Chasing the Moth - A Picture Story

Being alone after school gave him time to think. He sat with his feet on the couch – wearing his shoes in a small act of rebellion. His mind turned to the list of items he would need when he went into the wooded park behind his house: net, jar with a holed lid, water, and peanut butter crackers. Sometimes he went without food, but today, he was determined to stay until he captured the unusual moth he had seen flying near the edge of his yard.

After he gathered the necessities, he headed out his back door toward the last place he had seen the moth. He walked and jogged until he arrived at a small clearing. Across the clearing he spotted something bobbing in the air and landing on the plants. With greater stealth than most eleven year olds possess, he crossed the clearing and spotted his prey. Net in hand, he swiped at his target and missed. He watched the moth fly deeper into the woods.

He stalked and swiped many times. Each attempt chased the moth only inches out of the net’s reach. His frustration turned to anger and sadness. His stalking became noisy and his swipes reckless. The sluggishness of the moth added to the taunting he felt each time he missed. After a final clumsy swipe, he sat down and dropped his net. He pulled a leaf from a plant and held it in his hand. He felt alone. He didn’t feel lucky today. He never felt lucky.

He stared at the leaf and until it became unfocused and blurred. He was very still and he sensed the cold path of a tear traveling along the side of his nose. After a long time, something gently interrupted his blurred field of vision. He allowed his eyes to focus and the center of the image sharpened. He watched the moth alight on his leaf. Sitting motionless, he waited until the tears were dry and his mind turned to his plans for the next day.