Poems on the Theme of the Caged Bird

The following poems were inspired by Paul Lawrence Dunbar's "Sympathy" and Maya Angelou's "I know why the caged bird sings." Enjoy.
 I.
     As I sit in the cage
     I long to be free.
     When I open my eyes
     I look down and see
     the shackles on my feet.
     I get in range
     because I hear no beat.
     Then I woke up
     and realized it was all a dream.
II.
     Hiding, running from my life.
     Life has made me feel locked away, chain up
     and held back from the light, in the darkness
     I lie as I watch my life slowly pass me by.
     Hiding from myself, I rebel not living the
     life I once had the chance to live.
III.
    This bird does not feel free
     for it is like a hive without a bee
     and as our world turns round and
     round this bird's in his cage not
     saying a sound. His time is not
     over until the fat woman sings.
     This bird's stuck in his cage in which he
     can't breathe. If I were an animal I' let
     out my rage.  This bird needs to be left free
     outside of his cage.
IV.
     I stare out the window like a
     caged bird between the bars.
     I watch as the grass shivers
     slightly in the morning breeze. To
     soar in the blue sky and finally
     be free of this prison, this job corps.
V.
     The caged bird is a friend of mine.
     We sing together all the time.
     I will be the one to set her free.
     I'll fly with her into eternity.