I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Song is one of the most powerful tools we can use in the midst of a struggle. I am sure we have all at some point in our lives turned on the radio to the highest decimal our ears allow, nodded our heads back and forth as if riding on the lull of a rhythmic sea, and mouthed the lyrics of our favorite song verbatim, crimping our faces in such a way that could be mistaken as pain when in fact we are just displaying the emotion that the song evokes in us. For about three minutes, we have released our tension into the makeshift microphone in the center of our steering wheels. We could care less about what Joe in the right hand lane thinks about our rendition of "I Will Survive"! Through song, we unlock the caged soul within us and watch it fly.

I have been teaching the past 2 1/2 years at a probation hall (or correctional facility) for high school students who have found themselves in trouble with the law. I have spent a good portion of this time in our compound unit, working with students labeled as "high-risk offenders". They primarily range from the ages of fourteen to eighteen. We house them at our school site for the duration of their trial. These particular students have lost their "fitness" in juvenile court, which means they are deemed no longer "fit" to enter back into society. They are then moved on to adult court where they are facing serious sentences. I have witnessed students shipped out of our facility, serving anywhere between 2 to 250 years in the state penitentiary.

Needless to say, I meet challenges daily in trying to motivate these adolescents to see the importance of earning a high school diploma. Their number one concern of course is being free from their cell walls. Between the stress of court and missing their families/friends, there is very little hope for many of them. Nonetheless, my duty as an educator remains the same. I am not only there to instruct, but I also play a part in the rehabilitation process. Our mission is to touch the lives of each student in hopes that they will one day make the choice to turn away from a life of crime and gang violence. In exchange, we offer them the resources they need in order to transition back into society as upstanding citizens, rising up as the future generation that will run this nation. I have taken it one step further and shared with many listening ears the gospel! All we need is to plant a seed and let God do the rest!

Today I entered into the unit where my students are housed, equipped with my lesson plan, stacks of paper, and pencils. I prepared for them a lecture on the American Indian Movement that took place in the 1960s, but little did I know that I would be receiving a lesson of my own. It all began when I introduced myself to a new student in the class. He shook my hand timidly, sunk down into the lustrous metallic stool Los Angeles county funds provide, and stared down at his paper. About a minute passed when suddenly this young gentleman rose from his desk and stated, "I heard that you can sing, Ms. J!" I started to reply, but before my mouth shaped around the letter "I", he abruptly continued, "I can sing too! I used to sing in the church choir and I sang for my grandmother's funeral!" Without delay, my student commenced a cataclysm of events that spiraled out of my control.

This young man began to sing. He placed his hand over his heart, clenched his gray t-shirt, and threw his head back as if he was watching the musical notes escape from his lips. After he concluded his rendition of "Sweet Sadie", the rest of the students and I applauded him. Then, another student jumped up from his desk and began to sing a song in a tongue unfamiliar to me. I believe the lyrics were in Spanish. I, like the other students, was unclear about the content of the song but nonetheless found comfort in his smooth, mellow tone. He extended his final note and then suddenly a beat was heard from the opposite side of the room. Another student began to tap the tip of his pencil to the metal desk, turning unseemingly percussive sounds into a full on drum ensemble. This young man began to perform a poem he wrote about his life struggles, how he wanted to walk away from his hood but was too afraid to try. Each phrasing perfectly fell into the intermittent gaps of the beat. I was overwhelmed by the orchestration that filled the room. Undoubtedly, these young men were in need of a therapy session, one their school psychologist couldn't provide. In this case, song served as the key, unlocking the cage door that bound their souls within the prison walls around them.

The incident that occured today reminds me of scripture in 1 Samuel 16:14-23. Saul was troubled by a stubborn distressing spirit that wouldn't flee. He was advised by his servants that only a skillful musician could help banish the unwanted spirit that bound him. They referred David, a harp player who came highly recommended, as the man for the job. We all know that David had a heart for the Lord and I imagine he played his instrument from his heart, with a fiery passion and zeal. It proved to work as scripture states, "Then Saul would become refreshed and well, and the distressing spirit would depart from him." (1 Samuel 16:23) It is revealed through scripture that music is powerful not only as a form of worship to God, but also as a means of healing.

Maya Angelou wrote a poem entitled, "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings". This piece was written during the civil rights movement, however, the message still rings true today. The caged bird is a symbolic figure as the tune the bird produces is a message of hope. This is evident in the following lines that repeat throughout the poem:

The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.

Maya Angelou must have known that the gift of song empowers, uplifts, and inspires not only the songbird but those who can hear its tune. I liken the three young men that I mentioned earlier to the caged bird in this poem. Song enables them to find strength, hope, and encourages those who listen. We may not be able to indentify with what it is like to be physically incarcerated, but how many of us find ourselves incarcerated spiritually? Think about anything that is incapacitating you from engaging in a fully enriched life in Christ. Your soul may be crying out for freedom with a "fearful trill". But, remember that God gave us a voice not to whimper in fear or distress but to sing over and through our circumstances. We don't sing only because we are happy. We sing and rejoice because our souls are free. Maybe your body has physically failed you, but you are not a slave to that hospital bed. Perhaps you are dealing with an addiction of some sort. Praise through the struggle of being released from it! Those four walls that encage your soul will soon come crumbling down! Massage your soul through song, release it, and watch it fly! Scripture in Ephesians 5:19 stresses the importance of "speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord". This is the way in which our souls thrive.

When we sing from our heart the way that David played his harp, we are guaranteed liberation. Galatians 5:1 states, "Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage". Live out this scripture daily. Many of my students do not know the Lord, but one thing they do know is that the instrument inherent within us provides comfort, encouragement, and strength. When we use it to glorify God, we find freedom!