We start so miniscule
No more than a speck of dust
Smaller than the edge of a fingernail
Hidden in the shadow of a leaf
One nameless egg among thousands
Soft, vulnerable and almost translucent
And as soon as we are able to move
We begin to consume, to devour the world around us
Barely sleeping, living to eat
Not knowing the reason, but seeking to satisfy
The endless hunger
Once we defoliate our entire world
Become fat and sleek and full
Yet still longing for another meal
One that will satisfy and not leave us wanting
In that moment the whole world
Stops
Our feet stuck fast
And we build solid walls around
Constructed from our own bodies
Suddenly we must become absolutely still
And wait
Isolated from the rest of life
Only the energy within still pulses, unseen
Until we are transformed
Shaking off the wrappings of our past
Letting the energy fill our wings
Finally we can flit through the skies
Focusing at last on the flowers
Sipping from their sweet nectar
Understanding our interdependence
Losing ourselves
In the epiphany of flight
But for such a brief span of time
We are immersed in this samadhi
So little of our lifespan
Then we must seek out the leaves again
And sow the next generation
That this incarnation
Will never see
What we leave behind
Is the future
What we take with us
Is the beauty of right now
The caterpillar does not strive to become a butterfly
It cannot do otherwise
22 APR 2003
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