Issue VI: Dreams of a Caged Bird garnered many beautiful submissions, and to honor these wonderful pieces of writing, we decided to feature the inner thoughts of our writers and what their pieces mean to them. Please keep in mind that not all submitters are featured due to their personal preference, but you can read their writing inside Issue VI.
Note: Their social media handles are also listed in brackets if you want to support them.
POETRY
Afra - March (@zaraapens, @zaraytheartist)
My piece "March" touches on the sensitive issue of bullying. It subtly shows how the narrator would have been an entirely different person, had she not been bullied/harassed. Also, this incident somehow prevents her from flying and pursuing her dreams the way she wanted to.
Cairo Evans - the musings of a worm
My poem is a first person story about a worm who dreams of seeing rain. They die in the rainstorm but are satisfied as it is their life's dream to be in the rain. I was thinking about birds, and somehow got to the phrase of "the early bird gets the worm". I wanted to write about the worm, as I believe even worms have aspirations and dreams as well. I feel like a worm in the grand scheme of the universe, so small, so unimportant. But I have dreams and I want to achieve them.
Sumo - Caged spark within (@thesnugglyducklings604)
Caged spark within', is about the wish of an artist to not let their voice, their 'spark' to be heard by the world because they think it won't light anybody's skies, and won't help anybody. But after a desperate plea of their inner voice, they decide to let it go into the world on its own, and even if the voice reaches only one soul, the artist's hungry heart and eager soul would get their due, and they would feel heard. Both these poems use flight as a medium of freedom and happiness as a way of breaking their cages. All of us cage our voices into the four walls of rationality or practicality, and so they burn in agony inside. Be it an empty relationship, or a caged inner voice, both of these need freedom from, and so, one should use optimism and happiness to uncage oneself from these. Sumo herself used to cage her voice, as she thought nobody would understand it the way she would. That is certain. But the thought, that many people would listen to her voice and have their own unique ways of understanding it, also drove her to let her voice fly into the sky, and have its own flight. Caged dreams have a way to ease the soul. And so they should be left free, for others to see their awe-some flight too.
Kyra Allyson - starved (@lykasticker)
I think my piece serves as the embodiment of desperation — similar to that of a caged bird. It illustrates a deep desire to be loved and cared for while highlighting the contrast between people in relationships, and those who drown in the shadows of isolation, which mimic the loneliness of a caged bird. I hope others who empathise with this piece can break out of their cage and seek lasting relationships.
Kate Waters - Sandbox (@writinguntil)
My piece is a poem I wrote after I lost several friends due to my disability. “She is a sandbox girl” is a poem about marching forward despite the pain that holds you down and escaping to build the life you deserve.
Fatima Shad - Caged Lovebird (@fatimashadpoetry)
This poem plays a vital role in displaying how the yearning for our long-distance beloveds can shatter us like sand's grains, yet we have all the courage to run towards them, even bare feet, walking on burning coals or a land under our feet that's blazing hot in the fire of our beloved's absence's ache. We do all that we can, but we must know if the person we're doing it for is worth the courage and efforts.
Devon Webb - My Diginity (@devonwebbnz)
'My Dignity' is a self-empowering piece about standing your ground & maintaining kindness when 'caged' by the cruelty of others, & daring to dream of a better world.
Tatum Bunker - I Plucked On My Own Feathers (@tatum_tot24601)
This piece is about not accepting change and worrying about the future too much. Worries can be like a cage, they trap you and attempt to ensure that you can never break free. Ripping off my feathers, as stated in the poem, is a way of saying that I will stay wallowing in my own worries and misery.
Ellen Alfredson - Lovely little bird, dream on dream on! (@_ellen.alfredson)
My poem is about about being a big dreamer with a big passion for something (in my case writing), but feeling stuck because of where You live and how uninspired your surroundings are, and how they don’t have big dreams like you do, and because of that can’t really understand you. Therefore, the cage, and ”breaking free” means not letting your dreams, passions and goals be limited because of the lack of passion, inspiration, or support in your surroundings. The poem is also encouraging young people to dream on, dream wild, dream big and dream free, and pursue their passions, despite it all.
