This piece was written as a character theme for a minor antagonist in one of my stories. The title is a direct poetic reflection of this character: A flightless bird - a sickly boy; trapped in a cage - confined to his room by his sickness and mentality; hanging over a cliff; should he try to leave, he would surely die. All very happy stuff. With this in mind, I wanted this music to have an atmosphere of bleak melancholy. Throughout this sadness, though, there are instances where the music strengthens to signify this character's persistent resolve. Within the composition is also the theme of the city in which the character lives. This section is meant to show this world which he is always watching yet never able to be a part of; furthermore, it represents both his longing and growing resentment towards this world he will never know.

In all of this, the reason why this piece is important to me is because the character it is written for is a direct juxtaposition of the main character in my story - who suffered yet pushes forward with hope, whereas this character suffered and chose to dwell in his despair. There were many instances where hope was offered to this minor antagonist, but he could not break free from the despair that held him. He is a cautionary representation of succumbing to hopelessness, despair, and anger. But remember Romans 15:13, "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope."

Regarding this particular arrangement for the piece, the format used in writing it was a Pierrot Ensemble (per the parameters of a contest - EC/21). Within this, I wanted to use all available instruments given; the selection of percussion was due to my love of tubular bells, the march/militaristic quality of the snare drum, and the glassy/bird-like air of the glockenspiel.