The Bitter Caterpillar

By EJ, 1986 for Becky Granado

A caterpillar on a leaf looked up into the sky,
and saw the birds cavorting there and wished that he could fly.

"Indeed I'm blessed with legs and fuzz and many other things,
but God has never made a set of caterpillar wings.

The eagles soar, the sparrows race, gulls swoop and dive with glee,
but here I'm cursed, the thrill of flight was never meant for me."

He crawled away to build himself a place where he could weep,
and spun a silken palace, crawled in and fell asleep.

Then one day the sun rose high and hovered there at noon,
and many things had taken place inside our friend's coccoon.

He cut a hole and struggled out into the light of day,
and looking up he spread his wings, and then he flew away.