i thought i was once a bird
rising falling with the breeze

i thought i was once spider
knitting delicate death traps

i thought i was once a mouse
nocturnally gnawing secret doors

i thought i was once a bee
flower jumping bumbling expert

i thought i was once a vine
strangling hosts as i climb

i thought i was once a lion
and all did bow and cower

i thought i once lived a life
or separate lives
one after the other

i was a bird surfing wind and breeze
i was a spider crafty web spinner
i was a mouse skittering dark passages
i was a bee flying life spreader
i was a vine by nature climbing and killing
i was a lion maimed and disgraced

i thought i was once another being
or so i told myself