Having been pushed
so many times
as far onto a ledge
as I can go
without hurtling off into
the quick void before
the dead Void,
I have learned
how to wrap my toes
so tightly onto stone
that I could break it apart
through stubborn will
alone;
learned a little about how
to reach back into evolution
and summon an ancestor,
an animal I need
to help me survive: this is why
as you face me you feel fear
in spite of your apparent victory
when you see I have been pushed
as far as possible, when you see my
yellowing eyes, when you feel
the ground crack beneath you
and talons in your arm —
ah, I can see
that you see
my sudden wings.
