The Woman and the Caterpillar

A woman saw the lemon tree’s leaves were being eaten,

Then saw the caterpillar attached to its branch.

Following her instinct she plucked the ugly caterpillar,

Threw it on the ground.

But her memory had been marked by the grey corpse, and

When she returned to the house she found its image in a book.

And next to the ugly caterpillar image

Was the image of the butterfly it was destined to become.

Filled with remorse,

She returned to the lemon tree, and

Begging the caterpillar’s pardon

Replaced it upon its branch. 

Now she had only to wait for the butterfly’s appearance.

--August 21, 2013