“If you have ever been fortunate enough to see Maya Angelou perform her poetry, you have been drawn into her world where cultural boundaries blur, where language breaths with fluency from many countries, where words pulse with democratic rhythms, and carry an unwavering message of hope and optimism,” wrote Joanne V. Gabbin in an introduction to Maya Angelou – The People’s Poet Laureate.  “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” is a 1969 autobiography describing the early years of American writer, civil rights activist and legendary poet Maya Angelou. The poem is metaphor about racial oppression and injustice and a yearning for freedom and equality – a world where people are not judged by the color of their skin.  Simerjeet Singh reads I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings in our next episode of the Poetry That Inspires Series.  Regards, TeamSJS I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings A free bird leaps on the back of the wind    and floats downstream    till the current ends and dips his wing in the orange sun rays and dares to claim the sky. But a bird that stalks down his narrow cage can seldom see through his bars of rage his wings are clipped and    his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing. The caged bird sings    with a fearful trill    of things unknown    but longed for still    and his tune is heard    on the distant hill    for the caged bird    sings of freedom. The free bird thinks of another breeze and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees and the fat worms waiting on a dawn bright lawn and he names the sky his own. But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams    his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream    his wings are clipped and his feet are tied    so he opens his throat to sing. The caged bird sings    with a fearful trill    of things unknown    but longed for still    and his tune is heard    on the distant hill    for the caged bird    sings of freedom. Watch it on YouTube: https://youtu.be/syNrRDRKzJQ #CagedBird #PoetryThatInspires #SimerjeetSingh #MayaAngelou #InspirationalPoem #InspirationalPoetry #Freedom Follow us on: https://linktr.ee/SimerjeetSingh