If I Was a Bird - By: Manmeet Kaur

If I were a bird,

Soaring through the vast sky,

No one could catch me,

No one would judge me,

No one would question me.

If I were a bird,

I’d be courageous like a warrior,

Confident like a speaker,

Free as the wind,

With wings of dreams.

But… is that true?

Please give a detailed explanation about the meaning and main idea of this poem.

This poem is about a girl who imagines her life as a bird and thinks about what she could do if she were a bird. The poem shows how we are judged for the way we speak, for what we wear, where we live, and basically, whatever we do. We are judged day and night, even by our own family. It shows how this judging leads her to lose her confidence, how she loses her courage, and how if she were a bird, she wouldn't have to lose everything or be judged. But the last line makes her wonder if that is even true, as even birds are locked behind bars in a cage.

Please explain your writing and thought process regarding this poem.

This poetry was just a quick idea of putting a perfect line in my notebook as I write whatever comes to mind. Then, if it makes sense to me, I turn it into creative writing. I go around to as many people as I can to get their feedback. Most of the time, I like to finish my poetry within two days so I can start another. This writing is not imaginary; this is how I feel judged by my own mother. In my family, it doesn’t matter what I want to do — it matters what others will think if I do it. But slowly, I am learning to let them be and realize it’s what they think, but I will do whatever I want.

Why did you choose to write this poem?

Everything I write is based on personal experience; nothing is based on anything else. I choose to write because that is how I feel on the day. There is never a particular reason behind what I write—just what I feel in the moment—and then I move on.