Justin Reamer - Empathy

I know why the caged bird sings,
Though beautiful it sounds to others,
Dreadful it sounds to me.

Listen, listen as he cries out,
Singing in his despair;
Listen to his moans,
Wishing to be set free.

A prisoner, hoping to be liberated,
He cries out for his freedom,
Wondering why he's in captivity.
Listen closely, my friend,
And you will hear his silent tears.

Oh, little bird, don't torment yourself so;
I know how you feel,
For I, too, am a captive, a convict,
A prisoner of my past,
Incarcerated for crimes I didn't commit.

I am a slave to my master,
My own abuser and his abuse,
And I suffer so, reliving them every day,
Suffering from the harsh reality
That bonds me in chains
And weighs me down slowly,
Never to get up,
Never to be free.

Oh, little bird, I know your pain;
I know your suffering;
I can hear your awful cries.
I'm sorry what they did to you,
But I promise you things
Will get better for you.

Even though we both suffer,
We both suffer together,
But in the end,
Our chains will break,
And we shall soon be set free.

Justin Reamer

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/empathy-28/