The Panther

His gaze has become so weary, It can no longer hold anything. It seems as if there were a thousand bars And behind those bars, no world.

The supple, purring muscles Of his proud chest, are like a caged force. They twist and turn, And stretch in the heavy air, like a bow, So constrained, it almost seems Only one thought is ever there, The endless silent fight for freedom; In the midst of all his power, He cannot break away, as it is a cage within his soul.

And with every move he makes, It seems he’s staring into darkness, Desperately searching for the light, As if that glance could ignite the path, To break free.

But all he can see are the bars, And beyond them, no sign of the wildness, Where one could run like wind, And find depth in the vast expanse of experience.

• Rainer Maria Rilke