A Tiger in a Cage

A Tiger in a Cage
By Laijon Liu 20090611

A tiger in a cage
A crown taken away
In forest he’s a king
But here he falls into Cat category

Children adore him all day
Dogs bark at him
Behind bars he laps his paws
Invincible daggers he’ll never use

What kind of beast
Waits for people to feed?
Isn’t he a sun-god?
Plays a devil role at night?

Beautiful camouflage coat
Should be an art of mystery
But now he can’t find a bush
To show off his magic mark

A pair sad and big eye
Golden and mild
No light of hope
Shining no pride, nor wild

Ah, he is a tiger
But caged behind bars
A god of mountain
Became a wooden idol

Note:
Society is a jail that locks our spirit and breaks down our will. I often feel I should accomplish more with whatever I have, but often feel that I’m unable to do. There is a greater force that shut all the doors right in front of me, till one day I stop hitting my head against walls, and I would walk by its side back and forth, couldn’t give up, and one day I might eventually become that brother tiger I met at the zoo years ago, that he stopped looking at the visitors, stopped walking by the bars to hope a miracle gate to be opened, just laying there half-sleep all day, given up dreaming the green forest, high mount top, deep valley, living springs, and never cared if he was alive or dead, or hungry or lack of mate or sex. He should have his kingdom and title, his deity and honor. I shed tears for him, sometimes I only pity him that he did not deserve such treatment, he was not human, he only took what he needed, but even so strong like him still could not break away from the bars we made, all of his identity stripped away, and such life even worst than death. There is a Chinese saying: “Rather live a day of tiger, should not suffer for hundred years like a sheep.” But in our zoo, no one can break loose, not even terrible beasts, maybe only Jesus. And a few prophets and suicidal poets? I doubt. They simply lived a short life in our zoo. Just an opinion.

Chinese:
一只笼中虎,
它的王冠被夺去
在林中它作王
在这儿却落得个猫科动物

孩子们整日围观它,
小狗们朝着它叫,
它在栏后舔着爪,
无敌的利刃它不再使用.

什么样的野兽
等着人来喂养?
难道它不是太阳之神?
在夜间充当魔鬼的角色?

它隐蔽的斑纹
是神秘的艺术,
但现在它却找不到一片树丛,
来炫耀它的绝技.

一对悲伤的大眼睛,
金黄且温柔,
闪着无望的光,
失去了野性, 也没有骄傲.

它是一只老虎
被关在了笼中.
一个山神
被做成了木偶像.