Lyre Bird

• Julia Murphy, Grade 6
• Poetry
• 2020

She hides behind a flawless face
Pretending she is nothing but grace
She speaks out with all but a word
And envies the angels' dance while she’s a flightless bird
She’s needs to keep a tight control, and always act strong
But she's a caged bird without a song
She must be the School's High Queen
And her smile has to relentlessly beam
“You’re not perfect unless you’re a size two.
You’re only gorgeous when you wear a high-heeled shoe.”
She always has to fib, she always has to lie
Just to seem no more than what meets the eye
She’s suffering in silence
Drowning in violence
Her pristine feathers hide her true hurt
While her false friends cast her in the dirt