Carl

Dirt. Crawling. Eating. That’s all Carl knew. His life as a caterpillar consisted of slowly trudging through the dirt of earth looking skyward in hope of leaves to eat. Day after day, Carl and his beloved Cathy would repeat the routine of foraging the massive forest that towered high above their heads often letting the secrets of silence fill the air. When they had found a particular plant, robust and expansive with healthy green leaves, Cathy would squeal with the excitement of having a full day supply of food.

“Life is good!” she would proclaim to her partner on such days.

Carl would nod his head in agreement and take delight watching his wife joyfully receive the pleasures of life. There would be other days, though, when no plants were to be found.

“Life is horrible!” she would complain passionately.

Carl would nod his head in agreement and always alleviate her disappointment with a warm hug and a kiss on the forehead.

And every day, as the sun retreated behind the mountains of their ancestors, Carl would crawl through the dirt on his way home looking skyward.

He’d wonder about the stars and how they would sparkle with consistent luxury.

He’d wonder about the moon and its ever changing cycles of brilliance.

He’d wonder about the wind and imagine himself as free and careless.

And he’d wonder about his darling Cathy. He’d wonder how he could be so lucky to have love unite them and also wonder that if he changed, would she still love him.

As night descended upon the forest, Carl and Cathy took rest inside a great oak tree that had recently fallen across a stream.

“We’ll be safe here my love” Cathy announced.

Carl learned to trust his wife’s judgment on such matters and followed her lead.

As they settled inside the hallowed out bridge for the evening Cathy felt a distance in Carl. His gaze was fixed upwards to the sky but focused on nothing in particular. They expressed a longing, like an orphan who was trying to remember his mother.

“Carl, what’s wrong?” she asked looking into his eyes. Cathy knew Carl was quiet by nature but his spirit spoke with muddy riddles.

“Carl?” she said cupping his face.

“Will you love me forever Cathy?” he said bringing his gaze down from the heavens.

“Of course my dear, what makes you doubt our love could ever fade?”

“I’ve been having strange thoughts and feelings” he said turning his eyes back up to the infinite reaches of space, “they are beautiful thoughts and feelings about us and life and everything that I can’t quite explain but I feel…” he looked back into her eyes, searching.

“Go on my love, I’m here” she assured.

“I feel this change inside…and I can’t ignore it…it’s a love swelling and rushing like a river after a storm and I hold it back like a damn cause I’m afraid” he looked down and away, “afraid I’m going crazy.”

“I’m not sure I understand Carl…” she said with a tinge of worry.

“That’s okay my love” he concluded with waning despair, “perhaps it’s not meant to be understood”.

Cathy’s heart trembled upon feeling his bewildered spirit. Such is the union of two souls that when the branch of love is struck by the lightning of grief all leaves suffer together.

She then softly grabbed his head and twisted him to face her.

“I’ll love you forever, change or not. You’ll always be my Carl.”

He smiled and the light of eternity pronounced itself from the lovers’ eyes.

“And you’ll always be my Cathy” he completed as they wrapped each other in arms.

“Let us sleep now my dear” she said as they let the orchestra of nature conduct the Symphony of Night. Carl closed his eyes with peace smoothed across his face and fell into a deep sleep.

It was in this deep rest that a messenger would come to visit Carl. The messenger that would blind him with dazzling iridescent wings that shimmered gracefully back and forth, back and forth, like tall grain in a gentle breeze. The messenger that would alleviate Carls' countless wonders and lead him on a journey away from home, away from routine, away from Cathy, but towards that river, that river swelling and rushing after a storm into an endless sea.