ONCE I LIVED AS A ROCK

ONCE

Once I lived as a rock
& let things happen to me
One thing that happened
was I broke down
into soil & a plant
took me into its roots
& I grew another leaf
Then a lizard ate me
& I walked about
on my own legs running
down some prey
until a bird snatched me
& I traded my scales for feathers
I beat my wings
against each other & rose
haltingly at first
but I grew stronger
I made friends with the wind currents
I opened my beak
& broke the long silence

Look for me on the sidewalk
Look for me on the mudflats
on the pebble beach polishing myself
rolling with the waves
Look for me in bed
bundled against the cold
with my broken foot propped up
Look in the woods behind every tree
at the grocery store in the aisles
in the alley where they smash the pumpkins
in the back row of a movie

Look for me with your glasses on
Seek me out with a hose
or a book of matches
Look where the sun comes up
Look for me by moonlight
Look with your brain
Look with your heart
Keeping looking
until you find me
I want you to find me


Steve Toth