Today’s Rilke poem is called The Panther, a vivid picture of a caged animal where the world becomes smaller and smaller and the cat loses all sense of connection, but for a brief moment at the end, which then fades away.
I thought at first of writing about the zoo. I lived not far from one as a child, an old-style zoo before attempts were made to duplicate an animal’s natural environment. But it didn’t quite work for me today. Nor did a poem about my own cat. He is often the subject of my poems, but on a lighter note. And then it occurred to me that depression might be like a cage of sorts. That inspired this poem:
Jan. 12, 2014 –CAS
When my mind is caught
in a cycle of worry
it is like Rilke’s caged panther,
thoughts move in circles,
tighter and tighter, where
nothing penetrates but fear.
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Quillfyre 
So true Carol. “The Panther” is one of my favorite poems for the emotion that it stirs up in the depths of my soul. Your Small Stone speaks to me.
Thanks, Susan, for taking the time to visit and to respond! C.
Hi Carol, I’m Anthony. I logged in for the first time since I made those posts and was surprised to see many have visited my page. I had not revisited “The Panther” until I saw your notification. It’s truly a devastating situation put upon such a wonderful creature. It’s intriguing how relatable it can be to many of us.
Best wishes.
Thank you, Anthony, for taking the time to comment. You brought the poem and its image back to me to visit again. So sad to think of such wild beauty caught behind bars.