Because I was small, I sought small things,
pebbles, ladybugs, little charms
Because I was small, the world seemed too big
mother’s scowls, daddy’s stumbles at night up the stairs
Because I was small, it was easy to hide
in dark corners, under furniture, in trees
Because I was small, I was often unseen,
seldom heard, like a gnat or a flea
Because I was small I could never compete,
last to be chosen in games
Because I was small I brought sighs to my mother
who dosed me with cod liver oil
Because I was small the dresses she thought
I’d “grow into” were always too large
Because I was small, I felt smaller than small,
smaller and smaller inside