When I was little my mom kept chickens
I loved them
I took care of them all, gave them names as they were special
And like any other day
In my little puddle boots with flowers
I squished a baby chick underneath my foot
Instantly
I felt the sheer weight of myself
But it was too late
It laid there, eyes up and searching for something
I wept out of anger holding its lifeless body
I had failed
I love small creatures
They\'re so fragile
The smallest thing I held was a baby shrew
It\'s legs were crushed flat by my old grey cat
I held it in my palm and watched the chest rise
And fallI
I asked my dad for a box to put him in
His usual look had changed when he saw the small thing
Something hardened
He instructed me to kill it, to put it to rest mercifully
In the rain, I stood out in my big red puddle boots
The shrew laid on the ground with a beating chest
I took a big rock in my arms
Holding it above the baby, I just let go
Instantly
It was just gone
Crushed beneath my pretty boots again