I have a certain uneasiness about caged birds. Had them as a child and revisited this segment of pet doom with FM and Tim the Cabin Boy. I think it’s basically wrong to cage birds but what does one do when they are pre-existing tenants. Be kind, I guess. Seven years later, one flew away when a strong wind knocked down an umbrella and his cage and the door sprung open. Another just got crook and carked it.
We were down to our last little peach face. He had just one foot. To quote Pete and Dud, “I had nothing against his right foot – it’s a perfectly good right foot – the trouble was he didn’t have anything against it either”.
This morning he escaped during feeding time. That would have been good, except that we saw a mynah launch itself and a dark shadow pursued our little fellow over the fence and we know not to what fate – except it doesn’t take much effort to guess who was the predator and who was the prey.
Anyway, short but sweet freedom, dear little bird. Thank you for all the pretty songs.
Go with God’s speed.
Thanks also to the Be Good Tanyas.
Emmjay.
Window Dresser's Arms, Pig & Whistle 
A Robin Redbreast in a Cage
Puts all Heaven in a Rage.
A dove house fill’d with doves and pigeons
Shudders Hell thro’ all its regions.
………………………………………………………….
This post by Therese regards not knowing what to think puts me in a disappointed mood. How hard is it to know and understand what to think about caged birds and/or inherited caged birds and/or for that matter birds that are fed white bread in Botanic Gardens and deconstructed. Cats without bells. Stray cats. And so on…
How hard is it?
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Pretty song Emm, thanks.
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I know why the caged bird sings, ah me,
When his wing is bruised and his bosom sore,
When he beats his bars and would be free;
It is not a carol of joy or glee,
But a prayer that he sends from his heart’s deep core,
But a plea, that upward to Heaven he flings –
I know why the caged bird sings
Paul Laurence Dunbar
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Or you could put out some food in its cage with the door open and see if hunger drives it back. Noisy miners definitely don’t eat other birds, and I think mynahs don’t either.
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What about raucous minors? Or, are they in the minority when it come to eating bird?
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Grind ’em up and feed ’em to the birds! (Not the littlies though.)
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I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings
The free bird leaps
on the back of the wind
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 his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for 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.
Maya Angelou
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I think that I could stomach an oversized aviary; say 500m2, but not cages.
It was popular in Jakarta, when I lived there. Every shop and market had them; exhibiting their pretty plumage and whistling.
I probably wouldn’t have written this if I was back in Qld. I’ve a lot of work to catch up. However I’m delayed in Sydney airport, because of the smoke.
It certainly must feel like Armageddon, to the locals who’ve lost all their possessions.
We forget about nature sometimes?
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…that’s why we have to take Climate Change seriously…please tell that to Abbott the Awful, who thinks it’s all CRAP, and of course let Hunt the Horrible to know it as well. Isn’t he the Minister for Environment…
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….did you know that people also lose loved ones in bushfires, not just POSSESSIONS…
Possessions are replaceable, people are not.
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Maybe you should look up Armageddon in the Oxford dictionary.
I do worry about your cognisance sometimes Helvi. The fatalities are in the press.
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LOL, keep worrying about your possessions; no need to look in any dictionaries when reading your posts, did you just learn a new word…
I hope Abbott will be generous to the bushfire victims…hopefully as generous as he is towards himself…Are we paying him for his VOLUNTEERING…
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Why don’t you give us a list of the deaths?
Can you?
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Still waiting for the list of loved ones, Helvi?
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Tiresome.
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I would have described having a go at someone for leaving out possible deaths to fire when acknowledging people who’d lost their homes to fire, as just plain creepy bordering on personal abuse of other commenters. But tiresome is close enough.
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