“im not owned! im not owned!!”, i continue to insist as i slowly shrink and transform into a corn cob. my family and friends look in horror as they realize that i am, in fact, owned. i am owned by the farmer who planted me, who waters me, and who will eventually harvest me. i am nothing more than a commodity to be bought and sold.

i was once a human being, with hopes and dreams and a future. but now i am nothing more than a vegetable. i am food for humans, animals, and insects. i am food for the earth. i am sustenance for life.

i am owned.