committed by the Nazi Party.

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This article has 2 comments.


on Dec. 23 2009 at 6:38 am
E.L.W. PLATINUM, Glen Allen, Virginia
31 articles 0 photos 59 comments

Favorite Quote:
Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels.
The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes -
the ones who see things differently.
They're not fond of rules and they have no respect for the status quo.
They push the human race forward.

Thanks!!! Visiting Dachau was so heartbreaking and I just wanted a way to channel my emotion into writing.

on Dec. 22 2009 at 8:58 pm
Only,I PLATINUM, Taylorville, Illinois
45 articles 17 photos 123 comments

Favorite Quote:
This too shall pass.

"Is that so, Mr. Hitler? Or is it another of your lies..." and "You never let your birds free" are my two favorite lines in this. This is very good and the emotion behind this is very vivid and just there, I love it.