Wild Calling
You don’t have to be wild
You can be as tame as a bird in a cage,
debating the length of your wings,
or the purpose of trees.
But maybe, just once, put up a squawk,
and when the door opens, cut loose
and take flight in any direction
but the one you came from.
Darling, you don’t have to believe me—
it is better if you don’t.
But trust yourself—
you were meant to be free.
Freedom is independence from an outcome.
When you stop looking for its source,
freedom meets you at the door.
You don’t have to do anything
but stare at the white space on this page
and wonder how wild
you can BE.
From Where Everything Wild Has a Home, Wild Poems
The inspiration for this poem came from a dream about a bird in a cage. In my dream, the bird flew around the cage looking for an exit but there was no door. I was not only aware of the caged bird but also the space outside of the cage. From that spacious place I was able get a bigger perspective of what the dream was teaching me. The dream of the caged bird stayed with me several days. This poem was the by-product.