When I saw the theme for this issue I knew immedietly what I wanted to write about. The poem is about being a big dreamer with a big passion, but feeling caged because of where you live and the people surrounding you. It’s about feeling uninspired, unsupported or not understood because of the people around you being ”non dreamers”, but still breaking free from the cage by not limiting your passions, dreams and goals because of them. I think many young artists of all sorts can relate to the feeling of people around you not understanding your passion, and my piece is about encouraging people to dream on anyway. To keep dream on, dream wild, dream big, and dream free, despite it all. I think my poem would fit in the magazine because it showcases the bird’s cage as a specific space where, instead of fueling your passion and dreams, you feel as If your dreams are sinking, but you dream on, dream on, dream on anyway. And you don’t step back from it, because your passion is leading you, and you know you’re going the right way. And so, dream on dream on!
Ray Shubert - Heard (@down_the._.rabbit_hole, @the_library_archive)
This poem displays the emotions of feeling trapped and alone inside yourself, and dreaming of something more. To me, this poem is about breaking out of your own self destruction and depression to grow and do great things. I was inspired by my own experiences with mental health struggles and how isolating and intense it is, especially feeling like you are facing everything alone and being scared to reach out for help for fear of judgement. I want to make an impact through my writing, and I aspire to help people know that they are never alone, and they can always be more than their struggles.
Serennus - V. Morina - The colors of dreams (@serennus)
It shows you the felling's of the bird and its efforts toward its dreams. I usually don't make any magazine submissions but this time was different, the theme of this one was what inspired me and gave me the urge of wanting to write something about it. How someone might relate is by listening to the feelings of the character in the poem, how the character felt and wanted to always reach for what they wished for.
T. A. Jones - Write You Into Oblivion (@taj.the.poet, @tajthepoet95)
Muses live on even when they shouldn't. And we provide them with shelter with our words. With our memories. But not all muses are good. Sometimes they leech, take, and dig themselves into our cores. To be honest, we shouldn't take it. Not when there's better people and things to write about. So I used this piece as a battle cry to let those muses leave through the words. Until they're gone and inspire no more.
T.A. Jones - Black Phoenix (@taj.the.poet, @tajthepoet95)
I wrote this piece with the intention of transformation and evolution through death. About Black death and how we elevate, intoxicate, and appreciate culture with everything we do. Black, brown, and forgotten communities fight for the right of remembrance and all that we do to be seen. I’m just happy that through this piece, the words got something out of me.
Michelan "Mi·I·Mi" Le'Monier - When Did You Last Look at Heaven (@mi.i.mi07,
@thinkingpositive07)
"When Did You Last Look at Heaven?" is about remembering a time of peace. Often we get stuck in this endless cycle of "grind culture" for the sake of survival; which, while it is important to have a livelihood, the constant motion of work takes us away from moments of stillness, rest, and appreciation creating a sense of martyrdom. In this poem, I sit in the last moment I felt life was still and dream to create a life that is filled with moments like that. And sometimes, that can feel unattainable given the demands of everyday life. This poem was created during a moment of self-reflection. It was inspired by conversations I've had with other adults (primarily young adults adjusting to adult life) who are navigating life changes and transitions, but don't have a lot of space to process said experiences. And because BIPOC people are often under-resourced, there is little support (at least that is widely known) to help them. As someone who is fortunate enough to have had support at a young age and straight out of college, I think it's important that I provide support where I can. These poems are meant to provide new perspectives and a softer lens on periods of growth and change to alleviate a lot of the hopelessness that can often come with new phases of life. I hope that people will read these and feel they are not alone in being frustrated while trying to find themselves, what makes them happy, and their way through life.
