The Earthworm and Caterpillar

A caterpillar met an earthworm one shining, shimmering day.

In a grassy forest clearing one mild and blooming May.

The earthworm liked the caterpillar’s pretty patterned skin,

The caterpillar admired how the earthworm was so very long and thin.

The best of friends they soon became, and met up every day,

In that grassy forest clearing one mild and blooming May.

One day the earthworm found his friend dangling from a twig,

She looked like caterpillar, but she was so still, she didn’t move a bit.

He called to her, but no response from her lips there came,

So he coiled into a little ball to wait: it must be a silly game.

He stayed there for several days, but still she did not move,

She must be asleep, he thought. Or else she was being rather rude.

He fell asleep and when he woke his friend was on the floor,

But still she didn’t move and seemed emptier than before.

Suddenly he heard her voice calling out his name,

But when he turned around the creature was not the same.

The bright, beautiful, graceful butterfly alighted on a leaf,

The earthworm coiled round his empty friend to protect her from her this thief.

‘But I’m caterpillar’ said the butterfly to the silly worm,

‘No you’re not. You’ve stolen her voice’ his opinion was set firm.

‘Now go away, you can’t have her body too. With my life I’ll protect her.’

The butterfly was stunned. Her friend could not see she was the caterpillar.

Eventually she flew away and found some new friends very soon,

The earthworm stayed on the ground clutching her empty cocoon.

Sadly, earthworm was so fixated on memories of his caterpillar,

He failed to see the butterfly was the very same ‘her’.