If

If I were a book,
I'd sit through the ages
Til someone or somebodies
Opened my pages
If I were a keychain,
I'd jangle-dangle free,
Swaying back and forth
With the turn of a key
If I were a mushroom,
I'd grow a large dome
And be nature's stool
For a frog or a gnome
If I were a spacecraft,
I'd soar--no restraints--
Exploring the cosmos,
The heavens' grand paints
And if I were you--
Well, that's easy to cite;
I always know best
For another man's plight
And if it were me
With resources to chance,
Well...it's hard to predict
Acts or plans in advance
So...if I am me
(And indeed, that is true),
I should not act as if
I know what's best for you
For in fact I might know
And a helpful way show
But my attitude shouldn't
Be that of a pro
For if I'm (yes!) human,
I stumble and fall,
And no one pays heed
To a proud know-it-all

© 2025 Teresa Miles Kephart