As a caterpillar, the main diet for these insects is the Dutchman’s Pipe plant, which has a high level of toxicity. The caterpillars, instead of succumbing to the toxins they’re born into, store the toxins throughout their metamorphosis into their adult stage-the Pipevine Swallowtail Butterfly. They’re adorned in bright colours, warning predators to steer clear or they may pay the ultimate price.
I think this is true in humans as well. As children we can be born into situations that don’t serve us well, and how we adapt and overcome is crucial to our survival & ability to thrive into adulthood. Poison environments that we were spoon fed with no choice but to ingest them can either break us or create a resilience unknown to those who haven’t faced adversity. We know the poison, we hold that poison, and warn anyone that may cross us that we’re not to be trifled with, because the poison lives within us as well.
Much like these butterflies whose poison is only available in death, most choose not to carry on the toxicity in daily life, ending the cycle.
A Pipevine Swallowtail, carved from MDF, and hand painted from black and blue with delicate orange and white markings. This piece shows the beauty of the preserved butterfly pinned to a white matted background, double framed in white oak.
