Once I was a little girl
Far too small and far too alone
And so I saved up, penny by penny
Until I had enough to buy a companion
A single bird in a giant cage
Lovely, sweet and colourful
All day I spent my time next to it
Feeling like I was no longer alone
I made sure to take care of it
In all the ways I knew
But then I had to leave for a week
Away on a family trip
And so I gave the bird to my friend
My concern for it overshadowed
By my excitement
Just as I had hoped for
My family wasn’t busy at all
During the week that the trip lasted
Making the bird but an afterthought
At least until the last day of the trip
When it rained and rained and rained
Everything was submerged
And we had to take refuge in a cave
For three entire days we were stuck there
Before we had the chance to leave
As I stared at the cave behind me
There was only one thought in my mind
_Is this how it feels like, living in a cage?_
Manasa Kaliki is an author and poet who predominantly writes Haikus and Tankas, but has also delved into long poetry. She has been published in The Mainachi, in the Cold Moon Journal, in the Daily Haiku (LEAF), in Heron’s Nest, in the Triya Mag, in Under the Basho, and in Haikuniverse. Her works delve into her observations of life, may it be nature or people themselves, with the intention of communicating her experiences and perspective.