THE EXOTIC BIRD

The light seems so different here, breaking through the square pains of the window
Its morning yellow rays lay heavy on the welcome table
Illuminate the streams of smoke from the cigarette in Baldwins' fingers

The exotic bird is exiled far from home
To this oasis, other birds will come and go
To find that missing part of his soul

Wine, bread, and cheese go untouched, forgotten in literary thoughts
Conversations of gossip and politics wind down to a witty anecdote
The high-lined brow and the toothy grin not to smile back would be a sin

The exotic bird is exiled to another land.
To leave home to find his courage and stand like a man
One day an end will come to this exile soon, will return home

Struggling with the times as they change but still stay the same
To find a corner of the world to claim sanity to be sain
Just wants to feel peace in his life; no need for fame

The exotic bird is exiled to his mind.
The contemplation of life will be the inspiration to fly
On southern roads, hearing the echos of his brothers and sisters call

The broken threads of history woven into a scarf around the neck
Is it a comfort proclaiming I am a man, or will it lead to his death
Rewriting the language of equality that we still don't understand

The exotic bird is exiled with unclaimed guilt.
To journey on the southern roads to pay a personnel debt
The culture of the family never forgets that he has missed