was perhaps
a lion, a wolf, or a lamb
perhaps all 3 or more
a lioness lives to feed, 
a wolf to serve 
a lamb to take the sins of whoever 
thought it was a good idea to live 
perhaps 
a snake 
the hiss: the slither 
the turning 
men 
into stone  
then no 
whimper 
can be 
heard 
of purpose 
as if we 
had purpose 
in the blink of an eye we call life 
we are born with nothing: we die with less 
when born 
we have air
death 
takes the oxygen and hydrogen away
perhaps 
there's safety in each cocoon
"but in safety there is imprisonment" 
each topples
men topples 
women give life 
then die 
to spin again 
to plan 
again 
our escape