Race

When I came into this world
I was born into a race
The race to live
Competitive
I was barely noticeable at first
At first I look like a plant
A thin one
Barely noticeable
And I grew
After a year
The other plants died
I was a little ahead of them
I got more sunlight than they did
The more I got the less they received
For that they suffered
I took most of their water as well
Because of me
They died
I kept growing
More than a stump
I grow thicker
I see more competition
I also see more sunlight
Still I'm ahead
But now I learn to extend a little
I grow wider
To where I'm in their way
But I can't kill them
Just slow them down
As years go by
I grow thicker
I grow leaves
Make them thicker
I try to savour every rain drop
Just to keep my leaves thick and alive
Growing thicker
I'm halfway there
Now I need to develop my bark
Pesky termites
They're killing the others
But I will reinforce my insides and outsides
They're not gonna eat me alive
I don't want to be weakened
Those things are cancer
Hopefully they'll find more comfort in the others
Now the others are weakened
I think they did find the comfort
The others are slowing down
I'm still on my steady pace
Pacing myself in this race
Marathon it is
Berries grow on me
I need to stop this
Attracts too many insects
I hate cockroaches
Damn them all
Where there's roaches there are termites
I will rid of these fruits at once
I have a goal to accomplish
Years pass
Closer to the finish line
Full grown
Still not done
Now I fight
Now I will take the rest of the sunlight and rain
I have the span to cover all
And I take it all to myself
Each year I take more and more
Each year one fall down after the other
I'm winning the race
Finally they all fall
I conquered
I won the race
Since I started
I was determined
To be the last tree standing