Caged bird

How is the caged bird poem relate to Melinda??? The caged bird is very quiet like Melinda and doesn't know how to tell people what happened. If she would tell people she would feel so much better and people might understand and be friends with her again.. I know whenever I have something I hide I always feel better when I tell someone.. I know that her situation is different but I would still tell someone so I wouldn't look like a loner. And so they would catch him. Some people may say it wasn't rape but if she was trying to say no and he put his hand over her mouth then it was, because she didn't want too.