A Tale

Tully, Australia 1997

As heavy rain pours down relentlessly, I trudge through muddy channels with banana trees to my left and right.  Walking barefoot, following fellow workers’ tales of arsenic poured into the soil to kill unwanted trees, the mud clings and makes my feet heavy.

My rucksack replaced by a plastic flask filled with kerosene, I spend timeless hours following my employer’s instructions to inject this chemical into last harvest’s banana tree stumps.

Amidst this trial of mental and physical tolerance, my eye catches sight of a small, delicate cabbage white butterfly fluttering past me with fragile, ivory white wings. 

The presence of this tiny creature suddenly alters my perspective and fills me with ease and happiness.

I recognize this moment as one to be treasured and kept with me over the years as a reminder that beauty can be found in the smallest of things and in the most fleeting of moments in life.