Uses the animals from the Chinese zodiac, like rooster and dog.
Particularly, it says perched between rooster and the dog, which doesn't exist
There isn't a sign for everyone, theres more to humans than a grouped description. Shown in last stanza.
The outcasts of society. The ostrich is a flightless bird, ' bear the weight of wings that will not lift us'.
There are people in society that mimic an ostrich, that can't reach standards or their potential because of factors like their environment, mindset, opportunities, class. Specifically, linking to division street, I feel it addresses the marginalised society, the ones who are spoken. about rather than for. Particularly, the North could symbolise the ostrich. Stretched from the capital, mining, unemployment, and a lack of opportunities. People move to the south, in desperation for an escape.
Possibly, it can be seen she refers to these people as creatures, which could mean the upper class cant understand this way of living. Their so blind to see they are humans.
Always 'just behind the pig, or the slipstream of a horse'.
A slip stream Is a very odd use of language to connect to a horse.
It can mean:
- an assisting force regarded as drawing something along behind something else.
- follow closely behind another vehicle, travelling in its slipstream and awaiting an opportunity to overtake.
Both of these to apply to the sufferings perspective on society. They can be subject to being 'drawn along', by the mobilised people. Or they can be optimistic, and see their misfortune as an 'opportunity to overtake'. Meaning, overtake those in society who've deemed them as useless.
