I know why the caged bird sings, ah me,
When his wing is bruised and his bosom sore,
When he beats his bars and he would be free;
It is not a carol of joy or glee,
But a prayer that he sends from his heart's deep core.
Source: Star.
-- Paul Laurence Dunbar, (Jun 27 1872-1906), US poet, novelist, short-story writer; He was the first African American poet to gain a national audience; wrote four volumes of poetry including Oak and Ivy.