my sister and the caterpillars

how can you tell a toddler that her fear is irrational?

when she was young,
she screamed at the caterpillars
that dotted our front porch
and the sidewalk where we played
with the neighbor children.
we carried her to her
car seat, her face buried in
our shoulders so she didn’t see
the hairy beasts that tormented
her nightmares or feel them squish
when they were too thick to avoid.

the squish of caterpillars
is indistinguishable from that of slugs,
and differs from snails
only in the lack of crunch.

we sat her down, and tried to explain
that caterpillars are a necessary evil—
without them, she would never
chase another butterfly. she was
always eager to follow their
meander through mother’s garden,
laughing as she came almost
close enough to touch—wide eyed
and still when one chose
to light on her finger.

she’d nod, and we’d share triumph
in a in a glance,
sure her terror was over
and she would be calm.
then we took her back outside,
and she screamed.

line count: 31

Prompt for: Jan 5, 2016 ▶︎

Subject or Theme: The Stress Monster!! (It can be about your own or someone else, what causes it, what makes it better ~ anything like that; it's pretty wide open)
Word(s) to Include: eager, indistinguishable, triumph (or any derivatives of these words)
Forbidden Word(s): anxiety, monster, freak, panic, scare, stress (or any derivatives, compound or hyphenations of these words)
Additional Parameters: At least 24 lines or a form that is 24 lines or more. Please include a link if you use a form.
Remember, do not use forbidden words ANYWHERE, including title or the brief description.