Caterpillars

When I was a child

I lived in this neighborhood where

trees produced caterpillars 

instead of leaves and boys would 

chase screaming girls around for hours 

holding them on sticks,

trap them in bottles sometimes,

sometimes inject them with fluids,

locate and open cocoons

until learning in science class

they were the biggest predators

of butterflies.

Day 3 of A to Z Challenge, a little bit late but here.