darling trapped herself

darling tattooed a sparrow on the inside of her wrist,
the freedom of youth.
it was a bright sparrow, red-and-blue plumage
like tropical fruits.

it was freedom trapped in skin,
wrapped in it.

life went on and things
changed
(as things are wont to do)
but darling was still a caged bird with a sparrow tattoo,
wings frozen mid-beat and
feathers woven into her hair.

darling bought a felt-tipped pen,
pink-painted fingernails clicking on black plastic
an uncapped brush,
traceries of black bars;
darling caged her sparrow.

it was freedom trapped in skin,
wrapped around a wrist like handcuffs
or a firm hand.

darling broke her bones
falling from a roof one night,
cigarette in hand.
it was an accident, they said,
a stumbling trip-fall onto the pavement ten stories below,
poor girl.

she was freedom trapped in flesh;
darling freed her sparrow.