Elisabeth D. - Watching you from afar (@elisabethdwrites)
'Watching you from afar' is about not being able to reach someone, or, more precisely, having to stay far from them, here in a 'golden cage' because the relationship isn't healthy anymore. It's about taking distance to find peace, but finding pain in it too. And it is also about dreaming of a different life, where you could be happy together. I think that is why it fits the theme pretty well. This poem is actually a very personal one, because it's vaguely inspired from my own experience in a friend group when I broke up with my ex boyfriend, who also is a part of this friend group. It's a strange experience and, at some point, I had to take some distances. I think that's what this poem is about: having to watch someone from afar to avoid self destruction.
Overcomer Olajide - Dreams in Broken Bottles (@Titilope.olajide)
Dreams in broken bottles reflect yearning for aspirations that seems out of reach like a caged bird desire for flight. it depicts the fragility and vulnerability nature of dreams, the doubt associated with unfulfilled dreams. It encourages reader to embrace their inner self, find solace and get a hold of their dreams no matter the circumstances.
Shu J. Liu - dreams of a high-achieving dove, yet no more than a pigeon (@wlvshuu)
"dreams of a high-achieving dove, yet no more than a pigeon" was inspired from my own personal academic struggles and high-achieving academic expectations. I wanted to express the contrast between how society in general views pigeons and doves, when they are technically the same creature. Doves are held at a higher regard with far more love than your average pigeon receives. It's similar academically; students with higher grades are held up with more respect by authority, while those with lower grades could be looked down on. It causes all "pigeons" (here representing your average student) to pretend to be as wonderful as a dove (representing a model/straight A student) in order to achieve academic validation. I hope other teens can relate to academic pressure (well, "hope" wouldn't be the right word, to be fair), and for all those who do: you do not always have to be perfect. One grade does not define who you are. Take care of your mental health before your academics — trust me, it'll help you a lot in the long run.
Eli Ernst-Fontaine - Escapism (@starboy_eli)
"Escapism" is a metaphorical piece I wrote about the teenage life I am not able to live due to my disabilities. The poem in itself paints the portrait of two boys, with a seemingly ambiguous relationship. In reality, the poem is about writing a story, perhaps based on a blurry dream the author had one night. I chose this to stay an ambiguous metaphor because I am not sure what my dream truly is. After all, the caged bird ignores what lies in the outside world.
Cheryl Tan - Rainbow Sister (@implausiette)
Rainbow Sister is about being queer in an Asian conservative country, and the problems that arise with it. Any dreams of love and marriage are instantly quashed beneath discriminatory laws enacted. Rainbow Sister also happens to be the title of a traditional Mongolian-Chinese song.
Alex Gemstones - Barricade boys (@alenon_alenin)
'Barricade boys' is dedicated to those who are willing to go as far as putting their life on the line in standing for what they truly believe in. This piece is inspired by several characters from the French novel Les Misérables by Victor; to be precise, it features a group of young revolutionaries, including students and working class men, in 1830s France, who started an uprising with the aim of overthrowing the monarchy and bringing back the French Republic. However, their revolution was short-lived, as they were greatly outnumbered by the national guard who quickly extinguished the opposition, leading to the death of almost all of the revolutionaries. The characters whom the poem is based on are very special to me, as they are an inspiration to keep fighting for my beliefs and to stand my ground even when the circumstances are against me. I hope that 'Barricade boys' will inspire the readers to take a stand and to be fierce and proud of what they believe in; however, in no way do I encourage the readers to die for their cause!
Zac Hudson - The parakeet dreams of being a cassowary (Zac.writes)
Birds are a wide and varied concept, from wild birds to domesticated or caged ones. My poem is told from a caged bird idolising the wild and undomesticated cassowary which is native to the rainforests of Queensland Australia. Your prompt, I have been trying to be more adventurous with my writing and one of the easiest ways I've found to do that is by tackling literary prompts I wouldn't normally gravitate towards. My poem has a major theme of freedom and I think that resonates with teenagers because we often crave that sense of independence as we grow older. I'm also really proud of this piece specifically because I was able to use an Australian symbol like the cassowary which I think lends this work a new voice that really reflects me as a person and what I want to achieve with what I create.
