© John Garmon

Begin With Stone

The stone becomes a leaf
and its veins show
like winter ivy vines
on a brown stucco wall.

The leaf becomes a stone
and its hard surface
grows green with moss
when spring turns to rain.

Everything becomes
something else:
a boy a man,
a girl a woman.

The young grow old.
The old grow young.
Night becomes day.
Day turns to night.

When we speak
we use other voices.
When we listen
we use other ears.