My home, My cage, My prison

Hi. My name is Cilo. I am a pigeon. I was born in captivity, in a cage. It is a big cage, with over 30 pigeons in it, including my family. My owner is a man who loves rearing pigeons. He feeds us, cares for us and has never sold or given away any of his pigeons-he loves us too much.

Since I was young, I was curious of what the outside world was like. I could see other animals and birds outside the cage and always wondered why they were not in a cage like me. No answer my mother gave could ever satisfy my curiosity.

My owner has the habit of letting us pigeons out of the cage for a few hours each day. He usually let us out in the evening, and we always came back by sundown, when it was time for dinner. When I was younger, my parents would not let me out; for fear that I could not find the way back or would be harmed by others. One day, my parents said I was old enough. I didn’t understand why I wasn’t old enough the day before that; did I really change that much overnight? But I was too excited to ask them this question.

At first, I was only allowed to follow my parents wherever they went, but eventually, I was allowed to go out with my friends, and after some time, even fly away alone. Each time, I come back full of stories of my adventure (as I liked to call it) and each day, I look forward to this brief period of time that I get to stretch my wings. Why do I come back, you ask? Because it is my home. I was born here. My family is here. It never crossed my mind that I could go elsewhere.

As time passed by, I became a little braver and started talking to other birds I met in the outside world (I couldn’t talk to the other animals because they spoke a different language). They told me about places far more beautiful than I could ever imagine. They spoke of busy markets, beautiful parks, singing oceans. They told me that they could take me to a place a little further away where there were fountains and beautiful flowers, but I knew that I couldn’t go there because it is too far away for me to be able to fly back home before sundown.

However, my friends never gave up. They kept talking to me about this beautiful place. They kept trying to convince me that I should try something new, something different. One day, I blurt out to my parents, I would like to see the world; I want to escape this life I have. My parents look at me sadly and tell me stories of other birds who have tried to escape. Some came back, most didn’t survive very long. They tell me about the dangers that I would have to face. They tell me that they love me too much to lose me that way. I understand what they mean. I cannot leave them. I love them too.

The next day, I tell my ‘outside’ friends I cannot see them anymore. I find it too heartbreaking to hear their stories. The more I hear, the sadder I feel. Ignorance is bliss. I am now flying back to my home. Tomorrow, I think I will not go out. There is nothing new to see, nothing to explore. There is only so much one can see in a few hours and I think I have seen whatever there is to see around my house. Now I understand why the older pigeons rarely left the cage. I can already see the cage. I can imagine my parents waiting for me. In a while I will be eating my dinner with them. I am almost there - my home, my cage, my prison.