Saturday, May 25, 2013

The march of a caterpillar

photo art credit:   leovi


each cell limbers,
stretching across the green expanse- 
           chew, grind, chew--  

leaf by leaf, 
crown, tail, limb of tree, 
           chump, swallow, chump--

oak foliage is
my bed, night after night
           shedding skin, shedding

colors, spiny bristles
moving along like spongy train-  
          evade, wiggle, evade-- 

sting of hungry
predators anxious for a repast- 
         crawl, curl, crawl--

into the crevice,   
where silky threads cocoon me -
         wet wings wobble 

as clouds spin  
faster than fallen leaves, bug-bitten, 
         suckled dry, slug-defiled--

this dark womb- 
i'll soon fly, remembering nothing: 
         earthly chaff & toil--  

but the sweep 
of wind on my face, 
         sun-colored & dazzling--  


Posted for:  D'verse Poets Pub:   Poetics:  through the lens - Hosted by Brian Miller

Updated:   Here is wonderful response to my poem from M ~  Thank you ~

http://grapeling.wordpress.com/2013/05/25/caterpillar-after-everyday-amazing/


Poetry form:  3-5-3 word Collom lune 

29 comments:

  1. sometimes it takes that chaff and toil to become a butterfly...and you def have to avoid those predators too...love all the movement and sound effects in this grace...how fun to finally fly in the end as well eh? smiles.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love where you went with this, Grace. Hope you have a great weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  3. So true that the caterpillar will later remember nothing of its journey when it flies, flies, flies away! I really can see a caterpillar in the picture you chose!

    ReplyDelete
  4. This is a wonderful poem and love how you work the endings of each stanza ....'this dark womb-/i'll soon fly, remembering nothing' .. and that line is particularly powerful

    ReplyDelete
  5. This is nice and special Grace, I had tell you Im your fan ?? LOL

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love the Collum Lune form, and really dug where you went with the Leovi abstract image. Bless Brian for finding us dazzlingly beauteous prompts; your piece pulls us sweetly through metamorphosis; thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I really get a little bit scared about that monster of a caterpillar eating the foliage (have seen examples of devastated forests) but at the end a beautiful butterfly.

    ReplyDelete
  8. nice...love how the bound to earth becomes flying and everything else is forgotten when he feels the wind on his face..very cool take on the pic grace

    ReplyDelete
  9. So glad to be reading your creative poetry once again Grace. What a great description of a caterpillars life, a metaphor for ours. Let's fly.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Grace, you inspired me to follow your lead - I hope you don't terribly mind. ~ M

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love your response ~ Great work on the form too ~

      http://grapeling.wordpress.com/2013/05/25/caterpillar-after-everyday-amazing/#respond

      Delete
  11. One interesting pic indeed and be nice to fly and leave everything down below for a while.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Between the image and your words, I had the sand worm from Dune come into my mind. It's great to have a living story to go with the static image.

    ReplyDelete
  13. ...the caterpillar --- ha, interesting but not exactly lovely... always eating and eating leaves... but a true sign of faith & patience... it will hide & sleep for some time until it shows up back, expressing itself into a most beautiful being... ah, this is lovely Grace... and perfectly expressed in lunes... aww... smiles...

    ReplyDelete
  14. oooh nice form, love the way it wriggles like the caterpillar and so lyrically colourful ... such a happy poem. I love it!

    ReplyDelete
  15. We would despise the caterpillar for eating what shades us then love what it becomes for the color it shows off in the sun. Maybe we should become oak leaf eaters?

    ReplyDelete
  16. ...i'll soon fly, remembering nothing:
    earthly chaff & toil--

    but the sweep
    of wind on my face,
    sun-colored & dazzling--


    ...sun-colored & dazzling...your words wrap around this image effortlessly...enjoyed reading your words.


    ReplyDelete
  17. Wonderful: light, playful, cleverly composed. A joy.

    ReplyDelete
  18. The photo does suggest a metamorphosis. The primordal journey representing life's struggle to the light is very descriptive with the sunburst at the end. This collum lune form is great.

    ReplyDelete
  19. It's really funny Bjorn my 6 yr -old daughter brought home 12 cocoons (crystalix) of caterpillars from school in a terrarium that are all turning into butterflies in our home right now. This made me think I should do a post on it. Great work.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. *****Grace haha I forgot who I was commenting on (red face)

      Delete
  20. Love this, and so right with the art.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Loved the journey you have captured here, Your eye for details and expression make it an absolute delightful read Grace!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Thats so beautiful like the picture, colourful and lively with all its sounds...

    ReplyDelete
  23. colors, spiny bristles
    moving along like spongy train-
    evade, wiggle, evade

    You've taken us through a perilous journey! Soft and spongy they are vulnerable. Blends spot on with the abstract. Nicely Grace!

    Hank

    ReplyDelete
  24. Very well done, From perilous journey to uplifting ending you've colorfully captured the life cycle of the caterpillar--a lovely interpretation of Leovi's photo.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Oh I love this! My favorite part is the imagery in the second to last stanzas. Something about them. Such a cool take on that piece of art :)

    ReplyDelete
  26. Thank you for the mention and reference, Grace. I'm afraid I've cadged from you again and followed the cinquaine form on your piece "my plea" on my next poem. I gather it would be good form for me to figure out how to properly credit the original prompt, as well. You are an excellent muse.

    ReplyDelete
  27. This is so clever and so beautifully written. The third line or refrain of each stanza allows for one to really become the caterpillar and feel what it is feeling. Poignant for me.

    ReplyDelete

I try my best to reciprocate comments and visits.
I allow anonymous comments if you have difficulty posting them. Thank you & have a good day!!!