What If ?

What if one day I'll wake up as a cockroach? Would humans know it is me? Would they still love me if they have ever loved me? Would they hate me? Would they fear me?

What if as cockroach, I have dreams, too? What if I also have a family? What if I have friends? What if we are poor? What if in the middle of my flight towards my dreams I'd get myself in trouble with humans? What if the next day would be my graduation day? What if they tremble in my presence? Would they murder me? What if their screams would make me panic and accidentally land on their faces? What if I don't mean to frighten them? Would they know? Would they still kill me? What if they'd catch me and set me on fire? What if they'd slap me with slippers? What if they'd flush me in the sink? What if as a cockroach I would still wish to die beautiful?

What if one day I'll wake up as an ant? Would humans know it is me? Would they still love me if they have ever loved me? Would they hate me? Would they fear me?

What if as an ant, I work hard for my future? What if, just like humans, I search and store foods in preparation for storms to come? But what if humans are the storm our colony fears the most? What if I bite only to let people know I'm hurt? Or perhaps, to let them know they're sweet? What if I am here for humans to stare at when they are bored and lonely? What if I'm the perfect companion for them when anxiety comes in? What if I struggle running to evade their steps? Would they care to be careful for me? What if blocking my way would make me lose my way to our hideout? Would they mind to guide me back? What if they would rather step on me or crush me ruthlessly? What if as an ant I would still wish to die in our nest, with my family around me, bereaving and giving their eulogies?

What if one day I'll wake up as a rat? Would humans know it is me? Would they still love me if they have ever loved me? Would they hate me? Would they fear me?

What if as a rat I fall in love, too? What if, just like humans, sometimes I also fall in love with the wrong one? What if I am just pretending to take the cheese only for the cat to chase me? Would the cat realize that? Would the owner of the cat know that? What if I startle in the sound of footsteps as people startle to see me as well? What if I've already conquered my fear of people, and of cats? Would they adjust for me? Or should I still be the one to do the adjustment? What if the cat caught me? Would it kill me? What if people hit me with a stone and I didn't have the chance to avoid it? What if other rats would see me fall and lose my life? What if they cry? Would people know? Would they feel guilty? What if as I die, would they throw me a hundred miles away? Would they feed me to the cats? What if the cat I have fallen in love with would be the one eating me? What if as a rat, I would still wish to die in love?

What if after I die as a cockroach, or an ant, or a rat, I would be reincarnated as a human?

What if as a human I would rather be a cockroach, or an ant, or a rat again? What if there's more cruelty being a human? What if there's more peace being a cockroach, or an ant, or a rat? What if I'd rather die as a cockroach murdered by humans? What if I'd rather die as an ant crushed by humans? What if I'd rather die as a rat hit through stone and thrown away by humans?

What if a death as cockroach, or an ant, or a rat caused by humans is sweeter than a death of humans because of humans?

What if?