The bird in the cage
Simply did not know
The cage door was open
And she was free to go.
Free to leave her prison
With a single choice.
But the bird did not know,
Because she heard a voice
Say "Stay little bird,
Behind all the wires.
We'll meet your needs-
You have no desires.
This is your home,
There's no need to leave."
And thus the little bird
Was all her life deceived.
The girl behind the smile
Was never told
Her heart was a treasure
Worth far more than gold;
That she could leave the lies
That convinced her to seek
Self-worth in a boy-
Perhaps a new one every week.
The girl behind the smile
Had been told it was a rule
That any girl without a boy
Was either ugly or a fool.
But this is all a lie:
There is no rule, no code
That says you need a guy
Every step of the road.
The girl behind the smile
Thought she didn't have a choice.
But the girl behind the smile
Learned to hear a voice
That said, "You are free.
The cage door is flung wide.
There's no reason to cling
To convention or to hide.
You are your own person,
No matter what they say.
Break the so-called rules,
Lift your wings and fly away."
postscript
Full title: "Fish Without a Bicycle," from the quote: "A woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle." This is not to say that having a boyfriend is wrong. But it is wrong to have one just because everyone else does, or you think you need one to feel loved. It's not true. Never has been. I've never had a boyfriend, and I am happy as a clam. I think that you have to learn how to be content with yourself and to gain your own sense of self-worth before you subject a boy to your own drama. Spare him! Spare yourself! Be independent!