Caged Bird by Maya Angelou

Aug. 15th, 2025 02:30 am
conuly: (Default)
[personal profile] conuly
A free bird leaps
on the back of the wind
and floats downstream
till the current ends
and dips his wing
in the orange sun rays
and dares to claim the sky.

But a bird that stalks
down his narrow cage
can seldom see through
his bars of rage
his wings are clipped and
his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.

The free bird thinks of another breeze
and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees
and the fat worms waiting on a dawn bright lawn
and he names the sky his own.

But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams
his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.


********


Link

[ SECRET POST #6794 ]

Aug. 12th, 2025 05:53 pm
case: (Default)
[personal profile] case posting in [community profile] fandomsecrets

⌈ Secret Post #6794 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.


01.


More! )


Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 01 pages, 21 secrets from Secret Submission Post #972.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.
oldtoadwoman: (skeleton at computer)
[personal profile] oldtoadwoman
I realized I haven't cleaned up my Dreamwidth Circle (reading list, access list, etc) in ages, so I just went through and un-subscribed and removed access to everyone who hasn't posted anything in a year.

If you are one of those people who actively reads your Dreamwidth but chooses not to post, please leave a comment and ask to be re-added. I've screened the comments so that no one else can see them.

I'm not trying to gatekeep. I'm just trying to trim out the inactive and/or possibly spam accounts.
spiralsheep: Sheep wearing an eyepatch (Default)
[personal profile] spiralsheep posting in [community profile] flaneurs
I walked first left turn then second right turn then first left &c [not June challenge III. (d) ], beginning from the highest and most landward gate of Conwy's medieval town walls: flanage report at my journal, with architecture and edification, and a bonus quick guide to Conwy.

"DEUWCH O'R NEILLTU, Y MAE I CHWI CROESO,
YR IEUANC I DDYSGU, A'R HEN I ORFFWYSO."

Hedgehog vs. Bear

Aug. 12th, 2025 04:24 pm
steepholm: (Default)
[personal profile] steepholm
My friend Rei sent me a photo of herself taking part in an academic panel on international defence at the Osaka Expo. My eye was drawn (as how could it not be?) to that fact that the panelists were sitting beside a large cut-out cartoon hedgehog - which seemed incongruous in a such a serious setting.

nato hedgehog

Rei tells me that this is in fact a mascot used by NATO for mass communication purposes. In which case, how come I've never seen it?

On looking into the matter, however, I find that the hedgehog was indeed in use during the Cold War, as a formidable beast whose spines were, nevertheless, defensive in nature. (The other picture dates from 1959, and shows 15 hedgehogs, representing the 15 then-members, seeing off a Russian bear. I wonder which is the USA?)

NATO hedghehog- 1

This article from the NATO website suggests that the symbol was dropped in the 1980s, but it has clearly made a comeback - at least in Japan, where no organisation is complete without its mascot character, any more than Lyra without her daemon.

FF:FS timeline thoughts.

Aug. 12th, 2025 06:37 am
muccamukk: Doctor Rao studying while everyone else parties. (Marvel: Study Hard)
[personal profile] muccamukk
Not sure if anyone else here is into this movie. I'm picking away at the sex pollen fic, but I haven't written fic in long enough that it was slow going the first few days, and now I'm afk while visiting my parents (elder millennial has not warmed to writing fic on phone). Meanwhile, I'm trying to work out the latest backstory.

It's been long enough since I read any F4 comics that I read the wiki to remember the origin story (since the movie just summarises it). The following is a vague stab at a timeline?

No real spoilers )

Thoughts? Corrections? Anyone just want to talk about the movie?
seawasp: (Default)
[personal profile] seawasp

I've had some people say "okay, Ryk, now that we see what's going on is it important to keep posting about Project 2025?"

The answer is "absolutely YES" and I'll explain why. First, for those who haven't seen my long writeup on 2025, here's the link.  Note that the ORIGINAL document is about 900 pages, and even my summary and high points commentary is something like 150. 

Okay, now, WHY is it important to keep talking specifically about Project 2025, even though we're well -past the point where we can prevent someone (whose name begins with T and ends, appropriately, with RUMP) from initiating it?
... cut for length... )
james_davis_nicoll: (Default)
[personal profile] james_davis_nicoll


War crime survivor turned expert swordswoman and student sorcerer Cheon resolves to obliterate the nation responsible, make herself queen, and find a like-minded woman to court.

