The Rabbits

[adalger]

The rabbits in the warren run and bustle to and fro.
They eat the grass and clover and that's everything they know.
The rabbits in the warren see the rabbits in the hutch.
They see the cage, and think they wouldn't like it very much.
The rabbits in the warren fill whatever space they've got.
They're free, and some are free to starve, and some of them will not.
The rabbits in the hutch, they think they've got it pretty good.
They're clean and dry and fed and sheltered in their house of wood.
The rabbits in the hutch, they see the rabbits running free,
And mostly they are thinking, "Lord, I'm glad that isn't me."
The rabbits in the hutch are cared for, never knowing why,
Never caring where it comes from 'til the day they die.
The rabbits in the warren want to free their 'prisoned kin;
The rabbits in the hutch would love to let their brothers in.
But rabbit talks to rabbit and they're always poles apart,
And rabbits -- rabbits never find they've got a lion's heart.

Comments

[chasy]

i absolutely love, love, love this poem! ^_^

[adalger]

You're my biggest fan, it seems. :)

I had to edit a line for being out of meter, but it doesn't take away anything.

[chasy]

well dang, you write good poetry! maybe you have some silent fans, too. :)

[chasy]

*contented sigh* i still ♥ this poem. (yes, i read it again. it was sitting there on my friends page, begging me to.)

[chasy]

can you explain what you mean by "they've got a lion's heart"? both times i've read this poem, i've come away with a different impression (because of my mood i guess?) and now i want to know what YOU meant by it...

[adalger]

I meant the common people of different countries have much more in common than they have different between them, and if they could stop being timid rabbits long enough, they could stand with courage together and make changes that are in everybody's best interest.

But I'm very interested in hearing the different impressions you took away, because they're probably equally valid. That's the thing about poetry: the interpretation of the reader is at least as important as the interpretation of the writer.

[chasy]

okay i'm a WEE bit embarrassed to admit that the FIRST time i read the poem, i took "lion's heart" in a negative way - as though, they would both inadvertently "devour" the other by forcing them into their world.

the SECOND time though, the idea that came across to me was that "lion's heart" conveyed their passionate belief in their own position and the compassion they felt for their brothers who seemed worse off.

(i am very apologetic for how long it took me to answer this. i actually DID get notified of this one but i've been procrastinating because i wasn't quite sure how to articulate the "impressions" i got. i'm still not entirely sure i articulated myself well, but.....i'll try again if your response seems to imply that i didn't. :D)

[adalger]

I think you did fine articulating. :) And I think those are two definitely worthwhile meanings to take from that line, in the context of the poem as a whole. Even the "negative" one is valuable commentary on the interactions between cultures that have difficulty understanding each other. Thanks!