THE RAPTURE
by Tamara Madison
How I envy
the furry black
yellow striped
caterpillar
that climbs
the lush stems
of the basil plant.
Sheltered within the deep
green redolent canopy
it spends its days
feasting
on the fragrant leaves,
unaware
that with each
delicious bite
it destroys
its gorgeous habitat.
By the time the leaves
are all reduced
to lacy stubble
it will be time
to find a resting place,
pull a cocoon over itself
and wait for the dawn
of the next life.
How I envy
the furry black
yellow striped
caterpillar
that can destroy
its world
and retreat
to the succor
of a regenerative
cocoon.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Tamara Madison teaches English and French at a public high school in Los Angeles. Raised on a citrus farm in the California desert, Tamara’s life has taken her many places, including Europe and the former Soviet Union, where she spent fifteen months in the 1970s. A swimmer and dog lover, Tamara says, “All I ever wanted to do with my life was write, and I mostly write poetry because it suits my lifestyle; I like the way one can say so much in the economical space of a poem.”
“The Rapture” and other poems by Tamara Madison will appear in the upcoming Silver Birch Press Green Anthology, a collection of poetry, short stories, novel excerpts, essays, interviews, and stage play scenes from authors in the U.S., U.K., and Europe — available on March 15, 2013.
Silver Birch Press 