Social classes

in the sad, gloomy sky

of this country of dejection

a stray sparrow tries to spread his wings

with struggling movements.

he was once told he could

only fly if he endured through the pain.

he looks at the white cranes

standing on a pine tree.

oh, so beautiful, so great!

treated like gods,

who shine from far away.

he wonders if they have

scars as well

from learning to spread

their stunning wings.

the little sparrow hopes

to be a crane someday

so he wants to fly up, touch the stars

and steal their light

to shine like the beautiful, white cranes.

he falls

and gets up

until coal turns into ash.

and he learns how to fly

while wrapping his dreams.

so he goes to the cranes

to be part of their team.

he knocks on the door

but gets no response.

he waits for hours

until someone comes.

shaking in anxiety

the sparrow begs the crane to join.

the crane asks him

what his parents do,

but the sparrow

is all alone and knows nobody out there.

the crane slams the door in his face

and the sparrow comes back

after eight days.

he promises to work

as hard as a machine

to become a beautiful, white crane.

the crane bursts into laughter,

mocking his silly words.

he tells him that

to die as a crane,

he must be born as one.

and if he was born as a sparrow,

that’s how he’s gonna die.

A.P.