Sea-tinged like she was stood
on top of an ancient pirate boat
keeping her eyes open for the miltary
as she flung open the cage
in the field next to the ocean
clearly hoping that the birds would take the hint

laden in love but wavering in doubts
all the way down from her car
stopping twice barely able to carry on
but telling herself she had to silently
until she reached the edge of the fields
unable to look as she opened the cage

And after she heard them fly away
she could barely look backwards
all the way back to her car
and must have stood there
for at least five minutes
before she opened the car door.

Its what she would have wanted
she told herself all the way back
the tears falling slowly down her cheek
despite knowing deep down it was the opposite
her regrets carried across the breeze
as she heard them fly towards over the cliff. 

Its what she would have wanted she told herself
listening to their howls of delight
when they left the cage to the sky
her words melting like 
snowflakes in June in seconds
rolling in the gutters in sighs.

(Poem is based on lovely painting (included with permission from Victoria Mironenko

More of her work can be seen at https://www.instagram.com/mironenko.victoria/)