I am a caddis larva,
Pounded by the current,
Wedged among the rocks,
On the bottom of a stream.

With bits of twigs, shreds of bark,
And gravel
I build a crust, a casing,
To enclose myself.
I secrete myself
Beneath a ledge,
Sheltered from the raging water,
From the torrent of debris,
From the jaws of trout.

Obsessed with survival,
I shield myself
And cannot even dream
Of wings, and air, and evening.