My heart is pounding like it cannot stop And my eyes keep rolling on up to that clock Time’s supposed to be flying, but it’s just not Each day just feels like Sisyphus’ rock Perhaps, in the darkness, I should take new stock Perhaps it would help me adjust to the shock Of whether or not caged birds really sing Or if they can fly once someone’s clipped their wings And, if push comes to shove, they’ll fly if they must But, when they do, will they crash or glide to the dust And, when they are buried, can they dig themselves out These are the things I sit and worry about If you stare long enough, you can learn to see But no one who looks has ever seen me So I sit in the darkness and I dream of trees Of how good it feels to lie in the leaves And I wonder how long before that can come to be And I wonder how long before I can be free Stare into black and think of your chores To sit here and sit and then sit some more Memorize the walls and study the floor And dream of the voice you heard long before And ache for the face you love to your core And ache for the day when they come through your door And whether or not this caged bird is singing Silent replies are what this life keeps bringing I’ve denied desire—I’ve controlled every lust Still my only choice is to live in the dust And whether or not I can dig myself out This is the thing I sit and worry about And my heart is pounding—it will not stop And my eyes keep on twitching on up to that clock Time’s supposed to be flying and flying a lot I suppose it just flies like Sisyphus’ rock Perhaps, in the darkness, I can rewrite this plot For some choose surrender, but I do not I hear every tick of the clock when it rings And I’ve come to want so very few things Now I did what I had to—I’ve done all I must Please, God, keep faith with those sleeping in dust And I’ll have back the life I am dreaming about Because I know someday I will get out Beyond any singing, I will learn to shout These are the days I am dreaming about And I’ll sleep by my lover and not in the dust And value the time when a bird learns to trust