Ellie Coul - Tick, Tick, Tick (@elliecoul.writes)
No matter your species, income, social status, or will to live, no one can stop time from passing. "Tick, Tick, Tick" emphasizes time's unforgiving nature as an inescapable boundary. Portraying a snapshot of a moment in a hospital waiting room, the poem describes various people living different lives who find themselves in the same situation: desperately wishing they could grant the person they love more time. When the theme, "Dreams of a Caged Bird" was released, I thought about the universal boundaries of the world. Having experienced loss, my mind automatically went to the concept of time, which controls nearly every aspect of life. Embracing the idea that a heightened awareness of the passing of time evokes a feeling of being trapped, I wish for my poem to speak to anyone who yearns to break free from the bounds of time.
Maryam Hedayat - Drained Success (@06oliver.twist)
I can’t swim and as a result of that I’ve grown an aversion to deep waters and being in water in a larger sense .In the same way I can’t swim, I can’t give merit to any of my achievements and thus feel as if I’m drowning in all my failures regardless if they hold any substance to my work.This feeling of drowning is then reaffirmed with my metaphorical ‘poseidon’ , god of the seas’.The poseidon in the poem can be anything to anyone reading , teachers , friends , family , critics, just anyone who consciously or unconsciously pins you down back to those feelings and essentially controls your motivations like the seas.The poseidon for me is myself and how i ‘hem myself in’ into my feeling of underachievement whenever I feel as If I am going to rise or when I even try to do so.To neatly summarise , ‘Drained success’ was inspired my own aversion to water and failures and thus also created the meaning. I think teens these days will understand this same fear or disappointment to failures academics or otherwise to the point they feel trapped or drowned. But I do not think they should deny these feelings nor feel any regret or shame in having them as everyone will have them when falling down and getting up through the course of life , such feelings can also make you strive for more and break barriers in doing so enabling you to create from ashes. Edison once said, “I have not failed 10,000 times—I've successfully found 10,000 ways that will not work.”
Alice - An Ode to the Lost (@aliceswips)
My poem relates to the theme of Issue VI by using the metaphor of a caged bird to portray a person with a wonderful voice who is trapped by society for the sole purpose of entertaining it. As a result, not being able to escape, the person becomes a mere shadow of themselves. However, this does not stop them from guiding other birds like them to prevent them from being caged, even if it means doing so with a whisper. Although their dream of singing is unattainable, they hope others can achieve theirs. The inspiration came from one of my characters: Caroline, from TNIC. She is indeed a caged bird who couldn't escape her own destiny, but kindly helps lost souls to find their light again. I hope that when the novel is published, Caroline will be able to help people find their way in real life too.
Teresa M. Medina - Elephant (@louvre_in_blue)
It is about the feeling of being closeted for a long time and the inability to say it while you feel that you can't hold it inside for any longer. I think it fits the theme in the way that queerness is a rather beautiful thing (bird) but it's inside a hostile and constrincting place: the world (cage), and at the same time the whole metaphor represents the lack of freedom of the whole situation. It is maybe a little bit gore in some way, but I felt like realism was a key part of this and I thought that sugarcoating it would make it look like less of an issue, which wasn't what I wanted to convey. This poem is about how painful it is to be closeted as a queer person, which is something that people often see as easy or light, but is actually excruciating at times. I think it can be a topic that resonates with many young people that might find themselves it this situation and are feeling or have felt any of these things. And I think it may be helpful to everyone struggling to get rid of their own elephant, crocodile, or whatever beast is consuming them. I hope they know they're not alone in the cage.
Prose
Geneviève Laprise - In the Dark (Writer_Gen)
In the Dark is written from the point of view of Happiness. Happiness is trapped in the darkness when depression arises; therefore, it is like a caged bird that is asking to be released. Happiness is like a caged bird, but the cage is of our own making. Happiness is understanding and requests he is let out when Depression is ready. I wrote this story because I was feeling a little down, and I started thinking about how we make our own happiness. If Happiness is a person, what happens to them when the dark thoughts begin? I was also thinking about the struggles we go through to let happiness back in.
