a rock
I was a pebble
an untreated freckle
under men’s feet
stuck in the grooves
the bottom of some man’s shoes
till I wiggled free

I am
a rose garden
I was a ****
men pruned
till the sun shined on me
and I bloomed

I am
a songbird
I was a worm
a slimy germ
for bait
hooked on a line
twisted as twine
till I sprouted wings
and began to sing

I am
a mountain
I was anthill
till I grew a set of *****
two thousand feet tall
now men have to look
up to see me