I want to fly away
leave the ground behind
the ground is made of dirt
it’s stained the bird inside
Dirty bird—vulture
I pick at flesh and bone
the corpse that I ravage
is the one I once called home
But vultures have wings
still they’re free in flight
I’ll fly away from you
from all I have in life
I’d rather be free and dirty
than kept in a silver cage
I’d rather leave this earth
than pretend that I’m okay
When you see me drift
on dirt-stained feather
know that I’ll be fine
one day I’ll be better
If it's not clear, this poem is about searching for a sort of freedom, more specifically, freedom from a feeling, judgement, and self-reflection. But it's also about finding healing through acceptance. When we feel different, "dirtier," than everyone else, it can be hard to deal with. Sometimes we just want to "fly away," and sometimes we try to change ourselves to match the people and emotions around us. But I think it's important to recognize the feelings we have and admit them, be "free and dirty" instead of "kept in a silver cage." Because either way we're dirty birds, the latter is just surrounded in a prettier prison. Flying away from our corpse, as well as the dirt, we can move on toward the free air. In a way, becoming a vulture is a good thing. We have to realize we're dirty before we can heal.
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