street writing

 just listening

(with a nod to my grandpa, who taught me to speak in this dialect)

In some ways, the lives of folks here in Clarendon County are like the lives of caterpillars Carver and I see in the early part of spring. 

Life is full of wonder for caterpillars. 

It is also full of danger.

Carver taught me all about caterpillars. 

Late one spring afternoon, we were sitting together under the oak tree in our back yard, a tree we called "Ol' Giant" because it was humongous, with two limbs that looked like a giant's arms branching out of a knobby trunk that looked like a giant's knee. 

It was one of the many places that became a laboratory or a classroom that my little brother used for researching and for teaching.

On this particular afternoon, there were caterpillars everywhere, inching their way over and around "Ol' Giant" and us.

“Look at all these cat'pillers, Carver. They’s no end to 'em.”

“Well, it might look like there’s no end to 'em, but they hav' to be careful 'cause they hav' pred'tors that are out to hurt 'em an' even kill 'em.”

“See that bird settin' on Ol Giant’s arm? 

It's ready to swoop down on one o' these little ones and use it fo' it’s ev'nin' meal. 

Hear those wasps buzzin' round the nest at the porch door?

They’d like to use one o' these little ones fo' food, too. 

When poppa comes in from the field, his mud caked boots might accidentally step on one’a these little ones and crush the life outta it. 

So they’s many things that could put a end to 'em.

But they’s some ways these little ones can protect themselves. 

These ways are ‘mazin', wonderful ways nature gave to them to he'p ‘em. 

Look at this little one. 

What’s the first thing you notice 'bout it?”

“It’s got bright colors all around it.”

“Well, this little one is a Monarch. 

Those bright colors tell that bird and those wasps that it has been a eatin' pois'nous plants an' so is pois'nous itself to eat. 

Nature makes it tough on the inside so it can be safe on the outside.

How 'bout dis one? 

What you notice 'bout it?”

“Hey, that is a cat'pillar larva. 

At first I thought it was bird droppins'.”

“Well, these little ones will be Tiger Swallowtails. Nature he'ps them camoflauge themselves so they can stay safe.”

What 'bout this one?”

“It has two big circles that look like eyes.”

“Well, those are called eyespots an' make this little one look bigger an' scarier than it really is. 

Nature he'pd it look like a snake so that bird an' that wasp will leave it 'lone.”

- trevor scott barton, stories for a brown-eyed girl, 2020