ODE Poem: | AN ODE TO US: ENCOURAGEMENT TO CATERPILLARS |, by Jay Oliver

Below lies the Eulogy of a Caterpillar:

If death be every human’s right, then be diligent
In your attempt to die making a difference. Be steadfast
In your right to kick and fight out of
That cocoon that holds you so. Inevitably,
We must all make the choice to suffocate
In silence or soar. To breathe the airs of freedom
We have never been. To soar the winds
Of the butterfly we all aspire to be…

My apologies- that is not the end of this ode.

You see, freedom for one is not
Transformation for all. And still
That melody of Sweet King Martin rings
True: Either we all win, or none of us do.
To see the emergence of one who was
Just like you is true transfiguration.

This truth approached me when I witnessed
The power of a picture. I saw a butterfly
Wading next to a cocoon anticipating the next
Awakening; to witness another breathe.
To perceive the death of a caterpillar.
Beholding the thriller of becoming a butterfly.

Therefore, to the caterpillars I say, “Words from hurting
Humans don’t have the authority to cocoon your purpose
So long as you allow wounds to turn into wings.”
And to every butterfly, I cry out: “Fight
To fly, but never do so alone.
Build a world that’s home for butterflies to roam
With the freedom from jealousy of another’s color.”
These were my final words as I bid my shell goodbye.

From yours truly, a baby butterfly.