Bold and unknowing, I inched along the forest floor.

There was so much to explore;

The soft, cracked birch trees peeling from exposure,

the crevice between the cracked boulders,

the yellow, orange and purple hues of flowers poking through foliage,

endless delight emanated from the golden horizon.

Instinct began to overtake my senses,

the blind beauty of the world lost its touch

and instead, everything had a purpose

Birch trees became imposing towers,

The boulders housed dangerous predators,

The foliage an unpleasant swarm of fellow insects,

Clouds tore away the warmth of the sun,

Rain threatened to wash me

into the swift, lifeless river.

I didn’t seem as big,

nor as fast as the rest. However,

I made the change regardless.

The days became filled with malevolence

as the night enveloped me in fear.

afraid of what had become

of the benevolent world around me

I shed my soft exterior away

and displayed my stoic interior.

My meaning was muddled now,

unsure of what I was to be next.

Hanging delicately

from this sturdy red flower

The Rain no longer posed a threat

and my enemies had scurried away.

I toiled in the gloomy spring breeze,

blind to all but the suns comforting rays.

The days brought songbirds

and excited chipmunks,

the nights brought silence,

save for the crickets.

Panic filled my being

as my home became smaller.

I wished for the simple days,

of sunshine and flowers.

I stayed small for as long as I could

but my exterior gave way,

I prepared for the worst

all for no reason

In came the sunshine, gone

were my legs.

Confident and freed

I soared with the wind.

The forest no longer endless,

Now it was all within reach.

Yellow, orange and purple, as far as I could see,

I took a deep breath

And knew what was meant to be.