The Existential Catumpillar

[bairnsidhe]

The Existential Catumpillar
Outside my school,
Smokes lollipops and
Eats candy buttons,
And big thoughts,
He asks us
Deep fun questions
As we pass

"How much wood could a woodchuck chuck, if a woodchuck were given the basic respect due a living being?"

Sometimes, we
Will try to answer
And we're usually
Completely wrong,
But he wants us
To try anyway.

"Is it nobler to be, or not to be, or to be a busy little bee, or to be-bop?"

Sometimes, we
Laugh at the
Silly Catumpillar.
He says
That's okay.
Laughter is good.

"What is the sound of a tree falling in the forest if no-one can hear the bears shitting?"

Sometimes, we
Learn the things
The teachers can't
Teach us, and
we didn't know
we didn't know.

"Imagine if gender were a strict binary, only two options, no other choices or chance to change your mind."

"But it is," says one boy.

"Good job on that imagination," says the Catumpillar.

We all know
The Catumpillar
And we all know
That he is wise and good.
We need him
For comfort and joy

"What would you do, if you couldn't fail and you couldn't succeed, and mediocrity was socially acceptable?"

Sitting,
His legs folded
Cris-cross
Applesauce
Two spoons in a bowl.
His butt firmly resting
A yard and five inches
Off the ground.

At night, I hum
And know he hears
My answers to his
Ice-Cream Koans

"Do woodchucks actually want to chuck wood?  I mean, have we ever asked them?"

"It is noblest  to put the bop in the bop shoo bop shoo bop.  Then someone's baby can fall in love with them."

"I'd assume it's the same as the sound of one idiot shutting up, since I've never heard either."

I don't always
Have answers
For the Catumpillar.
I think that's okay

Too.