The Flowerbed

Hannah Loughran, Contributor. 

 

There are caterpillars in London’s streets.

They are drawn to the petals of King’s Cross,

the bloom of Bakerloo and Kensington, the nectar of Piccadilly Circus.

By night, or in cold weather one will see

them pupa-bound, taking safety in their

chrysalis of old sleeping bag or wet

cardboard, which used to house soup tins or fruit.

Some emerge in the sun’s first rays, as it’s

new warmth permeates the hibernation

of night. These creatures are not colourful,

like butterflies. Rather, they are grey moths.

You would need a net to round them all up;

they are drifters, though some fade quietly.