Phoebe B.H. Mercury - The road is long (@spitewantsmealive)
It is a piece about a man who is too afraid and to weak-willed to accomplish his goal. He is compared to a caged bird because of his own incompetence to become free or to at least, overcome his pitiful condition. He does not desire change, even though he suffers because of his constant mediocre state. It illustrates how the human can be its own enemy and that even a devil, may be less ditstructive than one's own self imposed limitations. It showcases the consequences of a plain life and how fear and maybe superficiality becomes a trap.
Leslie Teel - Exploding Kittens and the Experiential Ferris Wheel (@leslie.teel)
Young people with dreams of education and becoming good adults can also be trapped by them. By others' and their own expectations. By all the work necessary at such a young age to fulfill those dreams and expections. Obligations to peers, families, school, the very future. Sometimes they might just want to be a kid for a night.
Adia Reynolds - So Falls the Cuckoo Bird (@cryptic.cryptid.writes)
This piece is about being thrown from all you've ever known and trying to fly. This lesson is bittersweet. Learning you are capable, but only being forced to do so because others stopped supporting you. I wrote this from the perspective of an original character who I'd associated with a cuckoo bird even before this prompt was released. This character is a testament for standing up for what you believe even if it means being expelled from the gilded cage that you had grown to love.
Ayumi Inoue - Outside the Zoetrope (@in.iyoume, @peniyoume)
"Outside the Zoetrope" follows a young girl trapped to her responsibilities as a daughter and child to a poor family. While she hopes to live like other children her age and go to school like it was a matter of course, she remains by her mother's side to help her with the house as she is aware of their reality. It might not be about dreaming big or dreaming wide, but it is about dreaming free - like a caged bird does. While I originally thought of writing a piece about hoping for freedom and dreaming big, I became interested in the idea of dreaming for a normal reality - a mediocre daily life where one can simply live and not be bogged down by pressure and expectations. Sometimes the chance of living a mundane life is really all people want. However, sometimes, experiencing a mundane life is not a luxury that people can afford. Thus, I write about a caged bird trapped in her responsibilities as a daughter and child to a poor family, who can only hope for a normal life. Perhaps people who feel the same - pressure from having to succeed, provide for the family, or be a reasonable child - will be able to see themselves in the child.
Owl - the Bird and the Girl (@owl_writes)
the Bird and the Girl is written from two POVs - that of a bird (an owl) and that of a girl. There is a parallel of the bird freeing other birds, and the girl freeing children from their respective cages, but not leaving themselves. It ends with the bird's dream of flying free. Everyone has their own cages that they need to break out of. Mine is the cause of all my recent problems, but also my main source of motivation. Birds symbolize freedom but this owl has accepted that breaking free may not be possible.
Roukia Ali - Laney is Leaving (@roukiaa9140)
The real main character of my piece, Laney, is indecisive about leaving the certainty of her old life behind, and the only one she feels understands her, her younger brother Eddy. However, she knows she wants to leave for new adventures and horizons, as symbolised by her obsession with a bike she gets herself. Caged by feelings and enforced ideas of responsibility and rationality, it is only through encouragement and empathy that she can be "free to roam" . I was inspired to write this piece when I was sitting near a park one day, watching people go by on their bikes. Some people walked alongside their bikes, and some sped by on them. I think it's a great symbol for individual freedom and how attached we are to it, and taking your freedom into your own hands by your own merits. I hope Laney herself is a relatable character in terms of her passion, but also her emotionality. Not wanting to seem selfish, but also wanting the freedom of one's own path, has always been a contention in my life---I sometimes feel like a bird in a cage, yearning to fly, but scared to fly away, wondering if maybe the cage is safer, or even expects my conformity, and I want my story to relieve anyone who feels similarly. I think it's a great fit overall for this magazine because Laney passes on this lesson of leaving your cage to grow onto Eddy so he can reach his own personal definition, which I think embodies spreading the message to a wider community, like ourselves as writers. Just as we all have our own personal definitions of what being a caged bird means in this issue, the same applies to how we have all taken in that message.
