Author's Note: The poem in this fic is "Sympathy" by Paul Laurence Dunbar.
Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Reboot nor do I own any of Paul Laurence Dunbar's work.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
I know what the caged bird feels, alas!
When the sun is bright on the upland slopes;
When the wind stirs soft through the
Springing grass,
And the river flows like a stream of glass;
When the first bird sings and the first bud opes,
And the faint perfume from its chalice steals—
I know what the caged bird feels!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Dot watched the battle through a vidwindow. It was not going well. She wished she could be down there with them! They needed her! Her knuckles were white as she gripped the steel bars of the cage Megabyte had put her in. Silent tears rolled down her cheeks. Oh, how she wanted the strength to break these awful bars, to rush back to the principal office and take over again, to be the leader they needed, to be in control. Sadly, she had no such strength. The situation was out of her hands. What a terrible thought! One thing she never thought she would think. But it was true. No! There had to be something she could do.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
1 I know why the caged bird beats his wing
Till its blood is red on the cruel bars;
For he must fly back to his perch and cling
When he fain would be on the bough a-swing;
And a pain still throbs in the old, old scars
And they pulse again with a keener sting—
I know why he beats his wing!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Megabyte chuckled as he watched the battle. Suddenly all the frustration that had been building up inside of Dot erupted. She began to bang and shake the bars, kicking and punching until she was bruised and bloody. Even then (and even as she knew it did no good), she beat the indifferent metal bars, opening new and old wounds. Suddenly, there was a flash of blue and silver across the vidwindow, and Dot stopped to watch the battle, which had gotten worse. Without warning, Bob took a hit and fell from the air and out of her sight. "No", she whispered. Then, because she felt so lost and helpless, Dot began to scream. She resumed shaking her cage, but most of her energy was spent screaming and crying—calling Megabyte every swear word she knew, in every language she knew. Megabyte laughed.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
I know why the caged bird sings, ah me,
When his wing is bruised and his bosom sore—
When he beats his bars and he would be free;
It is not a carol of joy or glee,
But a prayer that he sends from his heart's
deep core,
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
After awhile, Dot's energy left her, and she sank to the ground, crying still. She pleaded in a whisper, "User. Bob. Please." And at last she realized the only thing she could do to help. Dot lifted her head to heaven and began to pray.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
1.1 But a plea, that upward to Heaven he flings—
I know why the caged bird sings!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Disclaimer: I do not own Reboot nor do I own any of Paul Laurence Dunbar's work.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
I know what the caged bird feels, alas!
When the sun is bright on the upland slopes;
When the wind stirs soft through the
Springing grass,
And the river flows like a stream of glass;
When the first bird sings and the first bud opes,
And the faint perfume from its chalice steals—
I know what the caged bird feels!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Dot watched the battle through a vidwindow. It was not going well. She wished she could be down there with them! They needed her! Her knuckles were white as she gripped the steel bars of the cage Megabyte had put her in. Silent tears rolled down her cheeks. Oh, how she wanted the strength to break these awful bars, to rush back to the principal office and take over again, to be the leader they needed, to be in control. Sadly, she had no such strength. The situation was out of her hands. What a terrible thought! One thing she never thought she would think. But it was true. No! There had to be something she could do.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
1 I know why the caged bird beats his wing
Till its blood is red on the cruel bars;
For he must fly back to his perch and cling
When he fain would be on the bough a-swing;
And a pain still throbs in the old, old scars
And they pulse again with a keener sting—
I know why he beats his wing!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Megabyte chuckled as he watched the battle. Suddenly all the frustration that had been building up inside of Dot erupted. She began to bang and shake the bars, kicking and punching until she was bruised and bloody. Even then (and even as she knew it did no good), she beat the indifferent metal bars, opening new and old wounds. Suddenly, there was a flash of blue and silver across the vidwindow, and Dot stopped to watch the battle, which had gotten worse. Without warning, Bob took a hit and fell from the air and out of her sight. "No", she whispered. Then, because she felt so lost and helpless, Dot began to scream. She resumed shaking her cage, but most of her energy was spent screaming and crying—calling Megabyte every swear word she knew, in every language she knew. Megabyte laughed.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
I know why the caged bird sings, ah me,
When his wing is bruised and his bosom sore—
When he beats his bars and he would be free;
It is not a carol of joy or glee,
But a prayer that he sends from his heart's
deep core,
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
After awhile, Dot's energy left her, and she sank to the ground, crying still. She pleaded in a whisper, "User. Bob. Please." And at last she realized the only thing she could do to help. Dot lifted her head to heaven and began to pray.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
1.1 But a plea, that upward to Heaven he flings—
I know why the caged bird sings!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*