Freedom's Crown

Freedom's Crown

"A caged bird stands
on the grave of dreams."
He is confined
or so it seems
but in his heart
he feels the start
of freedom blowing near.

Those who shackle
see him content;
they take silence
as his assent
but deep within
lies freedom's kin -
not as it appears.

Within his soul lies freedom's crown;
bars alone won't keep him down.
He wears it in his mind at night;
he proudly soars the winds in flight.

With morning light, he must return;
deep within the yearning burns
as he sits silently at rest;
the crown within him now a nest.

Those who shackle
see him content;
they take silence
as his assent
but deep within
lies freedom's kin -
not as it appears.

Prompt for: June 25, 2014
Subject or Theme: Start your poem with: a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams (From Maya Angelou's poem Caged Bird http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/178948)
Word(s) to Include: Crown, silence
Forbidden Word(s): Beak, death, hope, sing, song, wing,
Additional Parameters: Minimum 16 lines.
Form: Mimic of original