The Tiny Caterpillar

Once a tiny caterpillar crawled about the earth

His life was hard and days were long, but still he knew his worth

He spent each day confined to living life upon the ground

But still he was delighted in the beauty that he found

One day while moving slowly about his daily toil

He met a bird of beauty that was resting on the soil

“How beautiful you are!” he said, revealing his delight

The bird looked at the caterpillar, startled by the sight

He moved his gaze back to the earth, returning to his task

The caterpillar spoke again, “Your name, if I may ask?”

The bird ignored him once again, then sighed in deep disgust

“I speak to bugs who crawl the earth here only if I must

For you are not magnificent like us who grace the skies

You live in dirt and lowliness, displeasing in my eyes”

The caterpillar suddenly was filled with deepened shame

He felt at once embarrassed for asking him his name

His eyes were changed, he saw himself as lesser than before

His worth now marked by smallness that had reached his very core

As days went by the weight of all his sadness reached its height

Until he sat in misery, embarrassed by his plight

Time moved on and still, he lay, ‘til all the world was dark

He thought about the bird that changed his life by his remark

And as the caterpillar sat he wondered why he cared

“My life before was beautiful,” he thought and then declared

He realized he was worthy as a creature of the ground

And so he burst from darkness, finding sunlight all around

On that day of hopefulness, he met a wormy friend

Greeting her with all the love his heart could dare extend

Startled she responded with, “How beautiful you are!

By why is it you speak to me? You pass my worth by far”

The caterpillar, puzzled, said, “But I am just like you

You and I, we crawl the ground but still our lives are true”

She said, “But you are not like me you are a butterfly

You’re colorful and brilliant and your wings can grace the sky”

The caterpillar realized then that he was made this way

He’d been a butterfly before he met the bird that day

And in his newfound wisdom, he responded lovingly

“My friend, you are a butterfly with beauty just like me”

And so she felt her worthiness, and knew that she was more

She knew although she couldn’t fly her brilliance made her soar

Just like the tiny caterpillar, we can feel so small

The words of those who knock us down can make our spirits fall

But still our souls can know the truth when we believe their worth

For we were made in equal love, all creatures of the earth

Our souls are made of butterflies, of color, light, and grace

And we were made to share their worth until we see Your face

-C. O’Connell-