The Four Wishes (Cheon of Weltanland, volume 1) by Charlotte Stone

(no subject)

Aug. 12th, 2025 02:45 pm
lolastar: neons nen beast (Default)
[personal profile] lolastar
im trying to dye my nails with henna and i feel like its not working at all

A Disco fanvid from 2021

Aug. 12th, 2025 08:38 am
aurumcalendula: image of Michael Burnham in profile overlaid with Discovery and the words 'to boldly go' (to boldly go)
[personal profile] aurumcalendula posting in [community profile] spacefungusparty
Title: Level Up
Fandom: Star Trek: Discovery
Music: Level Up by Vienna Teng
Summary: 'this is where we start'
Notes: premiered at [community profile] fanworks 2021!
Warnings: character death, blood, physical triggers (quick cuts and flashing lights)

AO3 | bsky | DW | tumblr | youtube

(this is one of my favorite vids I've made)

Another one-day Games Con - Ruby Con

Aug. 12th, 2025 12:11 pm
ffutures: (Default)
[personal profile] ffutures
Leisure Games will be running a one day games con in Finchley, London on September 6th to raise money for Great Ormond Street Hospital and celebrate their 40th anniversary. I'm not going to be able to make it due to family stuff, but the details are on line here

https://leisuregames.com/pages/saturday-6th-september-ruby-con-our-40th-anniversary-celebration

Entry is free, they'll be selling goody bags to raise money for the charity, and I assume other fund-raising things will be happening.



(no subject)

Aug. 12th, 2025 12:51 pm
lolastar: neons nen beast (Default)
[personal profile] lolastar
Never guessed it got this good
Wondered if it ever would
Really didn't think it could
Do it some more?
I know we should

Covid jab

Aug. 12th, 2025 07:45 pm
china_shop: New Zealand painting of flax (NZ flax)
[personal profile] china_shop
For the record, I had my 11th Covid jab today. (I'm only posting about it because this is where I look when I'm checking dates. :-)

Four recent fics (Guardian, various)

Aug. 12th, 2025 07:40 pm
china_shop: Zhao Yunlan stretched out on a stool. (Guardian - ZYL sprawled on a stool)
[personal profile] china_shop
Three flashfics for [community profile] fan_flashworks, plus another instalment of my Chu Shuzhi/Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan post-canon 'verse.

Title: Behind another face (100 words) [General Audiences]
Fandom: 镇魂 | Guardian (TV 2018)
Relationships: Zhang Shi & Shen Xi, Shen Xi/Zhao Xinci
Additional Tags: Pre-Canon, Complicated Relationships, Sharing a Body, Secrets, Drabble, Face challenge
Summary:

Zhang Shi meets Shen Xi.


Title: Take back the world (1288 words) [Teen and Up]
Fandom: 镇魂 | Guardian (TV 2018)
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Wang Yike/Zhang Ruonan
Additional Tags: Reference to canon rape, Aftermath of canon rape, Pre-Canon, Upsetting Dixing powers, Revenge challenge
Summary:

One day, everything falls apart.


Title: two are halves of one (851 words) [Teen and Up]
Fandom: 镇魂 | Guardian (TV 2018)
Relationships: Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan
Additional Tags: Episode Related, Episode 22 after the blindness arc, First Kiss (for one of them), Crowd challenge
Summary:

A deep twist of desire makes Zhao Yunlan laugh. "After this—” He circles his chopsticks over the meal and has to clear his throat to keep his voice light. “Shen Wei, I think you should give me a thorough health check.”


Title: life in the silver lining (2732 words) [Teen and Up]
Fandom: 镇魂 | Guardian (TV 2018)
Relationships: Chu Shuzhi/Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan
Additional Tags: Post-Canon, Complicated Relationships, The emotional implications of the existence of time travel, intimacy is hard, rated for themes
Series: Part 4 of Breakage and Repair 'verse (CSZ/SW/ZYL)
Summary:

“You’ve time-travelled before.” Shuzhi’s voice was low and raw. “What if the next time you go to Dixing, the Hallows open a portal to the past? Would you go and stop Ye Zun, and put everything back how it’s supposed to be?”

(Follows on from Raw Nerves, Old Scars.)

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