Understand Pain

How dare you say that?
You think you know who I am?
Can you really, really know,
Even better said, understand my pain?
Were you there when I stood alone
Against my brother’s violent and drunken tirade?

You might think you know why the cage bird sings,
But you certainly don’t understand why we sing.
To really understand someone’s song,
You must have been there with them
But even that can limit one’s idea of that song.

There is a need to go through the same pain
To understand their song
But you don’t want to do that.
Even if you wanted to,
I wouldn’t want you to.
For my pain, is exactly that
My pain

I travel along with every piece of baggage
That I own and everybody else’s that I know.
For I am not someone who acts,
Like I know another’s pain
But instead dig deeper to truly understand their pain
But you’re not one to do the same.

So sit back, sip your coffee, read your newspaper
And act like you know why the cage bird sings.
While, we, the cage birds
Will sing our song to one another
And laugh at your ignorance
Because in our view
You’re the real caged bird.