To-day within a grog-shop near
I saw a newly captured linnet,
Who beat against his cage in fear,
And fell exhausted every minute;
And when I asked the fellow there
If he to sell the bird were willing,
He told me with a careless air
That I could have it for a shilling.
And so I bought it, cage and all
(Although I went without my dinner),
And where some trees were fairly tall
And houses shrank and smoke was thinner,
The tiny door I open threw,
As down upon the grass I sank me:
Poor little chap! How quick he flew . . .
He didn't even wait to thank me.
Life's like a cage; we beat the bars,
We bruise our breasts, we struggle vainly;
Up to the glory of the stars
We strain with flutterings ungainly.
And then--God opens wide the door;
Our wondrous wings are arched for flying;
We poise, we part, we sing, we soar . . .
Light, freedom, love. . . . Fools call it--Dying.
Yes, that wretched little bird haunted me. I had to let it go. Since I
have seized my own liberty I am a fanatic for freedom. It is now a year
ago I launched on my great adventure. I have had hard times, been
hungry, cold, weary. I have worked harder than ever I did and
discouragement has slapped me on the face. Yet the year has been the
happiest of my life.
And all because I am free. By reason of filthy money no one can say to
me: Do this, or do that. "Master" doesn't exist in my vocabulary. I can
look any man in the face and tell him to go to the devil. I belong to
myself. I am not for sale. It's glorious to feel like that. It
sweetens the dry crust and warms the heart in the icy wind. For that I
will hunger and go threadbare; for that I will live austerely and deny
myself all pleasure. After health, the best thing in life is freedom.
Here is the last of my ballads. It is by way of being an experiment.
Its theme is commonplace, its language that of everyday. It is a bit of
realism in rhyme.