Poem: Metamorphosis Examined

Poem: Metamorphosis Examined

A Chapter by Marie Anzalone
"

written for a friend going through a rough patch

"

Metamorphosis Examined
for KF

The very concept so overworked,

 it is beyond cliché-
    “I am caterpillar awakening to my butterfly” as if

it were

something we can choose,

that breathlessly happens the moment
         we decide we have arrived

 at the perfect mindset.
“You can do anything you set your mind to”

 glibly proclaimed as mantra to
    those who struggle,

by idiots who do not understand metamorphosis at all.

Shall we delve?

Caterpillar born, creature of ravenous hunger-

consumes all in its path, devouring-
     unslakeable appetite-

 one day, stops abruptly;

        ten feet searching shelter
 suspends itself tenuously via silken thread, to build-
      protective chitonous hard shell

            around its form
keeping the known world at bay.

To transform, shell becomes Vessel,

        as the body liquifies
   dissolved by juices of its own insatiable hunger
reduction to primordial soup-

a stew whose ingredients-
      leucine, ATP, deoxyribose, base pairs-

are all that remains
of caterpillar essence,

         caterpillar memory, caterpillar Self.

Identity suspended in cellular programming- all else lost.

Solely imaginal bud is intact,

   and directs, via hand and force unknown
    the reprogramming of the entity, “histogenesis”
Reconstruction of Soup. Out of Chaos-
   Order Lepidoptera.

Liquid remade- literally- to visceral form,
as heart, lungs, vessels, eyes-

       must learn anew to exist.

The caterpillar gives painful birth to itself from within-
    Four legs are lost,

   consumption drive gives way
to drive for creation, eternity, ad legacy.
   Now more-than-caterpillar,

 remade-into what we, in ignorance,
call “Butterfly”, and

     ironically, label "delicate".

The journey is still not yet complete.

This new creature struggles

    to survive emergence
      breaking down its own protective fortress,

chrysalis outgrown
to come forth naked and wet,

     vulnerable and weak,
  as a babe newly born.

An exhausted terrestrial creature

      that now must 

learn to navigate by air.

No familiar territory remaining

     in this world.
 
My God. The metaphor is perfectly apt,

    perhaps a little too much so-
   which is why, I think, if we pondered the truth
of what it takes, really takes- to get there-
      We would never ask for it

 of our own accord. It must be directed-
or we’d never have the courage

 to spin that first silken thread,

      knowing.

Let the fools who don’t know better, believe otherwise.











 



© 2012 Marie Anzalone


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:)
I love how your intelligence is directly seen in here. This is a wonderful metaphor for the things people say without thinking. Its easy to talk without stepping in the shoes of someone else. It's easy to talk when we don't know where life is headed....I wish I could critique something but I feel like on this I can''t..:)

Ahh I love biology this is sooo good :)

Posted 14 Years Ago


3 of 3 people found this review constructive.




Reviews

This is brilliantly woven with a deeper sense of the reality of change... the pain involved.. the nature of something that happens to us beyond our control. So well done! (I love the book The Metamorphosis by Kafka; the darkest side of change.)

Posted 14 Years Ago


2 of 2 people found this review constructive.

Clever use of the scientific detail to spell out the long and difficult process - a good metaphor used to good effect. Interesting how all those words created their own kaleidoscope.

Posted 14 Years Ago


2 of 2 people found this review constructive.

very profound piece of writing. change can be very painful. i don't imagine the poor caterpiller even suspects what he is to become when going thru all the trauma of metamorphosis. he's just in a dark place going through god knows what. he may be a little better off than we are in that he doesn't have other caterpillers and butterflies sitting outside his coccoon going....." just think positively! we all go through this! quit worrying!" as someone who is presently in one of those dark places of change, i really appreciate this essay. it is very sympathetic and understanding. thank you.

Posted 14 Years Ago


2 of 2 people found this review constructive.

Congratulations on winning the Writing-Cliche contest!

Posted 14 Years Ago


1 of 2 people found this review constructive.

Lonestar said it beautifully: How many of those of us who contemplate adulthood with all its terrors and tribulations opt never to enter that kiln of re-creation? How many, having entered, lack the will, the strength or the courage to emerge? Aren't we all, to some degree, fully-grown larvae? Beautifully said!

Posted 14 Years Ago


1 of 1 people found this review constructive.

If I could speell the difference in a road map as opposed to written instructions that is it .bravo
tate

Posted 14 Years Ago


1 of 2 people found this review constructive.

IDK, I've chosen it..well aware of the pain..I've gone through the process many times..I must admit I fight it to some extent..

And I've watched quite a few deny the process as well. Such is life.

Posted 14 Years Ago


2 of 2 people found this review constructive.

yes, wow! It's all I can say. Change can't be easy. But we survive and grow for it. Become beautiful through it. wow.

Posted 14 Years Ago


1 of 2 people found this review constructive.

Wow.

Posted 14 Years Ago


1 of 2 people found this review constructive.

Dear Marie,

Bravo. A wonderful piece. Not simple at all, huh! More than poeple bargain for when they so easily use the cliche.

Surprising, unique piece. Greatly enjoyed.

Best regards,

Rick

Posted 14 Years Ago


1 of 2 people found this review constructive.


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Added on August 8, 2009
Last Updated on October 26, 2012

A Pilgrimage in Epistles: Poems as Letters and Observations


Author

Marie Anzalone
Marie Anzalone

Xecaracoj, Quetzaltenango, Guatemala



About
Bilingual (English and Spanish) poet, essayist, novelist, grant writer, editor, and technical writer working in Central America. "A poet's work is to name the unnameable, to point at frauds, to ta.. more..

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