The Caterpillar - a poem

The Caterpillar

by Susan Paczek

Once upon a time there was a caterpillar
He ate leaves all day. He was a real leaf killer!

The leaves were alright.  But sometimes he would cry

Because he wished he could play like a bird in the sky

He tried to heave his body up into the air

But it landed with a splat. He didn’t belong up there.

So he stayed in his bush eating leaves without end

Wondering about flying to his caterpillar friend

His friend said “Don’t be foolish!  You’re where you’re supposed to be

Right here in this bush, eating leaves with me!....”

“And another thing...” but before he could say another word

His caterpillar friend was taken by a hungry bird

Leaving our caterpillar to eat leaves on his own

And dream his flying dreams in his bush all alone

He thought of his flying wish late into one night

When the sky was cloudless clear and the stars shiny bright

He picked out one star that seemed to shine the best

He told it his wish and then he lay down to rest

And when the night ended with a new day to face

The caterpillar discovered he was frozen into place

Really? He thought, this must be some sort of curse!

I wished that I could fly but this is even worse!

The caterpillar who dreamed of soaring above the mob

Now found himself stuck fast in some wretched green glob

He tried to bust out of his trap but without any luck

Eventually he had to accept the fact that he was stuck!

At last he stopped struggling and spent the night

Resigned in surrender, trapped in his plight

And he wondered, how on earth did I end up here?

Was my wish forbidden or was it just unclear?

He let go and sat still as the moon waxed and waned

Til one day, in his cocoon, he found something had changed

Many legs were now few, and what were these things?

That sprouted from his back...  could they possibly be wings?

He pushed his new limbs against the walls that held him in so long

Until the exercise made his legs and wings grow strong

They grew stronger and stronger until he kicked forcefully

And his cocoon fell away.  The caterpillar broke free!

But he was not a caterpillar anymore

And he understood what the cocoon had been for

Thanking the stars he took off into the sky

To play in the air as a new butterfly

"Dancing" acrylic on canvas, 36" x 48" by Evgenia Makogon