Generation Divide

By Leah Blackwell

 

A caterpillar proposed to a butterfly:

 “You are my future 

and I am your past. 

You can fly away 

but I still crawl. 

You once crawled 

and someday I’ll fly. 

Perhaps you can teach me your wisdom 

as I will remind you of where you came from.” 

 

The butterfly turned the caterpillar down:

“You’re young, green one. 

Too young to understand. 

I would love to disclose my wisdom to you,

but the knowledge in my possession 

is poison when cocooned in words. 

They would snare your mind with confusion.

And you, little one, have nothing to give me.” 

 

Then the butterfly took to the sky, wings adrift dazzling. 

The branch buckled from the lost weight and the caterpillar fell. 

 

Sestina                                                                                               Catching Lizards