Stolen
By John Herlihy

I have stolen from all I know
I am nothing but what is taken
In my own right, I am just a crow
One of many who are forsaken.

From my father his looks
From my brother his fishhooks
From my mother her patience
From my sister her pennies.

Sound from countryside brooks
Silence from the forest deep
Color from autumn leaves
Scent from a flower bloom.

Feathers from a pigeon keep
Luck from rabbit feet
Waves from a seashell
Mood from a distant bell.

Cunning from the spider’s web
Courage from the lion’s den
diligence from the squirrel’s hoard
Vision from the night owl.

I have stolen opportunity
I have stolen possibility
I have stolen beauty
I have stolen misery.

My tears are not my own
My smile is not home grown
My cry stolen when born
My attitude can be a thorn.

There is nothing I have not stolen
I am nothing but what I have
To others I thank their giving
To the world I beg forgiving.