The Caged Bird Sings

I forgot that I was supposed to make something for a local gallery show - well I didn't forget, I just forgot WHEN! Well the WHEN is next week!  Yikes! So I got busy today!  The theme of the show is "Something old is new again".  I decided to try and make a bircage from salvaged pieces and hand felt a bird. The cage frame was a Salvation Army find and the cage wire was some old rusty wire I found out in the barn.  The bird is hand felted and stiched together.  The face of the bird was sculpted with sculpy clay.  The little piece of music ephemra has the word "Run" over the notes.  The piece is based on the poem by Maya Angelou:

"I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings".

The free bird leaps
on the back of the win
and floats downstream
till the current ends
and dips his wings
in the orange sun rays
and dares to claim the sky.

But a bird that stalks
down his narrow cage
can seldom see through
his bars of rage
his wings are clipped and
his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings
with fearful trill
of the things unknown
but longed for still
and is tune is heard
on the distant hillfor the caged bird
sings of freedom

The free bird thinks of another breeze
an the trade winds soft through the sighing trees
and the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright lawn
and he names the sky his own.

But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams
his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing

The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.