Lauren D. Fulter - Cheeseburgers and Dragons (@laurendfulter_author)
Inspired by my own experiences working a fast food job while longing to be a full-time writer. It deals with a more realistic side of "chasing your dreams" in the sense that the characters can't afford to chase their dreams just yet...but are driven and motivated by their dreams of seeing their dreams of dragons become a reality one day. I had been eyeing this magazine submission ever since the theme was announced. I loved the theme, and toyed with multiple different ideas. Nothing really struck a chord with me, and I ultimately decided to skip out of this magazine. That was until the night of January 2nd, when I woke up around 2am with an idea. I quite literally pulled out my laptop and wrote it right then and there. The story turned out far simpler than my original drafts (which consisted of fairies trapped in glass jars in a world far more fantastical than a burger restaurant). I don't see many young writers talking about the realities of BEING a young writer. We aren't established yet, and hardly any of us can afford to write full-time just yet. Working a day job is a necessity for so many, even if it's something as simple as fast food (which I worked on before going to college!). While making burgers wasn't my dream job and was merely a means to an end, I found an unexpected treasure working there. I got to meet real people and hear their stories. Many of which inspired me and taught me so much about the real world. The story is simple, but the message is very personal to me and so many other creatives dreaming out there.
Kathryn Harry - The Boy and the Butterfly Net (@kathyrn._.jane)
My piece focuses around a timid young boy who struggles with both his fear and the pressure of appeasing his father, feelings which make him feel trapped within himself. I wrote this piece at the Lewis & Clarke Fir Acres Writing Workshop last summer and was inspired to write it by the friends I made there. It was a piece I wrote very freely, tapping into my inner child. I wanted to express the growing pains we begin to experience at very young ages, when the bright world of our own making begins to clash with a solemn reality. My friends were very encouraging as I wrote it, and I am very thankful to them.
Creative Non-Fiction
Heetal Binwani - Life Cycles (@heetalofalltrades, @StarSpeckledSkies on Wattpad)
My piece is about my own life, and how the expectations of society and family have made me feel trapped. Art is a passion of mine - I have loved to make art for as long as I can remember. However, as I grew up, I gradually came to realize that there was no viable way for me to chase a career in art, even though art was what I loved, even though it was my dream. I picked my college major only recently - and I remember confiding in my friend that I had never felt as trapped as I did while researching majors and narrowing down my options. Because even though I had an interest in the STEM field, and in neuroscience, my chosen major, it wasn't really what I wanted. Art was. But jobs in the arts can be incredibly unstable, and they don't pay all that well - it wasn't an option for me, and it certainly wasn't an option for my parents. I felt like I was being backed into a corner while picking my major - and it absolutely terrified me. It was that conversation with my friend that inspired this piece. This work covers my life, from age 5 to age 17, and explores how my dream of becoming an artist first flourished, and then died, as well as where I am regarding that dream now. I think other people will relate to this piece because it's a fairly prevalent problem in our society. STEM fields are often the highest paying, for good reason - but that means that it's often hard to justify the cost of going into an art field, considering that STEM fields have so many more opportunities. Even the friend I confided in struggled with the same thing; if money weren't a problem, she said, she'd go into music. But she's going into psychology, because music, with its high risks and no guarantee of a payoff, is simply not viable for her. People shouldn't have to choose between what they can live off of and what they love - but they do, because that's the society we live in. I think my piece is a good fit for your magazine because it is raw, it is real. You say that you want work that makes you feel something, and that is exactly what I aim to do, with each of my stories. Although I usually write prose, I chose to submit creative nonfiction this time, because the story I'm telling is one I've lived through - it's going to be more real than any fictional world I could think up for this prompt.
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